Spotify Data Reveals The Growth Of Regional Hip-Hop Music In India

As the popularity of hip hop music continues to grow across India, the genre has seen significant growth on Spotify, too, and is currently the 4th most listened to genre on Spotify in India. With its flagship hip hop playlist, Rap 91, as well as language-specific hip hop playlists such as Hip-Hop Haryanvi, Hip-Hop Malayalam, Bhojpuri Rap Ba, and more, Spotify has taken the genre to listeners across the country. 

“Hip hop music has seen tremendous growth in India over the last few years. On Spotify, it is the fourth most streamed genre in the country today. As hip hop music continues to evolve across India, various regions are developing their own style of the genre, with local superstars, and building on a strong sense of community.

At Spotify, we already curate hip hop music across six languages in India, and currently see the biggest growth coming from Haryanvi and Punjabi hip hop, among others.The genre reflects the aspirations and energy of the Indian youth, and this is showcased in the fact that over 70% of hip hop fans on Spotify are Gen Z, which is amongst the highest in the world,” says Rahul Balyan, Head of Music, Spotify India.

Last year, Spotify hosted Rap 91 Live for the first time, which took the playlist to fans for an on-ground experience, featuring hip hop artists from around the country, from the biggest names to the freshest acts. This year, Rap 91 Live returns on October 28, featuring over 25 artists from across the country - rapping in six languages - including Raftaar, Dino James, DG Immortals, Rahul Dit-O, Dee MC, Irfana, Karan Kanchan, Moko Koza, and more.

Over the last few years, we have been actively working with hip hop artists across the board. Our flagship playlist, Rap 91, features some of the most outstanding Indian hip hop talent. Last year, we hosted Rap 91 Live for the first time, which brought the playlist alive through an immersive on-ground experience featuring some of the biggest names in Indian hip hop. We’re bringing it back for its second edition this Saturday, with a focus on putting the spotlight on artists and hip hop music from across the country and languages,” says Rahul Balyan, Head of Music, Spotify India.

This year alone, hip hop on Spotify has seen significant growth across languages and sub-genres. While Rap 91 has grown by over 110% in 2023, Hip-Hop Haryanvi and Hip-Hop Malayalam have seen a staggering growth of 500% and 600%, respectively.