Not Just a Boy’s Battle: In a male-dominated rap scene, Mumbai’s women and queer artists are carving their space

On a Sunday afternoon in Kurla the crowd at a street cypher thickens around a narrow lane plastered with graffiti Someone taps a beat on a Bluetooth speaker the bass bounces off the walls Dozens of boys huddle close smokes in their hands waiting for their turn to spit bars In the middle of them a sixteenyearold girl steps up adjusts herself and begins to rapldquoJust wanna be hiphopper let my story be known Bawe jake puchte hai ye Kaamkhaas hai kon bros around ask who is Kaamkhaas Buland hai mera hosla aur choti inki soch my courage is high their thoughts narrow On this path to success I can never gonna wrongrdquo she spits as oohs and claps ripple through the circleSubhadra Mishra aka Kaamkhaas started out when she was 14 years old and has been receiving hate online PICSAYYED SAMEER ABEDIHer name is Subhadra Mishra alias Kaamkhaas She raps in Hindi about her parents fighting for her passion her neighboursrsquo gossipping about her and the ache of trying to study while dreaming bigger ldquoMere gully mein char aunty baithi rehti In my lane four aunties sit aroundrdquo she raps sketching the daily life of her neighbourhood ldquoSaidham society naam nhi brand banti The name of Saidham Society isnrsquot a name itrsquos a brandrdquo mdash a nod to how ordinary streets and chawls hold stories larger than lifeGlobally the music industry remains heavily maledominated with 64 per cent of music creators being men 32 per cent women and only 6 per cent identifying as genderexpansive according to TuneCorersquos 2025 Be the Change report The imbalance mirrors what artistes in Mumbairsquos underground hiphop scene experience dailyldquoWhen I go to cyphersrdquo Mishra says ldquothere are more than 200 boys and Irsquom the only girl Some comment some push some even touch without consent But most hype me up I forget everything when I raprdquoGamak Sinha discovered rap when she decided to narrate her poetry in Kathak kavith style Since then she has not stopped PICNIMESH DAVEHer journey began with a phone at 14 and a love for poetry One Instagram reel went viral with over 2 lakh views and the trolling began ldquoPeople said I only get views because Irsquom a girlrdquo she says ldquoEven my male rapper friends said it But I too forget to sleep spend hours writing I work just as hard maybe harderrdquo Her parents stood by her ldquoThey just ask me to also focus on studies They saw me getting trolled and still told me lsquoKeep doing itrsquo Thatrsquos where my inspiration comes fromrdquoAt just 16 Mishra represents a powerful shift in Mumbairsquos underground hiphop scene Women are no longer just consumers of rap They are creators storytellers and truthtellers In a space historically dominated by men they are finding language for anger aspiration and everyday survivalPranavi Gunti PranaviiiMumbairsquos gallis have long been the cradle of Indian hiphop After the movie Gully Boy in 2019 the rap scene exploded but the gender imbalance remained stark Out of hundreds only a handful are women Now slowly a new generation is competing with the mic Platforms on Instagram have become digital homes for these artistes casting a limelight to their work beyond tight local circuits Twentysomethings rapping in Hindi English Marathi even Gujarati are writing their own rhymes of their battlesTake Gamak Sinha 22 who shuttles between Pune and Mumbai for gigs Originally from Uttar Pradesh she lived in Mumbai for 11 years before moving to Pune Born into a family steeped in performing arts rhythm and performance were always part of her life ldquoWe have kaviths in Kathak which are sixteenbeat stories from Hindu mythsrdquo she explains ldquoI used to write poetry and when I combined it with kaviths I discovered rap though I didnrsquot even know it was called rap at the time Later I listened to more artistes and developed my stylerdquoDriti Panchmatia DemythSinha completed a degree in hotel management but quickly realised that a 9to5 job wasnrsquot for her She started performing rap only eight months ago blending acoustic melodies with her raps Her first cypher video went viral overnight taking her from 200 followers to 75600 ldquoIt all happened too fastrdquo she says ldquoI felt like a gazelle surrounded by crocodilesrdquoFame came with challenges she hadnrsquot anticipated As her lyrics point out ldquoIs waqt ke aage tu bas sar jhuka right now hold your head down sadh chuka kalakaar mar chukka rotten away the artiste has died Ya phir hai chhupa or has been hiddenrdquo ldquoPeople wanted to manage me make me a businessrdquo she recalls ldquoI got stuck in a very unfair contract They wanted to manipulate my music my art stopped sounding like my art They sent me alone to shoots far away Once they even told me to sleep in a chawl because they couldnrsquot book a hotel for me I didnrsquot go Itrsquos very important for a famous artiste to have a manager to look out for you Thatrsquos not negotiablerdquoArsonSinha also experienced betrayal from peers ldquoI lost male friends who wanted to collaborate but then edited my parts or blamed me if the song didnrsquot work out The industry does objectify women even subtlyrdquo she says And yet she refuses to let it dictate her style Today with her manager Sameer Inamdar she is recapturing her music and her confidence Sinharsquos raps are a blend of selfexpression and discipline rooted in her artistic upbringing and sharpened by the harsh realities of the industry ldquoIrsquom still learningrdquo she says ldquoBut I know my voice is mine and I wonrsquot let anyone take that awayrdquoFor Arson a 20yearold rapper from Jamshedpur who identifies as nonbinary hehim moving to Mumbai in 2024 was a conscious step toward pursuing music fulltime Originally a poet Arsonrsquos early fascination with rhythm came from listening to Badshah but he quickly gravitated toward rap after seeing how lyricism and beat intertwined ldquoI had a friend guide me through itrdquo he recalls ldquoThe beauty of rap was that I could combine poetry and storytelling with rhythm and it just clickedrdquoArson dropped out of college after two semesters to focus entirely on music dedicating himself to building his voice in a space that is still overwhelmingly maledominated ldquoMy first cypher had 100 guys and not a single womanrdquo he says ldquoThere are barely any women in the scene You have to work harder to be seen Yoursquore judged more harshly opportunities are fewer and you constantly feel like you have to prove yourselfrdquoThe challenges extend beyond gender Being nonbinary in Indiarsquos underground rap scene has brought ridicule and ignorance ldquoI havenrsquot transitioned yet so people just donrsquot understand They mock me call me names and try to put me in a boxrdquo Arson explains ldquoShows are unsafe There are creeps therersquos touching mocking You have to earn your right to be respectedrdquoDespite these challenges Arson channels his experiences into his music ldquoI have anger in me which is constantrdquo His performances often raw and rhythmically intense are personal manifestos turning pain into poetry He also brings a multidimensional creative background to his work Outside rap Arson is a stylist creative director and production designer for a theatre company and this artistic lens informs his music videos and stage presence ldquoI write now in Hindi too because building an audience in India for Englishonly rap is harder My words are my armour and my weapon If I donrsquot fight for my space no one else willrdquo he saysIf Arson channels rage Driti Panchmatia 22 performing as Demyth channels resilience She raps in four languages and has been performing for seven years ldquoI quit Hotel Management after a year and focused entirely on music Irsquove worked from deliveries to outdoor catering to support myselfrdquo she says Her journey began after her fatherrsquos death when a friend took her to a cypher to lift her spirits ldquoI realised there were people like me people who had lived like me I felt seenrdquoBut belonging is complicated Panchmatia has faced sexualised comments and objectification from male performers ldquoTherersquos a lot of haterdquo she says ldquoPeople tell me to shave my armpits text me after shows with sexual undertones I intimidate those who try to intimidate me because I wonrsquot play scaredrdquoFor her rap is a way to articulate female lived experiences Therersquos a stark perception gap that while 50 per cent of women and 41 per cent of genderexpansive artistes report experiencing discrimination in the industry only 16 per cent of men acknowledge it exists according to the same TuneCore report This disconnect underscores the challenges female and nonbinary rappers face in being recognised and respected for their craft ldquoA man canrsquot relate to female music They know what we go through but not the nittygritties Thatrsquos what we bring to hiphoprdquo Arson explainsPranavi Gunti aka Pranaviii 23 from Andhra Pradesh found rap during lockdown as a release from the chaos of exam pressure ldquoThere was so much pressure in my mind Writing helped me vent It made me feel like I existedrdquo she says College life introduced her to performing spaces often as the only female rapper in a group But anxiety followed her ldquoIrsquom conscious of unfamiliar venues Irsquove felt unsafe claustrophobic surrounded by men That anxiety doesnrsquot affect my performance but ruins my healthrdquo However she also emphasised that while some try to differentiate many male rappers have supported her tooGuntirsquos rap is mostly in English mdash a choice that has brought both privilege and prejudice ldquoSomeone once told me lsquoVenue dekh ke rap karorsquo watch where you rap Like English belongs only in certain spacesrdquo she laughs Yet her verses carry social commentary ldquoMy rap is edutainment mdash a little education with entertainmentrdquo she explains Her lyrics reflect the mental load social struggles and aspirations of young women in IndiaEvery woman in Mumbairsquos underground hiphop scene is fighting battles that go beyond rhythm and rhyme mdash against harassment tokenism and invisibility ldquoWomen in this industry A rare sight to see Fight with thyself and then Fight with the society Now break your chains and Set yourself free Fight for my people My communityrdquo Guntirsquos words echoMishrarsquos viral fame came with trolling but she channels it into rhythm ldquoGa ga re sa sa re gama nahi hora mere se bro I canrsquot keep singing doremifasolati Ye expect kar re the gana gau badal diya mene flow They expect me to sing I changed the flow Now they follow every move where I go Dreams turning true let the whole world knowrdquo she raps defiantlyFor Sinha the fight is creative ownership ldquoShani chaahe raah pe chalna Saturn wants you to walk on a path Kar karam chala kalam abhi mat phisalna Keep working donrsquot let the pen slip Rahu kahe kya hi karna Rahu says you have nothing to do Kaha hai parinaam Where is the result Sab paise pe palta It all rolls with moneyrdquo she recites a gentle reminder that control over art and selfexpression is still adaily struggleYet there is progress More women are turning up at cyphers More local collectives are pushing female artistes forward Social media has made underground fame possible without gatekeepers As Gunti notes ldquoThe ratiorsquos still jarring but at least wersquore not invisible any morerdquoMore women more powerAn AampR audio and repertoire expert highlights the importance of female voices in rap ldquoFrom a female perspective itrsquos frustrating to see stories dominated by men Women need to make more music we lack globallevel figures like a Cardi B or Charli xcx When women put their narratives forward other women join inrdquo she says on condition of anonymity She notes the gender gap shapes the stories told ldquoThe ratio of men to women is huge Most rap remains masculine because there are so few women When female artistes are platformed more join the industry Families are often more supportive of sons pursuing music than daughters due to industry realitiesrdquoRepresentation matters for listeners too ldquoHiphop documents life experiences Women growing up have few female artistes to relate to which leaves a gaping hole We need to empower these voices to ensure the female perspective is recorded The industry is young but culturally wersquore still catching up Itrsquos a long journey toward equality but pushing this narrative is essentialrdquoNo respect for the FemCsSameer Inamdar RaptureSameer Inamdar 28 aka Rapture battle rapper from Dharavi and founder of Allegionz manages and mentors emerging artists ldquoMale rappers rarely talk about female artistes respectfully They objectify a woman aggressively if she dares to express herself fully Itrsquos never logical criticismrdquo he says ldquoFemale performers have to navigate safety latenight gigs and unaccomodating organisers just to get recognised Organisers or volunteers donrsquot care about female fans and their conditions in fan pits They donrsquot even do the bare minimum of crowd control to make it an inclusive experience for everyonerdquoAjay Bhandare who runs the Instagram page Cypher_kurla70 adds ldquoOnly two or three women turn up regularly We try to make them comfortable manage the crowds and protect them When harassment happens we immediately step in separate the artiste from the situation and lsquoexplainrsquo to the offender that such behaviour is unacceptable Male rappers often judge women for using street language or cursing even though men get fame doing the same Itrsquos hypocrisyrdquoBoth highlight that while Mumbairsquos underground hiphop is expanding female rappers constantly navigate unequal scrutiny harassment and objectification The presence of mentors and responsive organisers is crucial to help them own their space perform safely and be respected in a maledominated scene