INTERVIEW | BADSHAH: THE NIGHT INDIAN HIP HOP TAKES THE O2

By Rishma • On Interviews

Indi­an hip hop has long exis­ted in a state of defi­ance, build­ing cul­ture in the mar­gins while fight­ing for legit­im­acy at home and recog­ni­tion abroad. Over the past dec­ade, that res­ist­ance has trans­formed into momentum, and few artists embody that shift more clearly than Bad­shah. From soundtrack­ing desi street ambi­tion to reshap­ing how South Asi­an music travels glob­ally, his jour­ney mir­rors the rise of a move­ment that no longer asks for permission.

As he stands on the verge of becom­ing the first Indi­an rap­per to head­line London’s O2 Arena, the moment feels lar­ger than a single artist or a single night. It speaks to dia­spora iden­tity, glob­al influ­ence and the quiet cer­tainty that Indi­an hip hop belongs on the world’s biggest stages on its own terms. Ahead of this his­tor­ic show, Bad­shah reflects on rep­res­ent­a­tion, respons­ib­il­ity and what it means when cul­ture crosses bor­ders without los­ing its soul.

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Rishma

Edit­or / PR Con­sult­ant at No Bounds
Rishma Dhali­w­al has extens­ive exper­i­ence study­ing and work­ing in the music and media industry. Hav­ing writ­ten a thes­is on how Hip Hop acts as a social move­ment, she has spent years research­ing and con­nect­ing with artists who use the art form as a tool for bring­ing a voice to the voiceless.

About Rishma

Rishma Dhaliwal has extensive experience studying and working in the music and media industry. Having written a thesis on how Hip Hop acts as a social movement, she has spent years researching and connecting with artists who use the art form as a tool for bringing a voice to the voiceless.