Absolut and Raja Kumari Come Together For An Empowering Anthem

Featuring breakthrough rappers Meba Ofilia, Dee MC and SIRI, ‘Rani Cypher’ champions equal opportunity for all

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(Image credit - Kirti Narain)

Absolut has created a name for itself when it comes to supporting creative artists who highlight socially and culturally relevant themes, especially when it comes to shining the limelight on local artists. So when they announced that they were collaborating with Indian-American rapper Raja Kumari bringing together three other breakthrough female rappers - Meba Ofilia, Dee MC and SIRI, we were not surprised it turned out to be a firecracker of a track.

Titled ‘Rani Cypher’, this deep yet uplifting number is a celebration of women in its purest form. And by featuring a roster of equally impressive women in the song and its video, Raja Kumari shows how women raising each other up is such a brilliant ethos.

Check out the video.

While the lyrics delve into delivering a much-needed message about not stereotyping women and how equal opportunity for all needs to be a common goal, the video juxtaposes that by projecting the four women as queens who groove to their own beat.

There’s also a meta angle to it as through this video, these women are also challenging the existing stereotypes about women in hip-hop, especially in the Indian context. By presenting their unique identities forward and not letting society’s labels define them, the video truly features a bunch of queens.

Known for imparting a message of positivity, of female power and social consciousness through her music Raja Kumari states -

“When I entered the Indian Rap scene in 2016, it was rare to see a woman on stage and even more rare to hear a woman on the mic. I decided early on to use my Influence to create a platform for female artists and creatives in order to claim a space that could be safe for all of us. Partnering with Absolut on Rani Cypher has been such a rewarding experience. It’s so exciting to feature Meba Ofilia, Dee MC and SIRI on this all-female rap cypher out of India. From beginning to end, working on Rani Cypher has been a hands-on experience and I’m thankful to have worked with such a talented female led team.”

The Absolut release is more cypher than song with each emcee showcasing her lyrical prowess and commanding composure. It stands up perfectly fine on its own—a rare moment in hip-hop that serves as a perfect reminder to power past societal constructs, with Kumari proclaiming that "king’s crown on the queen, everything I did, yeah, I did it for the scene.”

Here’s hoping artistic endeavours such as this help fans of good music discover more talent from different parts of the country, especially all the talented women out there.