It is no secret that India has a thriving hip-hop culture that has originated from its bustling streets and by-lanes and made its way to grand stages and silver screens. But while hip-hop enthusiasts are consumed by the likes of Gully Gang and leading break dancers like Flying Machine, in the other corner of the country, an artist (Vikram Sen / Feyago) complains:
'Why is the West So Important? Why is the East Forgotten?
Now All the Rappers Quit Rapping, Waiting for S**t to Happen
Everyone Knows Divine, But No One Knows D-Mon
Banks Frozen Cold Even Though the Fans Clapping'
These are verses from ‘Anthem for The North East’, a collaborative effort by artists from the region, where they try to showcase their rich hip-hop culture. However, as the lyrics say, their culture is not only ignored but is plagued by several problems. So much so that artists in Arunachal can’t afford to pursue their art.
In mainstream media Hip Hop is shown as a lavish lifestyle and people see hip hop artists making it big on various reality shows, national and international events. But in Northeast (Arunachal) Hip-Hop is dying.BBoy Nana
The Quint catches up with several hip-hop artists from Arunachal Pradesh, including some of its pioneers in the region to talk about their struggles along the way, and why hip-hop in the northeast is not as recognized as it is in other parts of the country.
Meet Sandeep Sharma, Stage Name: Gorkeh
Sandeep Sharma, was born and brought up in Arunachal’s Naharlagun. Inspired by break dance videos on the Internet, Sharma was often found dancing on the streets wherever he heard music. When he started dancing in 2010, there were no dance events or what hip-hop enthusiasts called 'cyphers', in the area. So, he and his friends would resort to dancing at the local Durga and Saraswati Puja festivals.
Because break dancing has a lot to do with risky moves, one needs a safe and cushioned space to practice. The lack of break dance classes also meant that he would practice without any supervision, relying mostly on YouTube videos.
I come from a poor background and live in a modest home. So, I didn’t have space in my home to practice. I would collect cardboards from shops and place it on the sand by the riverbanks (where my house was situated), and practice there.Sandeep Sharma
Sharma’s grandparents and family were not supportive of his parents’ love marriage. They were ostracized from the family for several years, when his father would resort to driving autorickshaws and tempos to earn a living.
I knew the condition of my family, and so I couldn’t ask them for money to attend competitions.Sandeep Sharma
But he continued to dance whenever the opportunity presented itself to him, and also integrate the hip-hop culture in his daily life through his clothing and daily activities.
However, 'bad influence' pushed Gorkeh to substance abuse during his adolescent years and he went down a slippery slope.
But it was my love for dance that pulled me out of the dark place, and I quit all my bad habits so that I can focus on my passion.Sandeep Sharma
Travelling from Arunachal is an Expensive Affair
No cyphers in Arunachal meant dancers like Sharma had to travel to Guwahati or to metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata. But to reach there, they would first have to travel to Guwahati or Lilabari in Assam for airport access, or to Guwahati or Kolkata and then take a train from there.
This meant an unaffordable travel and stay cost for dancers from the Arunachal many of whom are students and drop outs, with no support from their families. Thus, most up and coming dancers from the region were unable to visit the hip-hop hot spots in India to hone their skills.
To be able to sustain their passion for break dancing, pioneer artists like Sagar Rai, who goes by the stage name of B-boy Crime, had his own business that would not only help him on the financial front, but also allow him to afford the travel costs.
But even if they managed to make it to the metropolitan cities – they were still faced with a language barrier, different food habits, racism which led to safety concerns and above all a severe lack of guidance as they didn’t know anyone.
They persevered. B-boy Nana attended his first cypher ‘Cypherholics’ in Delhi in 2011. With the knowledge that he gained, he tried to host a cypher in Arunachal. But that failed.
It was only in 2014, when he, along with Rai and their teammate B-boy Nikum hosted ‘Floor Jam’ which can be touted as Arunachal’s first proper cypher. The event saw 50 participants including the likes of then first timers Gorkeh and B-boy Gomb. The event also saw participants from other Northeastern states like Meghalaya and Manipur.
The three had put together Rs. 3000 each from their own pockets to host the event along with the prize money.
While a yearly ‘Floor Jam’ set the ball rolling for more events to come and encouraged artists to take part, Arunachal’s hip-hop scene still couldn’t take off.
Arunachal’s Hip-Hop Scene Doesn’t Make Enough Noise Outside the Region
Logistical problems and a corporate scarcity meant that the event organizers would struggle to find sponsors.
The few private players in Arunachal are not aware of hip-hop culture and many others don’t sponsor because they don’t see hip-hop as a viable career option.B-boy Nana
B-boy Gomb says that a lack of sponsorship meant that organizers couldn’t always afford to invite judges from outside or market the event properly, and that in turn meant that these events would not get the attention they needed.
The only ‘Shor’ they made was in the ‘Gullies’.
So, the nation and its mainstream hip-hop culture is almost oblivious to its north-eastern counterpart, which seems to be on an inevitable decline.
B-boy Nana blames the lack of media coverage for this. He says that an artist “no matter how good he or she is, has his/her reach only locally.” Thus, there are only a handful of North East artists in mainstream media.
Lashing out at the hip-hop community he says, “while artists from the Northeast often travel to metropolitan cities, artists from there do not visit the Northeast. “
Shillong is one of the only places in the Northeast region where there is a vibrant hip-hop culture that gets the adequate amount of exposure via cyphers, festivals and other events.
Rai echoes a similar tone when he points a finger at artists from Shillong.
They have promoted their own state in other competitions, but they didn't bring in sponsorship or competitions to the Northeast.Sagar Rai, B-boy Crime
“There are a lot of artists in the Northeast, but there’s hardly any unity,” he ends.
Rai doesn’t dance anymore. He chooses to focus on his business to sustain himself. He is still playing an active part in hosting cyphers though. And he isn’t the only one, as many artists from the region are giving up on their passion as they can’t see a future in it.
From developmental and logistical issues, to lack of exposure, have played a crucial role in this steady decline.
The hip-hop scene in Arunachal has picked up since late 2017, with artists like Gorkeh and B-boy Gomb representing Arunachal Pradesh in national level competitions like Red Bull BC One and Dance Your Style. More mainstream and even some international artists have also started visiting the state to help promote the culture.
But enough ‘Shor’ hasn’t been made yet.
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