Music
4 Dee MC songs of empowerment to encourage upcoming artists
The Mumbai-based rapper has long been a promoter of equality in the hip-hop community. Here are some of her songs in which she has spoken her mind.
Dee MC was a judge and mentor at Red Bull Spotlight. The mentor sessions, workshops and challenges, as well as the finale of Red Bull Spotlight 2020, was documented in a six-part series which had Seedhe Maut as Masters of Ceremony. Click here to know more about the series and where you can watch it.
The Indian hip-hop scene is sometimes known to be fascinated with the drama that surrounds a ‘beef’. Some fans even go to the extent of actively trying to goad their favourite artist into releasing a diss track.
In such an environment, artists who vehemently avoid indulging this sensationalist trend and instead focus on crafting together a unique narrative tend to get overlooked when it comes to the conversation about MCs at the top of their game.
Dee MC has been one of these courageous artists walking her own path and encouraging others to do the same.
The Kalyan-born and Mumbai-bred artist has played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s hip-hop community.
Her debut full-length album titled Dee=MC2 earned her widespread critical acclaim post release in 2019. Her comprehensive and focused approach to her craft has seen her deliver projects that are authentic, inspirational, and perhaps most importantly, articulate in their progressive arguments.
These have been the creative traits that put her beyond reproach in a scene where fans can turn toxic in the blink of an eye. Her ability to communicate her creative vision with distinct clarity proves that Dee MC is indeed a master of the craft. And more so, her lyrics on inclusivity and empowerment make her an inspiration to young artists and someone everyone can draw motivation from.
Her are four of her songs that everyone should listen to if they want to truly understand her outlook on empowerment through hip-hop.
‘Chaar Logon Ki Baatein’
Dee MC’s first success, this single displayed the MCs knack to combine pop-influenced visuals while also showing traces of the raw talent that lay in her pen. And through her penmanship she took shots at the people who try to stifle the dreams of young girls everywhere by giving them ‘advice’ on what they should do.
‘Rang’
Dee MC is one of the few artists in the country who has used brand projects and partnerships to strengthen identity as a conscious, progressive artist and amplify her narrative of empowerment. Her ability to walk the tightrope between commercial appeal and critiquing the country’s social structures is on full-display on ‘Rang’, a single off her debut album Dee MC2. The project, which brought onboard cosmetics brand Nykaa as a partner, took on India’s obsession with fair skin and how companies have preyed upon it for decades to create a vicious cycle of trauma for young girls in the country.
‘Vadhaiyaan’
Dee MC created ‘Vadhaiyaan’ as a reply to a country where women with outspoken political opinions are often silenced and intimidated through a show of force, the threat of sexual violence or doxxing online. This densely-layered single from her debut album was a showcase of her moral fibre as she stood tall against the rising tide of violence faced by minorities in the country and urged us to do the same.
‘Piece of Mind’
She has also been a vocal proponent of an artists’ right to explore their medium of creation undeterred by commercial interests or corporate guidelines. The desi hip-hop scene fell prey to multiple brands who wanted to cash in on the genre’s rise in popularity, and artists began tailoring their songs to fit formulaic structures that had worked for last week’s one-hit wonder. ‘Piece of Mind’ sees Dee MC reassure young independent artists that success is not defined by the size of a cheque, but by the creation of a legacy that stands the test of time.
