Rana Daggubati rallies behind the rappers

Rana Daggubati

Having set up his YouTube channel South Bay late last year, Rana Daggubati has been consciously working towards backing talented independent artistes. Now, the actor has taken Nawab Gang, the first multi-lingual indie hip-hop band from Hyderabad, under his wing.

The band has revisited Ilaiyaraaja's classic hit, Akasam enatido, which will be launched by the channel this week. In addition, Daggubati will boost their efforts of strengthening the hip-hop culture in Hyderabad by showcasing their work on his digital platform.

Pramod Seshi Roy aka AsurA of the 13-member band says, "We are inspired by Ilaiyaraaja garu's music. So, we wanted to make a song that bridges the gap between the past and present. This track is our way of showing respect to the maestro."

While hip-hop has got a boost in the past two years in Mumbai, the band hopes to make rap music a part of Hyderabad's cultural scene. "Bollywood made a movie on Mumbai's rap scene [Gully Boy, 2019], which allowed Indians to know about hip-hop. In Hyderabad, the community has come a long way in terms of storytelling and music quality, but it's still not recognised by the masses," says the artiste. He hopes things will change with Daggubati putting his weight behind them. "I view Rana not just as an actor who picks great characters, but also as an artiste who is redefining storytelling."