BRINGING RAP HOME AGAIN It got everyone from Virat Kohli to Nargis Falchri eacited, but did MTV Hustle 2.0 create any real rap stars?

When 23-year-old Srushti Tawade decided to partic! -pate in MTV Hustle 2. 0, the second season of the country's first hip-hop reality show, she hadn't contended with the fact that the show would turn her into an overnight sensation. A completely self-taught rap-per, lawade caught everyone's attention on the show with the now-viral 'Chill Kinda Guy, in which she rapped about religious tanaticism. There was also Bachpan, a biting track in which Tawade contronted her thorny childhood memory of domestic violence. The spunky lyrics belle the social commentary that lawade, one of the three female contestants, brought to both these songs. And even though Tawade didn't eventually end up lifting the trophy, her distinct voice left an indelible impression on hip-hop fans around the country. Still, the spotlight wouldnt have come this easy for Tawade had it not been for MTV Hustle 2. 0. Hosted by Krissann Bar-retto and judged by Badshah (and four squad bosses), the new season of the reality show uncovered a range of diverse talents, whether it is winner MC Squares unique storytelling or runner-up Paradox's keen ear for rhyme. Importantly, the accessible format of the show followed the foundation laid by Zoya Akhtar's immensely successful Gully Boy (2019). Hustle, too, took it upon itself to bring the hip-hop genre into Indian living rooms. For music writer Arunima Joshua, this transition didn't seem that surprising. "Hip-hop is probably the most mainStream massy non-indian genre right now in the coun try. It was inevitable that it would acquire such a national platform. " Joshua, however, remains unsure of whether the recognition that the MTV Hustle participants received from Indian audiences -including celebrities like Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma -would translate into a long and successful career. Rapper KR$NA, too, remains convinced that for anyone looking to make a name as a rapper, there can be no substitute for the "real hustle". He says, "I think reality shows can be a good platform for artists looking for a push, but I don't think reality shows are a sure-shot way to 'make it in the industry. " In a country burdened by umpteen singing reality show competitions that often commodify new talent under the guise of discovering them, MTV Hustle 2. 0 doesn't exactly occupy a unique position. Like several other shows, it offers a templatised understanding of hip-hop, so that it can turn the genre into bite-sized entertain-ment. Much of the doubt over whether the show can traverse the distance between upcoming rappers and a dedicated audience also stems from the very purpose of hip-hop as an art form. KRSNA, for instance, says, "As someone who has dedicated their life to the art form, I feel that authenticity comes from the real-life grind. Any artist can only really break through in the scene if they have put in the work and connected with their own audience. Reality shows are better suited to make pop stars than rap stars, and I think Leven after this season] that's quite evident. "