Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku from Happy Thinking People discuss “Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai”

1. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
Aastha Tiku
Edward Appleton
Happy Thinking People
4th February, 2016
Reaching sub-cultures with
new Qualitative methods
#NewMR 2016 Sponsors
Media Partner GreenBook

2. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
CHANGE IN INDIA
World Bank Perspective: "India is no
longer the land of extremes and
there are some bright spots.“
What’s actually going on - culturally?
Are marketers, imagery & themes “in touch”?

3. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
NEW HIP-HOP SCENE – MUMBAI !?!
PHOTO COURTESY THE HIVE MUMBAI.
Rappers from poor and middle class
meet, rap, connect…
Emergence of class-agnostic, open venues e.g. The Hive
Totally new social dynamic -
unheard of in India

4. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
Better understand Indian underground rapping as a social enabling factor
Resonance in Indian Hip-hop:
what, why?
LOOK AT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR MAINSTREAM MARKETING, POLICY MAKING, EDUCATION
AND MEDIA CHANNEL OWNERS
OUR RESEARCH GOALS
WHAT‘S GOING ON?
Becoming a rapper –
touchpoints, the “journey”
Changes in hopes, aspirations,
beliefs – what new narratives
emerge?

5. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
HYBRID QUALITATIVE APPROACH
MULTILAYERED DATA COLLECTION
EXPERT INTERVIEWS
For a holistic perspective!
IMMERSIONS
Well, we love rap concerts!
GROUP CONVERSATION
Lower income vs middle income
rapper groups
ETHNOGRAPHIES
From poor to affluent

6. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
THE YIN & YANG OF NEW INDIAN HIP HOP
“Indian Rapping Knockouts” = connecting with others, sharing, getting inspiration!
Aggression
Anger
Loss of hope
No Support
New hope
New support
system
New skills
New perspectives
New opportunities
SupportHIP HOP
THE EMERGENCE OF TWO WORLDS
System 1: The FUEL System 2: The SPEED

7. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
RAPPING – MUSICAL STORYTELLING
WHAT IT ENTAILS…
Stylisation/ persona adoption
allows honesty, taboo breaking
Underlying social issues surfaced
Musical narratives get to what’s relevant -
FASTER
“I have dream and it's not to own a condo or cruise
My dream is to see every slumdog with a shoe
The ones that make you cry are the ones laughing with
you
Enemies are cool watch the ones stacking with you
Always keep 100 like a typical cops fee
You act like a big deal then u could get robbed see
Prom queen top model done with that mockery
Brown boy need a girl who gunna help my mom clean.”
Divine

8. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
“Wanna go to my place right away, or to the club,
No, I mean, home or club
I will either take left or right.”
Honey Singh
“How do you feel that a family’s bread and butter
Was robbed to sell you garlic bread with butter?
…
You clubbing fucks cannot relate
Say club and they imagine one to the face
Bruised and battered
Families of mill workers in gruesome tatters.”
Encore
CULTURAL DISCONNECTS SURFACED
MAINSTREAM UNDERGROUND
PHOTO SOURCE
http://img01.ibnlive.in/ibnlive/uploads/2013/12/honeysingh.jpg

9. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
PHOTO COURTESY THE HIVE MUMBAI.
THE BIRTH OF NEW SUBCULTURES
UPPER CLASSLOWER CLASS
ONE COMMON STYLE IDENTITY
“He came and told me that he has
been thrown out of the house. I said
cool, both of us will live on the
street because I have also been
thrown out of my house.“
Uday, Artist and Artist Manager in Mumbai
“It was like…
…we can
talk through music.”

10. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
THE WEB: MY NEW BEST FRIEND
“I have headphones, iPad and Wi-Fi now which are my friends.
My community people don’t like it that I rap and all.”
Naezy, Rapper
CONNECTIVITY MEETS ESCAPISM
Internet the new meeting point
(free from family constraints…..)
Rapping Education, Exposure and
Influence - Youtube, Bluetooth
Facebook, WhatsApp – stay in touch with
fellow-rappers
Build your own brand: Twitter, Instagram

11. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
CHALLENGES
HURDLES ALONG THE WAY
Time consuming, face-to-face
“Researcher as outsider” syndrome - building
trust takes time
Fieldwork re-planned multiple times – short-
term cancellations, no-shows

12. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
BRAND DANGER: MAINSTREAM = OFF-PACE, OUT-OF-TOUCH
SOCIAL TOPICS BEYOND “FUN, CATCHY”
LISTEN TO WOMEN‘S VOICES, MORE
EMPOWERMENT, LESS OBJECTIFICATION
IMPLICATIONS FOR MARKETING
RAPPING = THE BIG NEW THING IN INDIAN MUSIC
NEW THEMES & NARRATIVES
SLANG, DIALECTS, MASH-UPS =
LANGUAGE NO BARRIER
INFORMED BY AUTHENTIC MUSICAL, UNDERGROUND VOICES

13. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
Mixed socio-economic research more feasible, commonalities emerging
Adoption of internet and social media as research mode – keep track
of rising penetration across class groups
Observe more, involve yourself personally – and ASK LESS QUESTIONS
Ethnographies, immersions, listening, observing – go beyond “Groups + IDIs”
OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH

14. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
THANK YOU! Your
Pht
“Irrespective of our background, every one of us has
connected with a lot of people in the scene and it has
become more about connecting to each other, being
in sync with each other, discussing life both the good
and the bad so the bond has grown...”
Poetik Justis
PHOTO COURTESY THE HIVE MUMBAI.

15. Digital Hip-Hop Knock-outs in Mumbai
Edward Appleton & Aastha Tiku, Festival of NewMR 2016
Q & A
Ray Poynter
The Future Place
Aastha Tiku
Happy Thinking People
Edward Appleton
Happy Thinking People
#NewMR 2016 Sponsors
Media Partner GreenBook