Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 30, 2019)

After playing Murad Ahmed in Zoya Akhtar’s recently released Gully Boy, the coming-of-age story of a rapper from Dharavi, Ranveer Singh has taken his love for music a notch higher by launching an independent music record label with filmmaker Navzar Eranee, who he described as his “best friend, soul, life, guide and big brother”.

Ranveer revealed that they’d discussed the idea in Amsterdam three years ago and had got Anushka Manchanda and Shikhar Manchanda on board as their music heads. Insisting that rap and hip-hop are the biggest things happening in Indian music today, he says he wants to support new talent that deserves to be seen and heard and is on every street of our country. “I have nothing against the remix culture—my biggest song ('Aankh Marey' from Simmba ) is one—but it has to co-exist with original music,” he asserted, introducing his first three artistes, Gully Boy co-actor SlowCheeta aka Chaitnya Sharma, Spitfire who penned and composed “Asli Hip Hop” and Kaam Bhaari whose first single “Zeher” was launched at the event. Navzar revealed that the latter remained in the top three, as the list narrowed from 1500 to 11 while Ranveer performed with the rapper on the song.

When asked if they will work with actor-singers Alia Bhatt, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer said, “My wife is also a very beautiful singer but she only sings for me.” Deepika Padukone, who was away shooting for her first production, Chhapaak, wished him on social media.

When asked when one would get to hear him, Ranveer said, “At the moment I am endorsing these sparkling new talents, but I do have something to say and have a lot of pent up angst that I want to let out. At the right time I will express myself on a beat and it will be ‘very hard.’ There are some people out there who have it coming,” he warned.
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Ranveer Singh on why he launched a music label to discover hip-hop artistes
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 30, 2019)

Every alley of this country is filled with people, bursting with talent, who need a platform to showcase their work," says Ranveer Singh, who launched his label IncInk - which stands for inclusive and independent music - yesterday. Well-aware of how rank newcomers struggle to find a footing in the industry, the actor says that the label is an attempt to bring new musicians to the fore.

"Being an outsider in the industry, my endeavour is to support new talent that deserves to be heard. Anyone interested can contact us on social media, and we will connect with them. We have deliberately kept the process simple. We are hoping to bring firebrand and authentic musicians on board," states Singh, who launched the record's first single, Zeher by KaamBhaari.

The label's emphasis on hip-hop comes from Singh's affinity for the genre. Acknowledging that his last release Gully Boy put the spotlight on Indian hip-hop, which was until then relegated to the fringes, the actor adds, "Gully Boy has been a shot in the arm for Hindustani hip-hop. But this label intends to take it forward and develop it further.

Navzar [Eranee, business partner] and I have been working on this since 2016. This label is an extension of me and is a celebration of arts and artistes. Music has always been fuel for me, and I have a deep-rooted love for hip-hop and electronic music." Eranee adds that they are on the lookout for female rappers as well. "We are surveying a few names."

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 19, 2017)

Before he kicks off his next, the Zoya Akhtar-directed musical-drama, Gully Boys, Ranveer Singh has been internalising his rapper turn by dressing up like one, hanging out with hip-hop and punk-rock artistes and listening to rap music while working out and travelling. Often he breaks into a verse on his own too.

While he is currently filming Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period-romance, Padmavati, Ranveer recorded a single and shot for a music video with four young rappers — Canada-based Spitsfire aka Nitin Mishra, Mumbai’s Chaitanya Sharma aka Slow Cheetah and Kunal Pandagle aka Kaam Bhaari, and Delhi boy Abhay Prasad, who goes by the rap name Devil the Rhymer.

According to a source close to the development, the music video was shot in a parking lot that was converted into a set. “It’s an underground genre popular with youngsters. The makers and the rappers are hoping that it will find huge support and visibility with Ranveer’s efforts,” the source revealed. “Ranveer personally sifted through thousands of entries in February to pick out the four rappers and has been working with them since March. He also sat in on the edits and contributed his creative inputs. He’s now being regarded as the co-creator.”

Singer Anushka Manchanda, who has co-produced and edited the track with brother Shikhar, told Mirror that Ranveer is committed to every step of the creative process, always open to ideas but also very clear about what he wants.

“Shikhar and I were constantly surprised by him in the studio. As an editor, he lights up the screen for me. Most of the times, commercial music production houses and labels are afraid to back something unfamiliar. We wanted to shake things up, introduce new sounds that are breaking out around the world to our audience here. Ranveer was the perfect artiste for that. He constantly pushes the envelope,” she said.

In February, the actor was pictured meeting rappers Naezy and Divine, whose track, “Mere Gully Main” has inspired Zoya to write a film on the booming rap culture in Mumbai emerging from the city’s chawls. “Next up, Ranveer has promised to deliver this desi rap number that could spawn an entirely new genre in the contemporary Indian music scene,” the source signs off.