Def Jam Recordings India has teamed up with Universal Music Group for Brands (UMGB) and Red Bull to launch a new season of Red Bull 64 Bars. This collaboration aims to showcase India’s dynamic hip-hop scene with eight original tracks, celebrating the country’s diverse music and cultural heritage across multiple languages.
Red Bull 64 Bars, originally conceived by Red Bull, offers a unique twist on traditional rap formats by stripping away commercial elements like hooks and refrains. This minimalist approach allows artists to focus solely on delivering raw, powerful lyricism and captivating beats, highlighting the authentic talents of rappers and producers without any frills.
With the backing of UMG’s hip-hop label, Def Jam Recordings India, this season is set to feature an interesting lineup of some of the country’s most promising emcees, as well as producers and artists.
For those unfamiliar, in hip-hop, a single bar consists of four beats. With 64 bars, artists have around two minutes to deliver their verses without the interruption of a chorus, putting their lyrical prowess front and center.
The first season of Red Bull 64 Bars brought together 10 rappers from across India, collaborating with Mumbai’s Karan Kanchan to create tracks. The lineup included Bengaluru talents like Hanumankind and RANJ, along with Dee MC, Shah Rule, MC Altaf, Tienas, and Trichia Grace-Ann Rebello. Also featured were Delhi NCR rappers Agsy and Rawal, as well as Mohali-based artist Sikander Kahlon.
Preeti Nayyar, Senior Vice President & Business Head – New Business & Brand Partnerships, India & South Asia at Universal Music Group, said: “At UMG for Brands, supporting emerging artists is at the core of our mission. We’ve been interested in the 64 Bars concept for a while, and we knew it was a project we wanted to back. Now that it’s finally here, we couldn’t be more excited to be involved.
“This partnership aligns perfectly with our goal of nurturing creativity and promoting the next wave of hip-hop talent in India. With Def Jam Recordings India at the forefront, we’re uniquely equipped to amplify this initiative,” Nayyar added.
The upcoming season will spotlight three of India’s top producers—Karan Kanchan, Sez On The Beat, and Parimal Shais—who will bring their distinct styles and creativity to the project, shaping the sound of Indian hip-hop.
Sumedhas Rajgopal, Head of the Independent Artist Collective at Universal Music Group, emphasized the importance of the partnership: “Collaborating with Red Bull’s 64 Bars reaffirms our dedication to promoting and empowering Indian hip-hop talent. At Def Jam Recordings India, we’re committed to preserving the genre’s authenticity, and Red Bull 64 Bars is a perfect fit for that vision.
“This platform gives artists the freedom to express themselves without constraints, and we’re excited to share these powerful, original tracks with the world. India’s hip-hop scene is evolving rapidly, and we’re proud to be part of its journey,” Rajgopal concluded.
