Before They Blew Up: Seedhe Maut
Two boys from New Delhi, a basement battle rap league, and the birth of a movement.
Kabir Sikand · 4 min read
Spit Dope Inc., the Delhi battle rap league hosted in a basement in Hauz Khas Village, became the birthplace of bangers like "Raat Ki Raani," sellout tours the world over, and essentially desi hip hop as we know it.
On today's episode of Before They Blew Up, we look at Seedhe Maut.
Siddhant Sharma and Abhijay Negi. Two boys from New Delhi who were almost inseparable. Calm, while on a rickshaw, spotted Encore inside a bus, and the DM that followed led to them linking up at cyphers and rap battles. Encore and Calm started hanging out at Calm's place, bunking college and discovering their shared love for hip hop and how their creative visions aligned. It was clear they wanted to do something different.
Eventually they put out "2 Ka Pahad," the very first project under the name Seedhe Maut, a name coined by Calm's elder brother. Right from the mixtape, their intentions were clear, to put Delhi on the map for the new Indian hip hop scene. Azadi Records noticed and took a gamble that paid off incredibly well.
The result was 2018's "Bayaan," their first album, produced by Sez on the Beat, who is more than half the reason they are as famous as they are. A decade later they are still on your playlist with the same hungry energy. Along the way they have built a solid discography, sold out shows and a fair share of controversies, but at the end of the day, they are here to stay.