Seven years after making her debut on Hustle, rapper Agsy returns to the music reality show this year as a Squad Boss. In these years in between, she has seen Desi hip hop (DHH) become a larger part of the Indian music conversation. Yet, the growth has not necessarily meant an equal playing field for women. “There is a lot of misogyny in DHH.
That is a fact,” she says, pointing to the different standards female rappers are subjected to. “Female rappers have to work twice as hard and still not be as respected as the men out there.”
“The kind of songs male rappers have released and set precedence with, there has been a lot of objectification. She elaborates further: “Already the kind of songs male rappers have released and set precedence, there has been a lot of objectification as well. This comes at a time when mainstream music has itself faced renewed scrutiny over the portrayal of women, with Guru Randhawa’s Fine Shyt drawing backlash for its lyrics and visuals, while Badshah’s Tateeree also faced criticism over its allegedly objectionable lyrics and representation of women.
So a taste has developed in DHH per se,” says Agsy, pointing to the way women have been represented in rap music. So a taste has developed in DHH per se,” she says.
For Agsy, the problem is not a lack of female talent, but the expectations. She adds, “In any community, scrutiny is seen. Every action is noticed. That is a fact. I had to work twice as hard. In so much detail, my audio, video, masters, quality of work, creating my own standard,” she shares. She believes the pressure extends to the way women are expected to establish their credibility. For Agsy, being a woman in DHH should not determine the kind of music she makes, and she wants the work to ultimately speak for itself. “I consider myself one of the best rappers in the country. No gender. But still people would not give me the same respect as they would to a male artist,” explains Agsy. “I would like to remove patriarchy. There is a lot in the desi hip hop culture. That’s a change I wish to see. Away from the male gaze, people can actually see the talent, which they ignore. They are like women are judged first on the basis of their looks and they are automatically mostly called cringe for even the smallest things that we do.”
“A male rapper can often be allowed to make mistakes, experiment or take time to find his sound, while a woman can find herself being judged much more quickly, not just for the music, but for her appearance, personality and the way she chooses to conduct herself,” says the 28-year-old, known for songs like Khal and VAN GOGH. That’s why they say that you have to work twice as hard and still not be as respected as the men out there,” she explains, adding, “There is a lot of misogyny in DHH. “It shouldn’t be that a female rapper has to prove herself ten times before people say, ‘Okay, she’s good,’” she says. With her return to Hustle as a Squad Boss, a show where it all began for her, Agsy says she sees it as an opportunity to pass on not just technical knowledge, but the confidence to stand their ground.
And lyrically, the kind of songs that I have personally written previously, I feel that they are right there, up to the mark.
