Mumbai: Def Jam Recordings India, in partnership with Universal Music Group for Brands (UMGB), announced a dynamic collaboration with Red Bull to launch the highly anticipated new season of Red Bull 64 Bars. This collaboration aims to shine a spotlight on India’s vibrant hip-hop talent, delivering eight original tracks that represent the country’s diverse music, culture across multiple languages.
Originally conceptualised by Red Bull, Red Bull 64 Bars stands apart from traditional rap formats by eliminating commercial elements like hooks and refrains, allowing artists to focus purely on raw lyricism and beats. This stripped-back format highlights the unfiltered skill and authenticity of rappers and producers, fostering genuine artistic expression. Powered by the influence and reach of UMG’s premium hip-hop label, Def Jam Recordings India, this season promises an exciting roster of some of India’s most talented emcees, along with a star-studded lineup of producers and artists.
The format is straightforward, although it does involve a bit of understanding of rhythm and beats. In music (and specifically hip-hop) a single bar is a measure of four counts over a beat. For 64 bars, that means there’s room enough for approximately two minutes of words. Usually, a bar is one aspect of rap vocals, which often form the verse of a song and then there’s the chorus or the hook.
Season one of Red Bull 64 Bars featured a series of 10 rappers from around the country who worked with Mumbai’s ace beatsmith Karan Kanchan to create a new track that’s all bars. The artists included Bengaluru-based rappers such as Hanumankind and RANJ, plus Mumbai’s cream of the crop, including Dee MC, Shah Rule, MC Altaf, Tienas and Trichia Grace-Ann Rebello, also Delhi NCR bred rappers Agsy and Rawal, and Mohali-based Sikander Kahlon.
Senior vice president & business head – new business & brand partnerships, India & South Asia, Preeti Nayyar shared, “At UMG for Brands, supporting emerging artists has always been at the heart of what we do. The 64 Bars concept has captured our interest for some time, and we knew it was the kind of project we wanted to champion and partner with. Now that it’s finally happening, we couldn’t be more excited to be part of it. This collaboration perfectly aligns with our mission to foster creativity and elevate the next wave of hip-hop talent in India. With Def Jam Recordings India being the best fit from our labels, we’re uniquely positioned to amplify this initiative. We are thrilled to be part of this incredible initiative that showcases the richness and diversity of India’s music culture through Hip-Hop. It’s a unique platform for artists to share their personal stories with the world, and we couldn’t be more excited to contribute.”
The new season will feature three of India’s top producers — Karan Kanchan, Sez On The Beat, and Parimal Shais — who will infuse their unique creative energies into the project, shaping the future of Indian hip-hop with their distinctive styles.
Universal Music Group head of the independent artist collective Sumedhas Rajgopal shared his excitement about the collaboration, “This partnership with Red Bull’s 64 Bars underscores our commitment to elevating and empowering the voices of Indian hip-hop talent. At Def Jam Recordings India, we are passionate about preserving the authenticity of the genre, the culture and Red Bull 64 Bars perfectly aligns with that vision. This platform gives artists the freedom to express themselves without limitations, and we are thrilled to bring these powerful, original tracks to the world. India’s hip-hop scene is evolving rapidly, and we’re proud to play a role in its journey.”
