Emerging from poverty off the strength of their formidable rhyming skills, DIVINE and Karan Aujla are on the verge of achieving their wildest fantasies. Today, the two Indian rap superstars connect for their first-ever collaborative album, Street Dreams, a 7-track effort that demonstrates why they are among the most exciting artists in one of the world’s fastest-growing rap scenes.
DIVINE and Karan Aujla hail from the same country, but their contrasting styles are what make the project special. DIVINE is a rapper’s rapper, stacking flexes and throwing elbows in dense, syllable-rich verses, taking no prisoners with his gully, Hindi-language rhymes. Singing and rhyming in Punjabi, Karan Aujla, is a master of melody, mixing in the microtonal runs of traditional Indian music with R&B-flavored hooks and imperious verses. Together, the two artists make a historic combo, as they join forces to claim the Indian crown and put the rest of the world on notice.
Out now via Mass Appeal India, Street Dreams is a relentless effort, bringing bilingual bars that express sentiments that need no translation. The album features production from Western heavy-hitters like Boi-1da, WondaGurl, Harry Fraud, Leven Kali, and Trox, who deliver premium productions for Karan and DIVINE to annihilate, along with hip-hop producers from the Indian scene. “Hisaab” finds the two artists counting their myriad accomplishments in 6/8 time, taunting any comer who can’t match their quick maths, while “Top Class / Overseas” lays playful strings atop sliding 808s as DIVINE and Karan proclaim their valedictory status. “Yaad,” meanwhile displays a softer side of the duo, as they trade off vocals with Indian-Canadian singer Jonita Gandhi.
Also among the highlights is “100 Million,” the tape’s lead single and music video, which made waves across the globe. Defined by nostalgic hip-hop production reminiscent of Y2K-era Dr. Dre, in this case produced by American producer Trox (50 Cent, Cordae), “100 Million” is an anthem for those with grand dreams, the two icons reflecting on the enduring habits that propelled them to greatness. The song arrived in mid-January, with a video filmed in Dubai and directed by Karan Aujla’s long-time collaborators Rupan Bal, Dilpreetvfx and Anmol Raina. The song and video immediately became a huge success–the song reached the #1 spot of the YouTube Trending Charts in India, and reached the Top 10 in countries including Canada (#2), New Zealand (#4), UK (#6), Australia (#8) and the UAE (#8). Overall, the song racked up over 20 million YouTube views to date, as well as over 3 million Spotify streams.
Karan Aujla and DIVINE have individually topped several charts across India with their albums and songs such as Karan’s “Softly”, “White Brown Black”, “Mexico,” and “Players,” and DIVINE’s “Mirchi”, “359 AM”, “Baazigar” (80 million YouTube views), and “Kaam 25” (65 million YouTube views). Their upcoming collaborative project is the first of its kind in the Indian music space and is poised to be a landmark moment in Indian music history.
With Street Dreams out now, the dynamic duo prepares to make their presence felt on American shores. Stay tuned for more videos and announcements from DIVINE and Karan Aujla in the near future.
© 2024, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
