Name: Aryan Ganti

Committee: Azadi Records 2022

Character: Emiway Bantai

Representing: Robbinsville High School

Background of Azadi Records and Emiway Bantai:

Azadi Records is one of many independent record labels based in the culturally diverse Indian
subcontinent, and primarily focuses on promoting music made by small artists from India. The label was
founded in 2017 by Mo Joshi and Uday Kapur. The word “Azadi” directly translates to freedom, and
represents the label’s goal of empowering unheard artists or artists that have faced backlash from the
government’s political parties regarding their work. Azadi Records has been instrumental in supporting a
wide range of music genres instead of focusing solely on one genre. Emiway Bantai is a prominent
Indian rapper and Youtuber who gained widespread popularity for his distinctive style and ability to
connect to a wide range of people through his music. Bantai’s breakthrough really came with the release
of a diss track called “Aafat!” in 2013. In 2018, Bantai gained more attention with his diss track
“Giraftaar”, which was directed at fellow Indian rapper Raftaar, sparking a brief but highly publicized
rap feud between the two artists. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit India, it sparked a wave of closure
for businesses across the country, including Azadi Records. For any music label, a pandemic as big as
this meant they couldn’t hold concerts or tours, couldn’t have many recording sessions due to movement
constraints, and meant an overall economic loss.

The Modern Indian Music Industry and the Role of Independent Studios:
The Indian music industry has grown exponentially over the past few decades, becoming one of
the largest music markets in Asia. However, there are several troubling signs that the industry’s growth
has not been one promoting inclusivity and rather prioritizes economic gain. For one, the market is
overwhelmingly dominated by Bollywood film soundtracks, which accounted for over 75% of total
music revenue in 2021 (Soundcharts). This leaves little room for artists and musicians trying to break
into the mainstream. Additionally, royalty collection in India is very inefficient in comparison to other
major music markets. According to Deloitte, only 13% of the royalty amount due actually reaches artists
and musicians in India, compared to 75% in more developed music markets (Deloitte India). This is
mainly due to the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and its issuing of music copyrights to film producers
rather than the composers and artists who made them. This was an act titled the Music Copyright Act of
India. Although the necessary amendments have been made, the publishing industry for music is still
extremely underdeveloped. According to Soundcharts, royalties to songwriters and composers made up
less than 1% of the entire music industry’s revenue, or 4 million USD (Soundcharts). The independent
music scene is also making its mark against the usual popularity of Bollywood soundtracks. Independent
labels and artists are using websites and apps to share their music without needing big movie studios.
These musicians are also trying new styles, mixing local Indian sounds with music from around the
world, which is interesting to listeners everywhere. Emiway Bantai is a hip-hop icon one can only
imagine. In an interview with Rolling Stone India as the founder of Bantai Records, he says, “I started
Bantai Records because, the kind of support I always wanted as a growing artist, I never found a label
good enough to cater to that. Bantai Records aims at providing our artists with the services I needed
while growing as an artist. Most of the labels just want to own you and control your art. That’s not what
I like and that doesn’t happen at Bantai Records” (Rolling Stone India).

Crackdowns on Freedom of Speech in Modern India:

Every government claims that they protect the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and
expression, even India does. The Indian constitution expressly protects freedom of expression in point a
of Article 19 Section 1. The constitutional right to freedom is limited, however, by Article 19 Section 2,
which permits “reasonable restrictions in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the
security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in
relation to contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to an offense”. By stating this subclause, the
Indian constitution is less protective of peaceful expression than the ICCPR, which permits only
restrictions that are necessary for respect of the rights or reputations of others, or for protection of
national security. According to a human rights report, when groups in TamilNadu threatened violence if
a film that hurt their sentiments was allowed to be shown, the Supreme Court held that freedom of
expression cannot be suppressed on the basis of threats of violence. However, in 2007, the Supreme
Court upheld Karnataka’s ban of a Kannada novel Dharmakaarana when people said the novel insulted
their sentiments (Stifling Dissent). It cannot be denied that India is a country with vast disparities in
language, culture, and religion. Kanhaiya Kumar, a student union leader at the Jawaharlal Nehru
University, was arrested on 2/12/16 by Delhi police after members of the student wing of the BJP
accused him of making anti-national speeches in response to the secret execution of Afzal Guru in 2013.
On 10/30/15, police in TamilNadu arrested a 52-year-old carnatic singer named S. Kovan under the
sedition law for two songs that criticized the state government for allegedly profiting from state-run
liquor shops at the expense of the poor. Kovan, a resident of Tiruchirappalli, was booked under Penal
Code 153 for “provocation with intent to cause riot” (Stifling Dissent).

Leveraging Music as a Means of Political Expression:

Music, particularly hip-hop, has a long and powerful history being a tool for voicing social
commentary and political expression. As a provocative Indian independent music label, Azadi Records
provides a platform for artists who might not find mainstream methods receptive to their message. For
example, rapper Ahmer Javed weaves the issue of diminished freedom of speech into intense poetry
depicting chilling tales from life in Kashmir. His acclaimed album “Little Kid, Big Dreams” protests
against systemic violence and oppression, all wrapped around the intense sounds of hip-hop. In more
recent years, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has faced growing accusations of clamping down
on dissent and freedom of expression, especially from the music industry and hip-hop community.
Singers like TM Krishna and Rahul Ram have faced threats and venue cancellations over the expletive
nature of their music and how it “negatively affects” and “insults” people’s sentiments. As a rapper and
leader in gully rap, Emiway Bantai hasn’t shied away from addressing the political disparities of the
Indian government in his music. While he hasn’t directly focused on criticizing the ruling Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP), some of his tracks touch upon broader issues like social justice, freedom of speech,
and political expression. One example of this is his song “Machayenge”. While Emiway wanted it to be
more of a catchy party anthem, he also inserts lines that speak to his rise in the music industry despite
facing obstacles in expressing himself freely. In his title track, “Bantai”, Emiway embraces his identity.
While the song focuses on self-affirmation and resilience, it also features empowerment and breaking
societal barriers.
 Works Cited

Bielefeldt, Heiner. “Stifling Dissent.” Human Rights Watch, 3 May 2016,

https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/india0516.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2024.

Datta, Ameet, and Mandar Thakur. “The music creator economy.” EY, 5 December 2023,

https://assets.ey.com/content/dam/ey-sites/ey-com/en_in/news/2023/12/ey-the-music-creator-eco

nomy.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2024.

Deloitte India. “Economic impact of the recorded music industry in India.” Deloitte, September 2019,

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/technology-media-telecommunic

ations/IMI%20report_singlePage.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2024.

“Emiway Bantai & Young Galib take it back to the streets with 'Kya Bolti Public.'” LIFTED Asia, 16

May 2023, https://liftedasia.com/article/emiway-bantai. Accessed 10 February 2024.

“The Evolution of Modern Music in India.” Ramana Maharshi,

https://www.ramana-maharshi.org/the-evolution-of-modern-music-in-india/. Accessed 10

February 2024.

Gurbaxani, Amit. “Azadi Records is turning one and it has exciting plans for India's music scene.”

Scroll.in, 14 September 2018,

https://scroll.in/magazine/893004/indias-most-exciting-music-label-doesnt-want-to-produce-hits-

and-thats-a-good-thing. Accessed 10 February 2024.

Kundu, Shaswata. “How record labels survived the pandemic: Score Short Reads - Highonscore.” The

Score Magazine, 12 January 2021,

https://highonscore.com/how-record-labels-survived-the-pandemic-score-short-reads/. Accessed

10 February 2024.
LinkedIn. “Mastering the Art of Protection: IPR in India's Music and Arts.” YouTube: Home, 9

November 2017,

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mastering-art-protection-ipr-indias-music-arts-vllp2017/.

Accessed 10 February 2024.

OHCHR. “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Adopted and opened for signature,

ratification and accession by General Ass.” ohchr,

https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/ccpr.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2024.

Padin, Malvika, et al. “Music when words fail – the resurgence of protest music in India.” Shado

Magazine, 19 May 2021,

https://shado-mag.com/hear/music-when-words-fail-the-resurgence-of-protest-music-in-india/.

Accessed 10 February 2024.

Pastukhov, Dmitry. “Indian Music Industry: Market Stats, Analysis, & 2020 Trends.” Soundcharts, 16

March 2022, https://soundcharts.com/blog/india-music-market-overview. Accessed 10 February

2024.

Ray, Sanjana. “Mo Joshi on Azadi Records raising international funding, Prabh Deep's exit and the hunt

for India's first global music sensation.” GQ India, 20 December 2023,

https://www.gqindia.com/content/mo-joshi-on-azadi-records-usd-10-million-international-fundin

g-prabh-deeps-exit-and-the-hunt-for-indias-first-global-music-sensation. Accessed 10 February

2024.

Sehgal, Sidika. “Bold new music by Azadi Records.” Civil Society Magazine, 24 March 2020,

https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/cover-story/bold-new-music-azadi-records-mainstreams-the-

fringe/. Accessed 10 February 2024.

Tagat, Anurag. “Azadi Records embraces greater digital presence by amping up online release of their

music in lockdown-Entertainment News.” Firstpost, 9 June 2020,

https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/azadi-records-embraces-greater-digital-presence-by-am

ping-up-online-release-of-their-music-in-lockdown-8448571.html. Accessed 10 February 2024.

Xalxo, Jessica. “COVER STORY: The Rise and Rise of Emiway Bantai.” Rolling Stone India, 22

October 2021, https://rollingstoneindia.com/cover-story-the-rise-and-rise-of-emiway-bantai/.

Accessed 10 February 2024.