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On Emiway Bantai Joggers, vest, t-shirts and sneakers by Nike

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On Mr. Faisu T-shirt, joggers and sneakers by Nike available at Myntra

‘I have never spent a penny on promotion’: Rapper Emiway Bantai

When the budding Mumbai rapper Bilal Shaikh decided to pick a stage monicker a few years ago, he didn’t look too far for inspiration. He amalgamated the names of his biggest idols Eminem and Lil Wayne to forge his own new identity. But up until 2010, Emiway Bantai knew nothing about hip-hop—he was introduced to it that year when classmates played Slim Shady’s “Not Afraid” to him. That song changed his life.

Mumbai-based Bantai is one of the very few music artists in India that have catapulted themselves to superstardom solely with the use of social media. You’ve only just got to look at his numbers—over one million followers on Instagram and nearly six million YouTube subscribers. His numbers speak volumes, as does his slick rhymes and sprightly personality.

Bantai makes no bones about the contribution of social media in his career. He says, “It’s very important—the crowd and all the Bantai fans are there because of social media. I have never spent a penny on promotion. I believe in hard work.” The hip-hop artist adds, “Because of social media, people in far-flung places like Bihar and Rajasthan can hear my music.”