MUMBAI: KIDSHOT aka Rahul Khadtare’s lightning-fast rhymes may have enabled him to enter the record books, but his stinging verses are what leave an indelible impression. The first hip-hop artist to release on Molfa Music, it’s this very impact that the label is hoping KIDSHOT’s new single will have.

Listen to the track / Watch the video here

On his latest single ‘Mainland’, the Mumbai-based rapper is in fine flow, recreating a story of betrayal and revenge. His first release on Molfa Music, ‘Mainland’ is also his first single of 2024.

KIDSHOT’s ‘Mainland’

Known to many hip-hop fans from his brief appearance in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy and work on Netflix’s Gabru: Hip Hop Revolution, KIDSHOT has been highlighted as a talent to reckon with in Indian hip-hop, and even dropped his debut EP Boht Kuch with Mass Appeal India in 2020.

Over the past four years, he has managed to knit together a 96,000-strong monthly listener base on Spotify, and over 55,000 thousand followers on Instagram, a community he fondly calls #KidFam.

On ‘Mainland’ – the inspiration for which is hustlers’ capital, Mumbai and its people – KIDSHOT weaves his words over an adventurous and triumphant score, what he excitedly calls the cinematic hip-hop sound.

“This is a special release because I’m bringing and introducing a new sound to the scene, cinematic hip-hop,” he says, adding, “This has never been done before here and I’m sure this is the future of hip-hop.” The song is accompanied by an equally hard-hitting video, a tale of betrayal and revenge, complete with guns and gore.

Packed with a catchy hook and punchlines – “That’s what is lacking in Indian hip-hop” – ‘Mainland’ was created and finalised in just over an hour at Island City Studios, courtesy the easy-going and productive relationship with his producer, Basshole and mixing engineer, Hersh Desai. “Every time we meet, we create magic,” he states.

“My sound has always stood out and always will, because I try and experiment with new things. ‘Mainland’ is something like that, a sound everyone will love,” he adds.

Since its inception in June 2023, independent record label Molfa Music has focused on showcasing and nurturing diverse talents in the indie pop space.

“Molfa is genre-agnostic, and we want to put out music we love, by artists we believe in,” says Molfa Music CEO Dheer Momaya. “Having grown up in the 90s - golden age of hip-hop - we were itching to find the right track to enter the space with. ‘Mainland’ by KIDSHOT is the perfect example of pain funneled into fury, its real AF. KIDSHOT is a dedicated artist and we want his music to do the talking,” he adds.

The creative powerhouse behind projects like Chhello Show, India’s entry for Oscars 2022, and music videos like Prateek Kuhad’s ‘cold/mess’, ‘Doobey’ and ‘Gehrayiaan’, Jugaad Motion Pictures bring their clutter-breaking approach and filmmaking expertise to music, and are focused on creating I-pop (Indian pop) as a global genre with releases from talents like Raman Sharma, gini, KIDSHOT and JAFA.

‘Mainland’, scheduled to be released on May 24, will be available on all streaming platforms.

About Molfa Music

Molfa Music is an Indian music label that concentrates on looking for young voices across India and building them into youth icons.

Molfa Music is not just a music label, we are creators facilitating stories that the artists can tell through their music, their image, their videos, and their personas.

Dar Gai serves as the president and head of creative, while Dheer Momaya and Pranit Sahni are co-CEOs of this new venture.

Molfa Music is distributing its music through the extensive network of The Orchard, while Sony Music Publishing serves as its publishing partner.