Divine becomes first Indian rapper to feature on New York Times Square billboard

Multi-platinum rapper Divine dropped his sophomore album ‘Punya Paap’ on 4th December which has already garnered streams in the tens of millions and claimed the #1 spot on Apple Music India (all genres) since its’ release already with multiple tracks from the album occupying the Spotify India Top 50 chart.

Hard on the heels of this recent release, the much-loved rap personality has pulled off yet another coup of sorts. He will now become the first ever Indian rapper to be featured on the Spotify Times Square Billboard in New York for his latest album which was released in partnership with Mass Appeal India and Gully Gang Entertainment.

The 11-track album which traverses through the rapper’s triumphs, trials and tribulations at its’ core features an impressive slew of collaborations such as hip-hop veteran Nas, Grammy winning Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Cocoa Sarai, British Drill rapper Dutchavelli, Grammy winning producer iLL Wayno, London-based dancehall artiste Stylo G and Indian American singer-songwriter Lisa Mishra.

Overwhelmed by the response to his album, Divine says, “ Releasing an album is always an important milestone for any artist and I’m grateful to my fans above all who’ve waited patiently since my previous album . ‘Mirchi’ secured a spot on the YouTube Top 100 Global Songs recently, a first for me with regards to a global charting. And now that we’ve made it to the iconic Times Square. This is a sign that the story of hip-hop in India is no longer confined to a nascent perspective but it’s burgeoning and we are headed for exciting times. Life is good and I’m grateful.”

Elaborating further Chaitanya Kataria, Co-Founder, Gully Gang Entertainment states, “ It’s great to see that Vivian’s growth as an artist is evolving with every releases and Punya Paap reflects his aptitude of being able to consistently deliver chart topping hits and also underground hip-hop bangers. We’re thankful to our partners in believing in the vision and working with us to take the Indian hip-hop brand global. For Divine & Gully Gang fans, the next year has a lot more in store from Punya Paap and beyond!”