Urban Poets’ ‘Culture Ties’ Is More Than Music, It’s a Movement
At a time when the Indian hip-hop scene is overflowing with copy-paste beats and manufactured attitudes, Urban Poets arrive like a breath of fresh air. Their EP Culture Ties is not just about slick rhymes or catchy production it’s a project rooted in identity, storytelling, and resistance. With four dynamic tracks, the EP is a deep dive into the complexities of being young, vocal, and culturally aware in today’s India.
Urban Poets is a collective based in Hyderabad, and Culture Ties is their most honest work yet. This isn’t a show of bravado or an attempt to fit into a mold. Instead, it’s music made from lived experience growing up in urban India, navigating inequality, and staying rooted in one’s cultural background. The standout part? They manage to address all of this without sounding preachy or forced.
Each song on the EP feels like a chapter in a bigger story. The track “Desi DNA” reclaims pride in heritage, mixing classic Indian instruments with hard-hitting verses. “Roots” explores generational differences and inherited trauma. “City Stress” captures the daily pressure of urban life, from rent payments to identity crises. “Zubaan” is a powerful ode to free speech and artistic freedom.
Production-wise, Culture Ties leans into lo-fi, boom bap, and old-school hip-hop, yet it still sounds new. The beats are subtle but impactful, allowing the lyrics to take center stage. It’s clear that Urban Poets are not just rappers they’re writers, thinkers, and community builders. Their delivery is crisp, but what stays with you is the honesty behind every word.
What makes Culture Ties stand out is the intention behind it. The EP isn’t trying to be viral. It’s trying to be true. Urban Poets aren’t interested in following trends. They’re carving their own lane where local voices matter and where conversations about identity and resistance are encouraged, not shut down. In doing so, they’re building a bridge between the old and the new, between roots and revolution.
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This EP is especially relevant for young Indians who feel stuck between worlds. Whether it’s language, tradition, politics, or daily survival, Culture Ties speaks to the tension many of us carry. And it does so in a way that’s unfiltered, poetic, and deeply personal.
As Indian hip-hop continues to grow, projects like Culture Ties remind us that it doesn’t always have to be about flexing wealth or fame. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is tell the truth. Urban Poets have done just that, and they’ve done it with heart.
This is the kind of work we love highlighting at Sound of the Streets India, music that speaks, stirs, and stands for something. If you’re tired of the noise and want something real, Culture Ties deserves your ears.
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