Pakistani Hip Hop

Pakistani hip hop first took root in Pakistan during the early 2000s with the introduction of American television and distribution of readily available mostly bootleg copies of hip hop music in CD shops around major cities. By the middle of the decade, hip hop artists of Pakistani origin such as California-based Bohemia, Netherlands-based Imran Khan, and Waqas Ali Qadri of the Danish band Outlandish had started exploring lyrics in Punjabi and Urdu. The local scene has also been growing, with the emergence of several artists such as Adil Omar and OMI. An ecosystem of websites including hiphopPakistan.net have also popped up to promote the music. Most recently, Ali Gul Pir and Young Stunners have come out of the Karachi music scene with their singles "Waderai ka Beta", "Taroo Maroo", "Burger e Karachi", "Maila Majnu", and "Laam Se Chaurha". Their rapid-fire lyrics using Karachi street slang are seen as a sign of growth of the genre in the country.