Martin Luther King Jr once said that a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but he is a molder of consensus. Emiway Bantai takes this quote to heart with his latest magnum opus King of The Streets. What’s special about this album is the clear agenda of the ‘Company’ hitmaker – to educate and motivate all the hustlers in the streets, a position where Bantai once was. King of The Streets is arguably amongst the most authentic coming of age story from the streets of Bombay backed with impeccable lyricism, catchy melodies, and an astounding production setup. It is undeniably the best body of work produced by Emiway Bantai. 

KOTS [Prelude]

First things first, I was taken aback by the tracklist and the runtime of the album. After all, it’s not every day you see a 17-track album from a mainstream Indian hip-hop artist. I had high hopes entering the project owing to the singles released prior and safe to say, I came out more than satisfied with the Album. The project starts with a prelude where Bantai explains the concept of the album. He directly tells everyone looking up to him that a rapper isn’t someone who is always under the influence, but it is someone who lives life with zeal, defies the odds, and has a positive attitude in life. Backed by a grand cinematic beat from Pendo46 and Lexnour Beats, the prelude aptly sets the tone for the rest of the proceedings. 

KOTS [Intro]

We then proceed to KOTS [Intro] which is a quintessential motivation song assuring the hustlers to keep hope, accept the circumstances and strive forward. “Chhod Daala” is the next in line and arguably the most heartfelt and impactful song of the album for me. In a day and age where most rappers are busy flexing and talking about drugs like it’s their first name, Emiway comes in and accepts the vices, shares an extremely relatable anecdote of how he started smoking, why he left, and ends the song by urging his fans to give up drugs and focus on themselves. While the delivery and beat are nothing extraordinary compared to the others in the album, ‘Chhod Daala’ stands out big time for its substance. 

Up next is Jhakaas which is undeniably the catchiest track in this album. On the trending latin american guitar sample, Bantai singing the hook consecutively in different pitches is an absolute banger. Thematically, the song is nothing special other than being a good bridge to the next major theme of the album – Deceit. The songs “Meherbani” and the viral sensation “Company” are all about spotting deceit, being content with oneself, and paying respect to your day ones or as Bantai calls them – Company! Musically, the sampling in Meherbaani by Zero Beats is straight up an international level and deserves all the credit. While I did not enjoy the song much with respect to the lyricism and hook, the music more than made up for it. Lesser said about “Comapny” the better as its virality is a testament to its success.

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Post “Company”, Emiway completely flips the vibe and themes as the next three songs “Beta Karta Rap”, “Kya Din The Woh” and “Roots” see Bantai vividly narrate his days of struggle. This part of the album for me is the strongest for two main reasons – 

It’s the most heartfelt and insightful lyricism by Emiway in a long time. His talent for effectively narrating stories is on full display.

The hooks and music production on these three joints are simply sensational. The album peaks in the middle for me. 

After years of struggle and hardships, Bantai with his perseverance and hustle managed to change his scene and hence, the song “Scene Change” symbolizes this transition. The hook of this song is incredibly catchy as it evokes memories of early 2010s Punjabi trap music. But the song is a letdown in the middle with bang-average lyricism and monotone ‘tadtadi’ flow. For a song with a banger chorus, a much better verse was expected.

Moving on, Emiway continues the theme with “Rule No. 123” which is an out-and-out gangster flex rap. The vocal mix and the lyricism are simply sensational and are different to the typical what we normally expect from Emiway. However, the song is filled with subliminal disses and is a mimic of his rival Kr$na’s “No Cap”; from the mix to the producer to the vibe, Bantai mimics the “No Cap” prototype and shows his rival that he can do his own style better than him. Silly.

KOTS [Prelude] 

“Waqt ke Saath” is the Interlude of the album where Bantai effortlessly rhymes over a laidback Lofi beat narrating how he has stormed past all the difficulties of the journey so far with a smile despite being broken inside. He progresses this theme of grief masked by his macho persona in the best trap joint of the album – “Survive”. What stands out is the production by Bxl Grapes which encapsulates the eerie and melancholic energy inside Bantai’s mind effortlessly. Bantai traps along the themes of grief, solitude, and flex not falling to drugs despite the drugs. The Playboi Carti-esque adlibs were the cherry on top. 

The next two songs “KOTS [Freestyle], and “Kya Bolti Public” in the context of the album and story progression are nothing better than fillers but they don’t feel like one thanks to Bantai’s versatility. While KOTS Freestyle is the classic Emiway flex rap with two beat switches, Kya Bolti Public featuring Young Galib is a commercial banger with a hook that grows on you. Classy Chhapri meanwhile is the first drill track of the album and is an absolute banger. Bantai channels the old Emiway of “Jump Kar” era and raps with hunger narrating his come-up and rants against all those who troll him over the word “Chhapri”. 

The album ends with “King of Indian Hip Hop” which is a 7-minute 30 seconds Industry diss laden with shots on everyone from rappers MC Stan to Badshah to even reaction channels. Bantai over time has been receiving a lot of hate and a lack of appreciation for his skills and this song is an eye-opener for all of them. The hunger and desperation displayed by Emiway in this song are inspirational, to say the least. His anger flows through his voice and it’s evident all this hate is hurting him. 

Conclusion

Emiway Bantai has received a lot of flak for his body of work over the past few years with the major criticisms hovering around his simple rhymes and lazy lyricism. However, Bantai with King Of The Streets takes all these allegations to pound town as he raps with utmost hunger and conviction – a trait which was last seen years ago in Emiway. What impressed me the most about the album was its conceptual nature and how each song stuck to its theme. From themes ranging from drug addiction, struggle, hustle, and gratefulness, Bantai raps his heart out with earnestness in a bid to educate the massive fanbase he has from the streets. 

You can stream the album here!