East India Cypher: On the Bus with GoodBiscuits

-Let’s debate the F out. Where does Rosogolla belong — Bengal, right? Na? Oh, Odisha naa ki? Beng… Anyways, this isn’t getting settled anytime soon, so let it stay a debate for the generations to come.

Couldn't find a better BTS still

But one thing that did get settled — the DHH scene just witnessed a banger from East India, right after Awich’s Asian State of Mind. Clear intentions: this one’s for UNITY. Representing the East side of India and the rising Bengali hip-hop scene, with a diverse set of rappers dropping bars that land hard.

All thanks to Spotify Rap 91, which has been championing the diverse and ever-growing desi hip-hop scene in India — pushing emerging talent and giving them a stage to represent their art.

Fun Fact 101 – the “91” in Rap 91 stands for India’s country code. Their event marked the very first East India Cypher, showcasing emcees from the eastern states — MAMBO: Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya, Bengal, and Odisha.

EIC Spotify official poster

They say the best ideas come while you're taking a shit — but not this time. The concept for the music video came out of nowhere: Why not shoot it in a moving bus? Instead of going the old-school route — warehouses, street corners, grungy rooftops — this felt fresh.

Call it a philosophical move or just a damn good idea, but the vision from Goodbiscuits was simple: UNITY. And what better symbol than a bus — carrying the artists together, all headed toward the same destination.

When the idea was pitched, the artists were all in — and so was Tunecore, the sponsor of this music video. The concept was unique, no doubt. But so were the challenges. Shooting five different artists and giving each one a distinct visual style? Not easy, but definitely exciting.

Go watch the video

If you’ve watched the video, you’ll notice how each rapper has a different editing style, loaded with custom VFX and transitions.

Let’s get a little technical here — for the nerds who love the craft:

• Starting with RBD, his verse uses in-camera transitions and visual effects built on Premiere Pro.

• For Cizzy, it’s all about VHS vibes, flashbacks, tracking shots, and time ramps.

• Reble’s part? You’ll spot glitches, wing effects, mercury distortions, and even morphing.

• Rahul’s verse stands out with frame-by-frame painting-style animation — done manually in Photoshop. Yep, each frame was sketched out by hand — real anime-style dedication.

• And finally, G’nie’s section brings that underground night vibe with a bold red palette, multi-frames, flickers, in-camera moves, and more.

Shooting G'nie's verse

capturing Reble's energy

Going a bit RAW and real — there’s zero GoodBiscuits branding in the music video. Why? Sponsors and their fancy rulebooks (read: tantrums). But hey, branding or not, the hip-hop community showed love — and that’s what really counts.

That said, in the artist world, credit matters. And when it’s missing, it stings.

Still, you know you’ve done something right when your video gets picked up by India’s top DHH voices — Afaik, Rohan Cariappa, Jyoti Sardar, and others. That’s love, and that’s impact.

A big hug to the creators behind this video — it happened because of pure hard work and mad determination. From planning to execution to the final cut, it was a journey.

Kaustav was the man behind the animation. Dhanak handled the camera as DoP. Homie Tanmay took care of the posters. Color grade? Done beautifully by Alapan. The video was directed by Shouryadeep and co-directed by Devashish.

A heartfelt thanks to the hip-hop community for the love and support. You’re the reason we keep doing what we do. Sponsors will come and go — but you will stay. And that’s what makes GoodBiscuits extra crispy and crunchy.