Emiway Bantai on his latest track ‘Safal’ and building a career on his own terms

Emiway Bantai calls himself the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time). Or, in his own words, “ fans bolte hain GOAT, toh waqt ke saath GOAT ho gaye apun” (Fans call me the G.O.A.T, so over time, I became the G.O.AT.) .

It is a typical Emiway take on his journey — a mix of humour, swagger, and self-awareness. Over the past decade, the Mumbai rapper has gone from independently putting out music to becoming one of Indian hip hop’s most recognisable voices. Born Bilal Shaikh, he took his stage name from two of his early influences, Eminem and Lil Wayne. He began releasing music in 2013, with ‘Aur Bantai’ which put him on the map. In 2019, ‘Machayenge’ became a breakout hit.