From an ordinary Delhi boy to MC Sid: the journey of India’s first wedding rapper
An entrepreneur and rapper, Sidharth Sood aka MC Sid has opened up opportunities for a whole host of artists as well
When Sidharth Sood’s friend Jigar Shah asked, "Can you do this rap at a sangeet?” he replied, "If you pay me, I'll do it in your bathroom." Since then, there has been no looking back for Sidharth Sood aka MC Sid.
It was the beginning of the boom of the Indian wedding industry way back in 2009 - destination weddings were just starting out and it was quite an epic moment in Sidharth’s journey, making him India's first 'wedding rapper'.
Sidharth's rap journey started in the early 2000s when he was slim and not-so-shady with a love rap for a childhood crush. With the ladies digging his game, the young Sid, an Eminem fan and self-confessed 'Delhi Boy' finessed his rap game and got his first break at a cousin's sangeet in 2007.
“Everyone there was smashed but thought that my rap rhymes were kind of cute and thought I was doing this ‘Apache Indian Thing’ as my maasi called it," says 33-year-old Sid.
One thing led to another and soon, Siddharth Sood transformed into MC Sid, the rapper who spit fires rhymes in night clubs across India.
He even did the opening act for Akon’s first-ever concert India in 2011.
M C Sid has performed at over 500 weddings across the globe
Sidharth has come a long way from his 'Shaadi rapper' debut at ITC Grand - wearing baggy clothes, a baseball cap and gold chains. Now, he 'suits up' for his wedding hip-hop performances and gives the newly-weds the best wedding gift - a personalised rap song peppered with loads of humour and comedy.
An exciting journey
Sidharth was born in Chandigarh, studied in Pune, and now lives in Delhi. His father freaked out when he told him that he wants to be a rapper.
“My father would regularly ask me what will happen if tomorrow people stop listening to rap saying it’s all a fad. My mother was a bit more supportive but was insistent that I do an MBA as a backup. I didn't attend many classes and with all the travelling for gigs, it was a miracle that I completed it.”
Sid, who loves playing golf and watches Netflix in his free time, also has a startup called Epic Stuff.com where he sells licensed merchandise of various popular shows and movies on its own website and on Amazon. He has been running it for five years now and says it is fully profitable.
Since entering the Indian wedding scene in 2007, Sid has performed at over 500 weddings across the globe and is a common fixture at popular wedding destinations like Goa, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur in India and Bangkok, Colombo, Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Malaga, Bali, Sydney, San Francisco, Prague, Antalya, and many more.
M C Sid entered the wedding scene in 2007 and is often called the Shaadi rapper
MC Sid has also been a Video Jockey with Channel V for its show VJ Freshers. He has done a 35-city tour with Kingfisher and Radio Mirchi called ‘Rap it up with MC Sid’, and has performed across India at most major nightclubs.
Apart from Akon’s India debut in 2011, Sid has opened for a whole host of artists to date.
“Sukbhir (Singh) is one who I have done numerous shows with and is a very dear friend. We have been working on a track also for a while. I have also opened for Mika Singh, Mickey Singh from Canada, Sophie Chowdhary, Atif Aslam, Salim and Sulaiman, and many more,” he says.
Surprising performances
MC Sid uses a fusion of Punjabi and hip-hop beats in his performances
The highlight of his performance is that it engages the audience with its surprise elements rap music tinged with humour and comedy. Sid uses a fusion of Punjabi and hip-hop beats so that the guests at the event can relate more to the music. In total, there are four to five segments with each track about 5-10 minutes long.
The rapper claims that his performance not only seamlessly syncs with the DJ without any break but also brings more guests to the dance floor. The total performance is about 45 minutes long and Sid also emcees the entire event to build up energy, ensuring that everyone has a great time.
Recalling a memorable moment in his journey, he says “Once after performing for a destination wedding, I was on a flight back booked for all the baraatis. The minute I got on the flight, everyone wanted me to rap. So, I got to the intercom on the aircraft and rapped - it was insane rapping mid-air - truly unbelievable.”
Sid has a self-titled album to his credit that has racked up over two lakh plays on Saavn. He has also recorded a video of his hit number Maa from the album.
“I plan to release a lot of my own original music, do many more weddings, and focus on my startup. We are expanding on opening stores across India now and be a pop culture leader in India,” says the rapper.
