MC Square

Who is MC Square?

MC Square is one of the brightest stars of Indian hip hop — a Haryanvi rapper who won the national rap competition MTV Hustle 2.0 and has since become a leading voice in desi hip hop. Known for fusing Haryana's folk-poetry roots with sharp, technical rapping, he joined Punjabi star Ninja in 2026 for the cross-regional collaboration "2 Ghode".

Early life and background

Born Abhishek Baisla on 20 September 1999 in Faridabad, Haryana, MC Square grew up as a farmer's son, an underdog background that became central to his story. He gravitated to hip hop early, drawn to rap as a way to channel his experiences and his region's rich oral and poetic traditions. That grounding in Haryanvi culture — its language, swagger and storytelling — would go on to define his music.

MTV Hustle 2.0 victory

MC Square's breakthrough came on MTV Hustle 2.0, the high-profile rap reality competition. Across ten weeks of intense competition, the unassuming, understated rapper steadily won over judges and audiences with his craft, before being crowned the winner in the grand finale on 6 November 2022, taking home the trophy and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh. The win was widely framed as a classic underdog story — a farmer's son from Faridabad outlasting a strong field of finalists — and it transformed him almost overnight from an underground talent into a national name and one of the most talked-about new artists in Indian hip hop.

Music and Def Jam India

Since his win, MC Square has built a fast-growing catalogue, with popular tracks including "Laado", "Ghani Syaani", "Breaking Through" and "Raaj Karega Maalik", along with viral songs such as "Ram Ram" and "Badmos Chora". He signed with Def Jam India — the Indian arm of the iconic hip hop label — releasing music like "Gurjari" under its banner, aligning himself with one of the most storied names in global rap. For a regional artist rapping largely in Haryanvi, a deal with a label of Def Jam's stature was a significant validation, signalling that dialect-rooted Indian hip hop could sit alongside the genre's biggest international names. He has continued to release steadily, balancing the momentum of his Hustle win with the longer-term work of building a durable catalogue rather than coasting on a single viral moment.

Style and identity

What sets MC Square apart is how proudly he centres his Haryanvi identity. Rather than imitating Western or mainstream Hindi rap, he fuses his cultural roots — folk cadence, regional slang and poetic imagery — with modern hip hop technique. The result is a distinctive desi-hip-hop sound that feels both deeply local and broadly contemporary, and that has helped widen the map of which voices and dialects can succeed in Indian rap. He has spoken about hip hop as "energy" and about treating the craft the same whether working underground or commercially — a consistency of approach that comes through in his writing.

Recognition and reach

MC Square's rise has drawn a large and notable following, including sports and film celebrities — his fans famously count cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma among them. His blend of an inspiring underdog story, regional pride and genuine lyrical skill has made him a role model for aspiring artists from small towns and non-metro backgrounds across India.

"2 Ghode" and collaboration

In 2026 MC Square crossed regional lines to join Punjabi singer Ninja on "2 Ghode", a Punjab-Haryana collaboration with lyrics by Fateh Shergill and Guri Nimana and music by Saibus. The track pairs his hard-edged Haryanvi rap with Ninja's melodic Punjabi vocals — a meeting of two of North India's strongest regional scenes on a single swaggering record.

Legacy in the making

Still early in his career, MC Square has already reshaped expectations for Haryanvi hip hop, proving that an artist rapping in regional dialect about regional life can win a national platform and sign with a global label. By staying rooted in his identity while collaborating across regions — as on "2 Ghode" — he has positioned himself as both a torchbearer for Haryana's music and a key figure in the broader rise of Indian hip hop. For a generation of small-town listeners who rarely saw their dialect or background represented at the top of the charts, his journey from a Faridabad farming family to a national trophy and a Def Jam deal stands as proof that the path is open to them too.