Seedhe Maut

Who is Seedhe Maut?

Seedhe Maut is one of India's most acclaimed and influential hip hop acts — a Delhi-based duo whose dense, fast-paced bilingual rap has made them figureheads of the country's underground-to-mainstream rap movement. Comprising rappers Calm and Encore ABJ, the group is celebrated for its technical lyricism and chemistry, heard on landmark albums like Bayaan and Nayaab and on high-profile collaborations such as "Sensitive" with KR$NA.

The members

The duo is made up of Siddhant Sharma, who performs as Calm, and Abhijay Negi, who performs as Encore ABJ. Both hail from Uttarakhand — Calm from Nainital and Encore ABJ from the Pauri Garhwal district — before making their name in Delhi's rap scene. Their contrasting yet complementary styles, traded across rapid back-and-forth verses, are central to the group's distinctive sound.

Formation

Seedhe Maut formed in 2015 in Delhi. The two met at Spit Dope Inc., a Delhi underground battle-rap league, where Calm's freestyling caught Encore ABJ's attention. Bonding over a shared hunger to push Hindi rap forward, they joined forces as a duo and quickly became a standout act in the capital's burgeoning hip hop community.

Rise with Azadi Records

In 2017 the duo signed to Azadi Records, the influential independent label that helped define the sound of modern Indian hip hop. Their 2018 debut album Bayaan announced them as a serious force, and their 2022 sophomore album Nayaab cemented their reputation, widely praised for its lyricism and production. The 2023 mixtape Lunch Break, featuring collaborations with major artists, further expanded their reach before they parted ways with Azadi.

Independence and growth

After leaving Azadi Records in 2023, Calm and Encore ABJ founded their own independent label, DL91 Era, in 2024 — a move reflecting both their stature and their commitment to artistic control. The decision underlined their position as not just performers but as entrepreneurs shaping the business of Indian hip hop on their own terms.

Style and chemistry

What sets Seedhe Maut apart is the interplay between its two members. Calm and Encore ABJ trade lines at rapid pace, finishing each other's thoughts and stacking internal rhymes in a way few duos can match, often switching fluidly between Hindi and English. Their writing balances raw, street-level energy with sharp social observation, and their reputation for dense, technically demanding verses has made them a benchmark for lyricism in Indian rap. Much of their early, genre-shaping sound was built in partnership with producer Sez on the Beat, a defining collaborator of the Azadi Records era.

Place in Indian hip hop

Seedhe Maut emerged at a pivotal moment, as Indian hip hop moved from YouTube ciphers and battle leagues into a fully fledged industry. Alongside a small group of peers, they helped prove that uncompromising, lyricism-first Hindi rap could build a large, devoted audience without leaning on Bollywood. Their consistency across projects — and their willingness to evolve their sound while keeping their technical edge — has earned them respect from both underground purists and a growing mainstream following.

Milestones and reach

Seedhe Maut's influence extends well beyond their discography. They were selected for YouTube's Class of Foundry in 2021 and performed at YouTube FanFest India in 2022 and 2024. In 2025 they reached a major international milestone with a performance at the United Kingdom's Glastonbury Festival, alongside an announced international tour spanning multiple countries — a sign of Indian hip hop's growing global footprint and of their standing as one of the genre's leading live acts.

Legacy and "Sensitive"

As one of the defining duos of Indian rap, Seedhe Maut have helped take Hindi hip hop from the underground to festival main stages. Their collaboration with KR$NA on "Sensitive", from his 2025 album Yours Truly and produced by Hurricane, paired three of the country's most respected lyricists on a single hard-hitting track — a meeting of heavyweights that captured the strength and confidence of contemporary Indian hip hop. Such cross-artist collaborations, built on mutual respect rather than label politics, have become a defining feature of the scene, and Seedhe Maut sit at its centre: a duo that began in a Delhi battle-rap league and now headlines festivals at home and abroad, carrying Hindi rap to audiences that once seemed out of reach. More than most, they embody the journey of Indian hip hop from the underground to the world stage.