Badshah: Rs 1 crore MTV Hustle prize marks Indian hip‑hop growth

Rapper Badshah said the winner’s prize for the fifth season of MTV Hustle has been raised to Rs 1 crore, a sign of how far Indian hip‑hop culture has come. He explained that the increased prize reflects growing confidence in artists shaping the genre’s future and that the season’s theme, “Apna Homeground”, celebrates the places and communities that influence each artist’s journey.

MTV Hustle Season 5 will premiere on 8 August on MTV and stream on JioHotstar. The judging panel this year includes Badshah alongside EPR, MC Square, Paradox and Agsy, while the show’s earlier judges have featured Raftaar, Nucleya and Raja Kumari, with Gaelyn Mendonca as host since its 2019 debut.