With one mic and sixty voices, 13 Club Cypher is set to ignite Chennai’s hip-hop scene

Sometimes a mic is more than just a mic ,  it’s a lifeline, a megaphone, a mirror. On 10 August, that mic will be passed between 60 rappers at 13 Club Cypher Vol.1, a first-of-its-kind hip-hop gathering in Chennai that promises raw energy, diverse flows, and community spirit under one roof.

Organized by 13 Club & Quriosity - an initiative by Iykki Berry, Dev Major and Arjun Madhavan, the event is set to unfold at Alchemist, Chetpet, with a lineup spanning seasoned underground names and first-timers ready to make their mark. Hosted by Blackswan, the cypher is open to the public (limited capacity) and will be recorded for social media. Food and drinks will be available, and while the entry is free, registrations have already closed.

A night of diverse flows, fierce energy, and the fearless pursuit of artistic growth

“This is Vol.1, but the long-term vision is to grow it into a recurring property,  cyphers, showcases, content drops, collabs, city-to-city takeovers,  all rooted in building the hip-hop community,” says Arjun Madhavan, Founder of Quriosity and Executive Producer of the event. “We see 13 Club as a growing artist hub,  a safe space for collaboration, discovery, and progression. This is just the start,  and we’re here for the long run.”

For Arjun, Quriosity itself was born out of “a very simple but powerful need,  to create a space where artists don’t just survive but truly thrive.” Having spent almost two decades in music and events, he saw “a serious lack of structured, artist-first ecosystems” despite the abundance of talent. Quriosity now blends artist management, content creation, music marketing, and culture curation with an emphasis on long-term growth.

Tamil Nadu’s hip-hop scene, he notes, is “bubbling right now” with hunger, individuality, and authenticity. But, he says, “there are too many fire artists with too little access. We felt this was the perfect time to bring people together, under one roof, one mic,  to showcase talent, share energy, and build community.”

Curated for connection

The idea for 13 Club Cypher came from rapper-songwriter Iykki Berry and producer Dev Major. “Hip-hop gave me my voice when the world wasn’t ready to listen,” Iykki says. “It gave me power, identity, and a way to speak my truth without filters. 13 Club Vol.1 was born out of a need to give that same space to others,  especially those still waiting to be heard.

When curating the lineup, Iykki wasn’t looking at numbers or trends. “I was looking for hunger. Every artist on this lineup has a fire in them. Some are known, some are underground, but all of them are real. We even designed individual posters for each of the 60 artists to say: ‘We see you. You matter. Your art deserves the spotlight.’”

As a female rapper in a male-dominated space, she’s determined to push for representation. “The mic doesn’t care about your gender,  it responds to your truth. But the industry isn’t always that fair. With this cypher, I wanted to create a space where raw talent and honesty take the front seat. Seeing women, non-binary artists, and young emerging rappers step up fearlessly, that is the kind of change I live for.”

Iykki will also premiere her upcoming track Thakkali at the cypher, featuring a surprise guest. “It talks about the imbalance in our society and the urgent need for equality. It’s raw, real, and straight to the face. We’re dropping it on 11 August, World Hip-Hop Day, but this is where it takes its first breath.”

A sound buffet

For co-curator Dev Major, the Tamil rap scene is “evolving fast and beautifully”,  blending folk, classical, trap, and street poetry. “It’s not just diverse, it’s brave,” he says. “The flows, the cadence, the lyrical hunger,  it’s raw and refreshing. We’re witnessing the rise of a sound that’s ours.”

Dev has been deeply involved in the production process. “I didn’t just produce. I designed soundscapes that let each artist’s voice cut through… tailored beats to amplify their stories. This isn’t just sound,  it’s legacy in motion.”

The audience, he promises, can expect “a full buffet, not just one flavour,  gritty old-school storytelling, heavy drill basslines, emotional conscious rap, and straight-up flex bars.” But the moment he’s chasing is simpler: “When the crowd goes wild for an underground artist they’ve never even heard before,  that ‘who’s THAT?’ kind of energy.”

The vibe on the night

Arjun says attendees should expect “a raw, unfiltered, and high-energy experience. The vibe is intimate but intense,  it’s for people who really love the culture.” And while the cypher is about music, it’s also about a larger identity. “We’re bringing in elements of fashion, community, and content that reflect the culture as a whole,” he adds.

With the event already sold out days in advance, the momentum behind 13 Club Cypher Vol.1 is clear. As Iykki puts it, “From being the girl writing verses in silence to now giving 60+ rappers a stage, I feel humbled, grounded, and powerful all at once. This is my love letter to the culture that raised me. And it’s just the beginning.”

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