G-Hills Finest bring Northeast hip-hop to the stage at Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2025
When we talk about Indian hip-hop, our minds go straight to Mumbai’s gullies or Delhi’s underground cyphers. But head east, deep into Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, and you’ll find a different kind of fire brewing. KiDo AlpH and Riozer TR of the band G-Hills Finest are proving that the Northeast isn’t just watching the hip-hop wave, but they are also shaping it.
G-Hills Finest trace their journey from local cyphers to one of the region’s biggest festival stages at Shillong's Cherry Blossom Festival
Their verses switch between English and Garo, and their energy is unmistakably born of grit and pride. Ahead of their performance at the Cherry Blossom Festival, KiDo AlpH spoke to us about what it really means to be the ‘finest’ from G-Hills. Excerpts:
What does G-Hills Finest stand for?
G-Hills’ Finest stands for a collective of top-tier musicians from Garo Hills. People who rose from struggle, built their own path, and proved that they are truly the finest.
You blend Garo and English lyrics. How do you decide which language a line or word should be in?
We don’t really decide which language tells which story; it comes naturally. I am comfortable expressing myself in English, while Riozer TR feels most at home in Garo. Mixing both languages lets us stay true to ourselves and, at the same time, connect with both local listeners and people outside our region. We want the Garo language to reach the world, and at the same time, show that we can create and compete in English too. It’s about representing where we come from while proving we can stand on a global stage.
Do you think audiences in India are beginning to understand and appreciate regional rap better now?
Absolutely. We’ve seen it firsthand when we headlined at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. We performed only Garo rap. Most of the crowd didn’t understand a word we were saying, but they vibed with us; they even started a moshpit. That moment made us realise that language doesn’t limit music at all. If the sound, passion, and performance are real, people feel it. Music speaks to the soul, not just the language.
What are some of the themes or experiences you try to represent through your verses?
We rap real life — our joy, pain, struggle, and pride. We represent G-Hills, speak for our people, and remind everyone they’re never alone in their story.
How do you feel the hip-hop communityin the Northeast differs from the scenes in metro cities like Delhi or Mumbai?
We think the difference comes from lifestyle, because hip-hop is a lifestyle first. It’s about originality, authenticity, and being real with who you are and where you come from. Delhi and Mumbai have their own stories, struggles, and culture that shape their sound. And we in the Northeast have ours. We just live differently, so we create differently. That’s the beauty of hip-hop: everyone brings their own truth, and that diversity is what keeps the culture alive.
What does performing at the Cherry Blossom mean to you?
Performing at the Cherry Blossom Festival means a lot to us as artistes from the hills. It’s a stage where talent from our land gets to stand tall and show our culture, our sound, and our identity. For us, it’s not just another performance but a chance to represent G-Hills proudly and prove what we bring to the table. At the same time, we hope to see better support for artistes in the future, especially when it comes to fair pay, not just reimbursement. Opportunities like this are powerful, and it’s important that the people creating art are valued so the culture and talent here can grow even stronger.
What’s next for G-Hills Finest?
We’ve got a lot of unreleased music in the vault. There are definitely some collaborations in the mix too. We have projects on the way that we’re really proud of, and our supporters can look forward to a lot of new energy, new sounds, and big moves.