Reble's Praying Mantis: The female rapper reshaping Indian hip-hop

Reble has emerged as one of hip-hop’s most distinctive new voices, channelling defiance into a sound rooted in India’s northeast.

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Hailing from the rain-soaked hills of Meghalaya in India's northeast, Reble raps in English as well as Khasi and Jaintia - indigenous languages spoken by tribal communities in the region - and writes about distance, reinvention and survival with an emotional restraint that feels unusually deliberate.

Until recently, she was known mostly within Shillong's close-knit music circles, in a city better known for rock bands, church choirs and old guitar legends than hip-hop.

Her breakout moment came with Dhurandhar, the Bollywood action film whose soundtrack introduced millions to her cool, clipped delivery. On tracks like Run Down the City: Monica, Naal Nachna and Move - Yeh Ishq Ishq, Reble's restrained verses cut through the film's louder, more chaotic energy, quickly making her a fan favourite.

Her latest single, Praying Mantis, which released this week, has once again made her a talking point, with fans dissecting the dark, hypnotic track online.