Enter the Lab Episode 15: Gubbi
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“ENTER THE LAB” is the content series where we showcase the talented, innovative and expressive individuals within our community.
The aim is to connect with the person in front of the camera beyond just the imagery. The approach is both grand, portraying their personalities/uniqueness in a monumental style, while maintaining a personal element, revealing a side of them that viewers have never seen before.
In the heart of Bengaluru, where chaos and creativity thrive in equal measure, a voice has been shaping the rhythm of an emerging movement; one that blends language, identity, and deep-rooted cultural pride. That voice belongs to Karthik Sundar Gubbi, known to most simply as Gubbi, a multilingual rapper who doesn’t just make music, but architects it across linguistic lines.
Fluent in Kannada, English, Hindi, and even German, Gubbi's sound is a departure from the mimicry often seen in global hip-hop scenes. Instead of borrowing formulas, he’s chosen to anchor his voice in the city that raised him and the languages that shaped him. For over a decade, he’s been walking that tightrope between global influence and hyper-local identity, and it’s that tension that fuels his work.
GUBBI ISN’T FOLLOWING THE BEAT — HE’S BUILDING HIS OWN.
Before the stage lights and camera lenses, Gubbi’s foundation was built in the rawest possible form; text battles on early social media forums back in 2007. In those early days, rap was community-built, thread by thread, word by word. It was a form of rebellion as much as it was release, and Gubbi showed up to both.
By 2011, he experimented with his first Kannada-English hybrid track, not knowing it would eventually define his sonic blueprint. What started as an artistic experiment has since evolved into a signature style, code-switching through bars and breaking language barriers with lyrical agility.
What sets Gubbi apart isn't just his fluency across four languages, it’s his ability to slide from conscious rap that critiques systems and mindsets to playful, comical verses rooted in South Indian culture. Think: biting commentary one moment, a humorous flip of traditional Carnatic beats the next.
Inspired by artists like Eminem and J. Cole, Gubbi combines technical precision with emotional depth. But he’s never been one to limit his sound to one box. Whether collaborating with folk singers, violinists, Carnatic musicians, or rock bands, Gubbi’s creative process always centres on fusion, not just of genres, but of worldviews.
By 2011, he experimented with his first Kannada-English hybrid track, not knowing it would eventually define his sonic blueprint. What started as an artistic experiment has since evolved into a signature style, code-switching through bars and breaking language barriers with lyrical agility.
What sets Gubbi apart isn't just his fluency across four languages, it’s his ability to slide from conscious rap that critiques systems and mindsets to playful, comical verses rooted in South Indian culture. Think: biting commentary one moment, a humorous flip of traditional Carnatic beats the next.
Inspired by artists like Eminem and J. Cole, Gubbi combines technical precision with emotional depth. But he’s never been one to limit his sound to one box. Whether collaborating with folk singers, violinists, Carnatic musicians, or rock bands, Gubbi’s creative process always centres on fusion, not just of genres, but of worldviews.
Your roots can be the very thing that make you resonate louder.
To watch Gubbi perform is to witness a cultural reclamation in real time. There’s something magnetic about hearing Kannada rhymes hit with the rhythm of global hip-hop, challenging the idea that English is the only language of modern musical expression. He doesn’t dilute, he translates culture into cadence.
In an industry that often rewards imitation, Gubbi stands out for choosing authenticity over algorithm. He proves that you don’t need to lose your roots to grow global.
We had the opportunity to shoot with Gubbi in India. A meeting of cultures and a celebration of independent identity. As he stepped into the Lab, he reminded us that artistry is not just about what you create, but why you create it. His work embodies the kind of disruption we champion; bold, grounded, and defiantly original.
Gubbi isn’t here to follow a path that’s already been paved. He’s out in front, carving one in his own cadence, with a mic in hand and a message that’s multilingual, multiversal, and unmistakably his.
In an industry that often rewards imitation, Gubbi stands out for choosing authenticity over algorithm. He proves that you don’t need to lose your roots to grow global.
We had the opportunity to shoot with Gubbi in India. A meeting of cultures and a celebration of independent identity. As he stepped into the Lab, he reminded us that artistry is not just about what you create, but why you create it. His work embodies the kind of disruption we champion; bold, grounded, and defiantly original.
Gubbi isn’t here to follow a path that’s already been paved. He’s out in front, carving one in his own cadence, with a mic in hand and a message that’s multilingual, multiversal, and unmistakably his.
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