Over its active years, Kalamkaar played a very important role in shaping Indian hip-hop, bringing underground artists into the mainstream, However, its journey has been marked by both; highs and lows

Kalamkaar was born out of Raftaar’s desire to create a platform that celebrates Indian hip-hop culture. Alongside Ankit Khanna, the founder and CEO of AK Projekts, Raftaar built a label that combined his industry experience with a business-minded approach to artist management. The label aimed to provide a platform for raw and real talents

The label had a crazy lineup, including Raftaar himself, KR$NA (Krishna Kaul), Karma (Vivek Arora), Deep Kalsi, Brishav, Rashmeet Kaur, Harjas Harjaayi, Kidshot and Yunan.
Kalamkaar quickly gained numbers by releasing music that related with the growing hip-hop audience in India, Later, The label was also fueled by the mainstream success of films like Gully Boy (2019) and shows like MTV Hustle.

Kalamkaar had also introduced initiatives, such as “Mic Check” and “Takeoff Thursdays,” aimed to discover and promote undiscovered talent across genres. By 2024, the label had passed over 540 million streams
The label was being considered as a pioneer for the Indian hip-hop scene

At its peak, Kalamkaar was more than just a label. It was a brotherhood of artists like Kr$na, Karma and Raftaar. These artists were considered as a starplayers of the label as they played an important role in the growth of the label.

Despite its early success, Kalamkaar began facing challenges. One of the first setback was when Karma left the label, He announced his exit in February 2023 to go independent. Karma’s exit made the fans disheartened, as he had delivered influential tracks like “Google Pay”, “Narmahat Freestyle” “1 se 23” under Kalamkaar. The reason for his exit remained a mystery Although he expressed gratitude for the opportunities provided by the label.
Later in 2023, Karma signed with Malsons Media, representing artists like Shubh and Gravity

Other artists, like Kidshot and Rashmeet Kaur, also appeared to distance themselves from the label over time, though there were no official statements made by them.
Some of the fans blamed Ankit Khanna’s management style.

This made releases go slowdown . The last official track on Kalamkaar’s YouTube channel was uploaded a year prior to January 2024. While Raftaar and KR$NA remained active individually, but their association with the label became less clear

Around mid-2023, Brishav, had also left the label and made some serious claims. He said Kalamkaar failed to pay him what he was owed, this created a chaos in Indian hip-hop scene. On Instagram Stories, he shared his side, He made people believe that he had a tough time with the label’s management
Many listeners said this is the proof of Kalamkaar’s downfall. With some saying he had proof (like contract details) but should’ve gone to court instead of posting it online. Ankit Khanna, got a lot of hate for this, with people saying his focus on profits over artists was the real issue.

Kalamkaar did responded to Brishav saying that the claims he made were false

So yeah, Brishav did leave, and his claim about not being paid became a big deal, showing the cracks in Kalamkaar’s “parivaar” vibe. It’s a messy story, bhai, and it’s left fans wondering what’s next for the label.

Internal tensions may have played a role. Some fans had also alleged Ankit Khanna ki “ye banda jaan bujh kar artists se subliminals aur disses daalne kehta hai taaki label ki growth ho aur numbers badhey aur ye cheez artists ko bhi nai pasand”

The unreal downfall of kalamkaar makes us look back to what Muhfaad had said during the beef
“Kalamkaar bhi marega artistaan jaise”

Kalamkaar had also launched a sub-label called Kalamkaar Indie in April 2023. The aim was to tap into a broader indie music audience and nurture underrated artists across various styles, not just hip-hop. However, it didn’t achieve the kind of growth or impact that was expected, especially when compared to the main label’s earlier successes.

As of March 25, 2025, Kalamkaar has not officially shut down. There is a little bit hope that the label may continue, but the lack of new music on YouTube for over a year keeps its future uncertain.
In conclusion, Kalamkaar was a hope for Indian hip-hop, The downfall of kalamkaar is whether temporary or permanent But its peak remains a celebrated chapter in the evolution of desi hip-hop.