Gravity on Jalaluddin, MTV Hustle, Losing His Father & Samantha Prabhu | Bani Anand | AAE S4 | Bani Anand | AAE S4

In this gripping episode of AfterHours with All About Eve, rapper Gravity—best known for his explosive performance of ‘Jalaluddin’ on MTV Hustle—sits down with Bani Anand to share his journey from being a struggling underground artist to becoming one of the most respected names in Indian hip-hop.When Gravity performed JalaluddinGravity opens up about the overwhelming response to ‘Jalaluddin’, a song that went viral and became synonymous with his name. He recounts how the lyrics came to him during a train journey after visiting his parents. The now-iconic line—“Duniya ko maine kaha get down on your knees, main Jalaluddin”—wasn’t the result of endless rewrites but pure instinct and flow. He wanted to write something that made people feel powerful, and he did just that.Gravity on MTV HustleWhen talking about MTV Hustle Season 2, Gravity calls it “life before and after” for many artists like himself, King, and others. Despite already being somewhat established, Gravity auditioned for Hustle to prove himself to a wider audience and to shed the underground tag. His decision was met with scepticism, but it paid off in ways that changed his trajectory completely.How does Gravity write his songs?The conversation moves into his songwriting process—how Gravity writes songs in 15–20 minutes when inspiration strikes, how he moved from writing without beats to working beat-first, and how the melody embedded in his rap helps him retain lyrics on stage. He also shares candid thoughts about fellow rapper Hanumankind, revealing their mutual respect and chemistry, and even a quirky detail: Hanumankind does 100 push-ups before every performance.Gravity's childhood and relationship with his fatherGravity also reflects on his childhood, growing up in modest conditions. His father ran a paan shop, where young Akshay (his real name) would observe customers and their behaviours—lessons that later informed his understanding of human nature and helped shape his lyrical voice. He shares a moving story about how, despite a distant and disciplined relationship, Gravity's father silently expressed pride in him by showing off his published article in Mumbai Mirror to shop customers.He also speaks about Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who once shared a photo of him along with his track Jalaluddin that helped her during a dark period. Toward the end on the interview, Gravity opens up about what he looks forward to: releasing insane music, dropping his upcoming project Bombay Trilogy, and dreaming bigger with every step. He also shares how he unwinds after the chaos of the music world—by cooking and relaxing with friends.(00:00) Episode begins (2:23) Reactions to ‘Jalaluddin’(2:58) How is he feeling today?(4:10) On MTV Hustle(5:30) How Gravity views Hustle as a platform(7:22) On King and his journey(8:24) On songs from Hustle Season 2(8:45) Writing ‘Jalaluddin’(11:25) On writing songs quickly(11:58) On Hanumankind(12:39) One thing we don’t know about Hanumankind(13:05) Does Gravity forget lyrics on stage?(14:19) Where does his inspiration come from?(15:46) Has hip-hop evolved the way it should?(16:38) Is there money in hip-hop?(18:22) What’s common between Akshay and Gravity?(20:38) On heartbreak(23:44) Does disrespect fuel his art?(25:26) His relationship with his father(27:58) How important is his father’s validation?(31:56) On losing his father(33:26) On being detached(35:17) Lessons learnt post-Hustle(38:48) On beefs in the Indian hip-hop scene(42:12) Gravity's top five rappers(45:53) On Samantha Ruth Prabhu(48:19) His new project ‘Bombay Bazar’(51:07) Does manifestation work for him?(55:44) How does he unwind AfterHours?(56:38) GameFollow us: Instagram: / allabouteve_in Website: https://allabouteve.co.in/#gravity #jalaluddin #mtvhustle #hustle #hustle2 #mtvhustle4 #mtvhustleshow #hiphop #indianhiphop #hiphopmusic #interview #dhh #podcast #grav #king #kinggrav