A Kurla-based rapper who moonlights as a food delivery agent is gearing to launch a new hip-hop EP chronicling her journey
Soni Yadav aka MC Lit performs at rapper Divine’s concert in Delhi
You can almost hear rapper Soni Yadav aka MC Lit’s heart race as she recounts her first performance in Delhi last year — a moment that marked several milestones for the Kurla resident. It was her big break and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to leave an impression on her long-time idols in the audience. Under the surface, however, it marked a moment of deep irony.
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After a year of delivering meals as a food delivery agent to make ends meet, Yadav stood on stage, performing on an empty stomach. “I was so busy taking it all in that I couldn’t find time to eat,” she recalls. As Yadav continues to moonlight as a delivery agent and writing rap songs, she is now ready to share her story through a new EP, Safar (Journey).
MC Lit and Divine backstage
Drive or die
“They would call me Lady Yo Yo in school,” Yadav laughs. The name stuck with her for her impromptu performances of rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh’s songs between classes. “Those were fun times. By the time I graduated school, I was writing my own verses and performing for friends,” she reminisces.
The COVID-19- induced lockdown in 2020 changed things. “Suddenly, the responsibility of going out and earning a living became very real,” she recalls. Yadav turned to delivering meals to put food on the table, taking home Rs 200 on good days, and failing to break even with her fuel expenses on others. “But I never stopped writing. I’d write between deliveries and after work,” she adds.
Divine intervention
In 2023, Yadav’s words reached the city’s OG gully boy, rapper Vivian Fernandes aka DIVINE. “A video of me performing in my delivery agent uniform made its way to him and he invited me to open his Delhi show,” she reveals. Yadav had never performed for a large concert audience, let alone in an unfamiliar city.
“Things went unexpectedly well. I had skipped my meals, but adrenaline fuelled me through the set,” Yadav smiles. The rapper has since collaborated with Major C, an early proponent of hip-hop in the city known for founding Bombay Bassment. “He is like a mentor to me now. From recording to performing, he has been by my side as a guiding force,” she shares.
On the right track
With two audio tracks from the EP out, three more are slated to be out this year. “The one I’m recording now is an ode to Sanju Baba [actor Sanjay Dutt]. My peculiar style of walking would often irk my teachers in school. I’d tell them ‘This is Sanju Baba’s style!’. The song is a throwback to such memories,” she reveals.
Among big names, you’ll find old friends in Yadav’s phonebook. “I am active in the delivery riders’ group where I have many dear friends. When I have the time, I check how business is looking for them,” she laughs. While Yadav might find it difficult to join them regularly now, she’s looking forward to riding soon. “One of the upsides is that I can log in and log out of the delivery work when I want. A ride through the city might make for a nice break from the studio sessions,” she signs off.
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