'ShameOnMTVHustle': Why Raftaar-Badshah's show trending on X
The music reality show MTV Hustle has found itself in hot waters with the hashtag #ShameOnMTVHUSTLE trending on social media. The backlash comes after allegations that the channel is pressuring to shut down a YouTube channel of a comedian who joked about the show. The controversy was sparked by Rohan Cariappa, who revealed on Instagram his YouTube channel was facing closure due to "50 plus strikes" on his videos about the show.
Cariappa's channel faced termination over show criticism
In his Instagram Stories, Cariappa disclosed that his YouTube channel was on the verge of being terminated. He shared a screen recording displaying the strikes on his videos about MTV Hustle and wrote, "The channel shuts down on the 7th...Killswitch aur Danish ke baad mera bhi elimination ho raha hai (I have been eliminated after Killswitch and Danish)." The latter two were show contestants.
Social media users expressed outrage over alleged censorship
The controversy soon snowballed on social media, with the hashtag #ShameOnMTVHUSTLE trending. Fans and supporters of Cariappa expressed their anger, accusing MTV of trying to silence dissent. One user tweeted, "MTV has given more than 50 strikes to Rohan Cariappa's YouTube channel and his channel is being terminated - just because the makers couldn't handle some honest criticism! Shame on MTV."
Users accused MTV Hustle of undermining hip-hop culture
Several social media users accused MTV Hustle of undermining the spirit of hip-hop. One user wrote, "MTV Hustle is playing cheap games now. They've started sending bots. You run a hip-hop show, but you're doing things that go against the spirit of hip-hop." Another user mentioned, "Restore @cariappa_rohan's videos ASAP! #ShameonMTVHustle This is so sad # ShameonMTVHustle They don't even know how much his channel has contributed to the hip-hop scene in India, (sic)."
Take a look at the post criticizing 'Hustle'
MTV Hustle's format and recent developments
MTV Hustle is a reality show that shines a spotlight on Indian rap and hip-hop artists. The format is such that rappers compete for the title. The show recently launched its fourth season on MTV with special guest Badshah in an episode with rappers Raftaar and Ikka. Badshah had previously served as a judge on the second and third seasons of Hustle.
