Motto was to popularise rap in India: ‘Bigg Boss 16’ winner MC Stan

Mumbai: Fresh off his "Bigg Boss 16" win, rapper MC Stan says he wants to use his newfound popularity to create more music and contribute to the rap genre.

The musician, known for tracks such as "Basti Ka Hasti", "Tadipar", and "Gender", also expressed gratitude to his fans and loved ones for their support on the reality TV series.

"My motto was to popularise rap and I am happy I was able to do so. I believe I was a bit famous and people knew my songs as well. But 'Bigg Boss' promoted me a lot. I am grateful for an opportunity like 'Bigg Boss'.

"I want to do songs, tours and do something for the rap community. As an artist, I want to do everything, movies, songs, whatever work I get, I will do it. It’s been eight months I have not dropped anything, I will drop a song very soon," MC Stan told PTI in an interview here.

On Sunday night, the 23-year-old was announced the winner of 16th season of "Bigg Boss" and was awarded the prize money of Rs 31.8 lakh and a car.

MC Stan, whose real name is Altaf Shaikh, is also a lyricist, music producer and composer who became popular after the release of his song "Khuja Mat" in 2019.

During his stint on “Bigg Boss 16”, the young artist was applauded for being real and raw throughout the season, besides his lingo caught on with viewers and led to many memes on social media.

According to MC Stan, he has been successful in popularising rap music through his participation in the show.

Most rappers come from a humble background, he said, adding that he aims to do many things for the community from the prize money he has received. The musician also hopes to buy a house one day.

“There is a lot of struggle and hassle in the life of rappers, especially underground rappers, who do not earn much. People think they lead a fancy or lavish life. But that’s not the case with everyone. I have also struggled a lot in many ways,” he said.

MC Stan recalls being in disbelief when Bollywood superstar and host Salman Khan declared him as the winner of “Bigg Boss 16”. The rapper, who beat his close friend on the show Shiv Thakare by a whisker, said he didn’t know how to process the news of his win.

One of the highlights of this season was the friendship of the ‘mandali’ gang, which consisted of MC Stan, Thakare, Sajid Khan, Abdu Rozik, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia and Sumbul Touqeer Khan.

"I couldn't believe that my name was announced (as a winner), and I still can't believe this has happened. Rather, when Salman bhai lifted my hand, I felt he was joking.

"I was looking at bhai, my mom, dad, Shiv and towards the 'mandali', I didn’t know how to react,” the Pune-based rapper said. MC Stan further said both he and Thakare had dreamt of being in top two. When the moment finally arrived, he was thrilled.

"I was getting goosebumps when the two of us were there in the house. For me, to reach this far is a big thing. The happiness is a bit more after I was declared the winner. But all this is human tendency, it is natural to feel this way," he added.