By Our Reporter
Meghalaya-based rapper and songwriter Rebel has unveiled her latest hip-hop single Praying Mantis, a track dissecting deception, power, and strategic intent through dense metaphors and incisive philosophical wordplay.
The audio of the single debuted on May 7, with the official music video released on Thursday across digital platforms.
According to the artist, the title Praying Mantis draws inspiration from the insect’s deceptive posture — appearing to pray while silently preparing to strike. The phrase “Praying” is also used as a double entendre on the word “prey”, symbolising both ordinary people and those in positions of power whom society often idolises.
Calm on the surface, but sharply intentional beneath, the song reflects Reble’s evolving artistic style and confidence as she enters a new phase of her career. The track is described as leaning more towards poetry and expression compared to her previous releases.
The new single is currently available on platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Reble’s YouTube channel and her official Instagram account.
The song has been written, composed and produced by Rebel, who used her real name, Daiaphi Lamare, in the song credits. The single was mixed and mastered by Akash Shravan, while the record label is Homegrown Music.
Rebel is regarded as one of the leading voices of Indian hip-hop from the Northeast, with music rooted in hip-hop, trap and alternative influences. Known for her raw lyricism, unconventional flows and punk-inspired stage presence, she has performed before large audiences across the country and built a strong independent following.
She rose to wider prominence through tracks such as New Riot, Terror, Set It Off, and Killswitch under the Red Bull 64 Bars banner, before being featured on Rolling Stone India’s “Future of Music” list in April 2025.
Later that year, she contributed to the soundtrack of the Malayalam film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra and also appeared on three tracks in the Hindi film Dhurandhar, which went on to become one of the highest-grossing Hindi films in history.
Her songs from the film, including Naal Nachna and Run Down The City, helped introduce her music to a much wider audience. She currently has over 11.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with more than 150 million streams across her catalogue.
In 2026, Reble added four more credits to Dhurandhar: The Revenge and performed at several major events, including the North East Music Festival, Rising Bharat Summit, Sole DXB in Dubai, XP Music Futures in Riyadh, Rolling Loud India, UN40 and NH7 Weekender.
She also gained attention for a pop-up cypher performance in Shillong that went viral across social media platforms.
Apart from her music career, Rebel has been featured in publications including GQ India, Vogue India, Femina and Elle India. She was also honoured with the Breakout Star of the Year (Editors’ Special) award at the Cosmopolitan Blogger & Creator Awards 2026.
