New Delhi, Jul 27 (PTI) Hip-hop act Seedhe Maut has made it to the 2021 class of Foundry, YouTube's global artist development programme.

The Delhi-based duo, comprising Siddhant Sharma aka Calm and Abhijay Negi aka Encore ABJ, is among the 27 artists representing 14 countries, YouTube announced on Tuesday.

Started in 2015, Foundry aims to support independent artists by helping them engage fans and build careers on their own terms.

Till date, Foundry has supported more than 120 artists in 13 countries, including international pop stars like Dua Lipa, Arlo Parks, Rosalia, India's Lost Stoies (2020) and many more.

The 2021 Foundry Class is the largest to date, the video-sharing platform said in a press release.

As part of the programme, the artistes will receive dedicated partner support from YouTube and seed funding invested into the development of their content.

"Hip-hop helped us articulate our hopes and ambitions and be who we truly wanted to be. We represent a generation that dares to dream and wants to live life on its own terms. With our music, we hope to give a voice to others like us who go against the grain and follow through on their convictions, whether that be as an artist, gamer, accountant, or whatever," Seedhe Maut said in a statement.

"Being independent grants us the freedom to evolve in any direction that we feel like. The downside of that can be that sometimes, great ideas get sidelined due to limited resources. Foundry helps remove some of those hurdles, and we're extremely helpful to unleash our full creative potential onto the world," the rapper duo added.

Besides Seedhe Maut, the list also includes Ambar Lucid (US), Bad Milk (Colombia), Bella Shmurda (Nigeria), Blessd (Colombia), chilldspot (Japan), Doul (Japan), Ebhoni (Canada), Enny (England), Fana Hues (US), Junior Mesa (US), Marina Sena (Brazil), Meekz (England), Paranoid 1966 (Spain), Paris Texas (US) and Raveena (US).

The other artists are Reggie (US), Rote Mutze Raphi (Germany), SE SO NEON (South Korea), Shygirl (England), Sinead Harnett (US), Snail Mail (US), SoFaygo (US), Sycco (Australia), Tenille Arts (US), Tokischa (Dominican Republic) and Tuyo (Brazil).

Pawan Agarwal, Director of Music Partnerships (India & South Asia) at YouTube, said that Foundry celebrates the creative potential of independent artists.

"The initiative is a testament to our commitment of nurturing and supporting indie talent in India, enabling them to bring their creative vision to light. We will continue supporting these talented, promising artists to take their talent to newer audiences and build their communities," he added.

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