Historically, hip-hop music has been aligned to social justice and causes ever since it was conceived in New York’s Bronx borough in the 1970s, where artistes spoke out against the prejudice with which African-American people were treated. That same ethos will be celebrated at a gig in Mumbai this weekend, except that the concept of justice in this case will not be extended to human beings, but to animals. The event is called Cause for Paws, and it features a bunch of different rappers who will belt out tunes, with the profits being donated to World for All, an NGO that works towards ensuring a better life for stray dogs in the city.

Shahira Sunder