Latest news with #Hanumankind
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘They're rowdy. They're vibing. I rip my shirt off': the exploding career of Hanumankind, India's hottest rapper
Two weeks ago, halfway through his first ever UK show, Hanumankind instructed the crowd to mimic him by hopping to the right then to the left, back and forth, in unison. But the rapper from India slipped and fell, limping to the end of the gig in evident pain, kept upright by his DJ and inspired by the audience's singalong familiarity with his catalogue. 'We were ready to have a good time,' he sheepishly grins from an armchair at his record label's offices three days later. It turns out he has torn a ligament. 'It was a battle of internal turmoil. The show was like a fifth of what it was meant to be, but I gave it my all. London has a beautiful energy which gave me strength.' Even without the leg injury, the 32-year-old star, who was born Sooraj Cherukat, has reached a testing threshold in his short, explosive career. His tracks Big Dawgs and Run It Up, helped by action-movie music videos, have made him one of the most talked-about MCs in the world. A$AP Rocky and Fred Again are among his recent collaborators. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi even invited Cherukat to perform at an event in New York last September. But as a rare south Asian face in globally popular rap, he feels a certain responsibility. 'The past year has been hard,' he says. 'I'm trying to navigate through it.' What's more, although he expresses a deep pride about life in India, 'a lot of things are off. There is a mob mentality. There's a lot of divisiveness because of religion, background, caste. It doesn't sit well with me. I'm in a unique space to change the way people can think within my country.' Born in Malappuram, Kerala, which he remembers as a 'green, beautiful environment', Cherukat spent his childhood following his father's work abroad, from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia to Britain. 'We'd traverse different countries and I'd sing songs in whatever language I was picking up,' he says. 'Wherever I went, I had to get involved and be ready to leave. I learned to connect with people. That's why the power of the word is so important to me.' At the age of 10, he landed in Houston, Texas, and found a rare stability. It was the early 2000s and the city was an engine room for rap innovation. Cherukat's set his accent to a southern drawl. Already a fan of heavy metal – which makes sense given his grungy, rockstar leanings today – he became hooked on the local chopped-and-screwed subgenre pioneered by DJ Screw, Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat. In his teens he was 'burning CDs full of beats, riding around smoking blunts and hitting hard freestyles'. He returned to south India just before hitting 20. 'The only place I had roots,' he says. He completed a university degree in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, before working a corporate job in the tech hub of Bengaluru. Seeing rap as 'a party thing, a way to de-stress and stay connected to the art form', he performed at open-mic nights, softening his US accent and perfecting his stage show for an Indian audience. 'Friends would come to watch and be like, 'Dude, you're not bad. You should lock in.'' So he did. At the end of 2019, Cherukat played his first festival: NH7 Weekender in Pune, Maharashtra. The crowd went wild, quickly morphing from a small handful into a packed moshpit. 'They're rowdy and they're fucking vibing,' he says. 'I rip my shirt off. I'm like, 'OK, I can do this!'' He quit his job and began plotting his next move, filling notebooks with lyrics throughout the pandemic. These are a blend of cheek and grit delivered with a flow that keeps respawning at different speeds and scales. Soon, Cherukat was signed by Def Jam India. Part of a movement to reject the remnants of British colonialism in favour of local expression, the proud, rebellious patchwork of Indian hip-hop encompasses the vast country's 'hundreds of languages, each as deeply rooted as the next', Cherukat explains. 'Someone who speaks Hindi or another regional language will give you a vast amount of depth and detail in what they're doing.' His decision to rap mostly in English therefore came with risks of being perceived as inauthentic at home, but it has certainly helped his global crossover. Besides, he has found other ways to communicate a homegrown aesthetic. Run It Up marches to the beat of Keralan chenda drums, while its video features martial artists from disparate corners of India. Cherukat performed it with a band of drummers at Coachella festival, his debut US gig. 'Most people don't know what is going on in my country,' he says. 'Maybe I can open up some doors, open up some eyes, break out of these bubbles and stereotypes.' Although not religious, Cherukat has a divine figure woven into his performing name. Over recent years, Hanuman, the simian-headed Hindu god of strength and devotion, has been employed everywhere from the car stickers of hypermasculine Indian nationalism to the bloody, satirical critique of Dev Patel's 2024 thriller, Monkey Man. Where does Hanumankind fit into this: traditionalist or progressive? 'I need to make music for myself first,' he says simply. 'But when you have a platform, you can bring about change through your words and actions.' Some fans were disappointed that he accepted the New York invitation from Modi – whose Hindu nationalist government has been accused of democratic backsliding and Islamophobia. Cherukat has defended his appearance, describing it as 'nothing political … We were called to represent the nation and we did that.' But today he claims his 'political ideology is pretty clear' to anyone who has been following his career. In one of his earliest singles, 2020's Catharsis, he rails against systemic corruption, police brutality and armed suppression of protest. 'I'm not just trying to speak to people who already agree with me,' he says. 'I'm trying to give people who are otherwise not going to be listening a chance to be like, 'OK, there is some logic to what he's saying.'' Monsoon Season, his new mixtape, is just out. It features the mellow likes of Holiday – performed on the massively popular YouTube series Colors – as well as raucous collaborations with US rap luminaries Denzel Curry and Maxo Kream. It is less a narrative album, more a compilation, with songs gathered over the years before the spotlight shone on him. 'I have a lot of memories of coming into Kerala during the monsoon,' says Cherukat of the project's name. 'You can have days where things are absolutely reckless, flooded, out of control. There can be days where you get introspective and think about life. There are days where you love the rain: it feels good, there's that smell in the air when it hits the mud, the soil, the flowers. Your senses are heightened. You can fall in love with that. Or it can ruin all your plans and you hate it.' Cherukat's knee will take some time to recover before he embarks on a North American tour later this year. It's clear he needs a break: not just to heal, but to continue processing fame, adapt to its changes and return to the studio. 'I'm still adjusting,' he says. 'The attention, the conversation, the responsibility, the lifestyle, all this shit. Things have been a little haywire. So I just want to go back to the source – and make music.' Monsoon Season is out now on Capitol Records/Def Jam India
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘They're rowdy. They're vibing. I rip my shirt off': the exploding career of Hanumankind, India's hottest rapper
Two weeks ago, halfway through his first ever UK show, Hanumankind instructed the crowd to mimic him by hopping to the right then to the left, back and forth, in unison. But the rapper from India slipped and fell, limping to the end of the gig in evident pain, kept upright by his DJ and inspired by the audience's singalong familiarity with his catalogue. 'We were ready to have a good time,' he sheepishly grins from an armchair at his record label's offices three days later. It turns out he has torn a ligament. 'It was a battle of internal turmoil. The show was like a fifth of what it was meant to be, but I gave it my all. London has a beautiful energy which gave me strength.' Even without the leg injury, the 32-year-old star, who was born Sooraj Cherukat, has reached a testing threshold in his short, explosive career. His tracks Big Dawgs and Run It Up, helped by action-movie music videos, have made him one of the most talked-about MCs in the world. A$AP Rocky and Fred Again are among his recent collaborators. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi even invited Cherukat to perform at an event in New York last September. But as a rare south Asian face in globally popular rap, he feels a certain responsibility. 'The past year has been hard,' he says. 'I'm trying to navigate through it.' What's more, although he expresses a deep pride about life in India, 'a lot of things are off. There is a mob mentality. There's a lot of divisiveness because of religion, background, caste. It doesn't sit well with me. I'm in a unique space to change the way people can think within my country.' Born in Malappuram, Kerala, which he remembers as a 'green, beautiful environment', Cherukat spent his childhood following his father's work abroad, from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia to Britain. 'We'd traverse different countries and I'd sing songs in whatever language I was picking up,' he says. 'Wherever I went, I had to get involved and be ready to leave. I learned to connect with people. That's why the power of the word is so important to me.' At the age of 10, he landed in Houston, Texas, and found a rare stability. It was the early 2000s and the city was an engine room for rap innovation. Cherukat's set his accent to a southern drawl. Already a fan of heavy metal – which makes sense given his grungy, rockstar leanings today – he became hooked on the local chopped-and-screwed subgenre pioneered by DJ Screw, Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat. In his teens he was 'burning CDs full of beats, riding around smoking blunts and hitting hard freestyles'. He returned to south India just before hitting 20. 'The only place I had roots,' he says. He completed a university degree in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, before working a corporate job in the tech hub of Bengaluru. Seeing rap as 'a party thing, a way to de-stress and stay connected to the art form', he performed at open-mic nights, softening his US accent and perfecting his stage show for an Indian audience. 'Friends would come to watch and be like, 'Dude, you're not bad. You should lock in.'' So he did. At the end of 2019, Cherukat played his first festival: NH7 Weekender in Pune, Maharashtra. The crowd went wild, quickly morphing from a small handful into a packed moshpit. 'They're rowdy and they're fucking vibing,' he says. 'I rip my shirt off. I'm like, 'OK, I can do this!'' He quit his job and began plotting his next move, filling notebooks with lyrics throughout the pandemic. These are a blend of cheek and grit delivered with a flow that keeps respawning at different speeds and scales. Soon, Cherukat was signed by Def Jam India. Part of a movement to reject the remnants of British colonialism in favour of local expression, the proud, rebellious patchwork of Indian hip-hop encompasses the vast country's 'hundreds of languages, each as deeply rooted as the next', Cherukat explains. 'Someone who speaks Hindi or another regional language will give you a vast amount of depth and detail in what they're doing.' His decision to rap mostly in English therefore came with risks of being perceived as inauthentic at home, but it has certainly helped his global crossover. Besides, he has found other ways to communicate a homegrown aesthetic. Run It Up marches to the beat of Keralan chenda drums, while its video features martial artists from disparate corners of India. Cherukat performed it with a band of drummers at Coachella festival, his debut US gig. 'Most people don't know what is going on in my country,' he says. 'Maybe I can open up some doors, open up some eyes, break out of these bubbles and stereotypes.' Although not religious, Cherukat has a divine figure woven into his performing name. Over recent years, Hanuman, the simian-headed Hindu god of strength and devotion, has been employed everywhere from the car stickers of hypermasculine Indian nationalism to the bloody, satirical critique of Dev Patel's 2024 thriller, Monkey Man. Where does Hanumankind fit into this: traditionalist or progressive? 'I need to make music for myself first,' he says simply. 'But when you have a platform, you can bring about change through your words and actions.' Some fans were disappointed that he accepted the New York invitation from Modi – whose Hindu nationalist government has been accused of democratic backsliding and Islamophobia. Cherukat has defended his appearance, describing it as 'nothing political … We were called to represent the nation and we did that.' But today he claims his 'political ideology is pretty clear' to anyone who has been following his career. In one of his earliest singles, 2020's Catharsis, he rails against systemic corruption, police brutality and armed suppression of protest. 'I'm not just trying to speak to people who already agree with me,' he says. 'I'm trying to give people who are otherwise not going to be listening a chance to be like, 'OK, there is some logic to what he's saying.'' Monsoon Season, his new mixtape, is just out. It features the mellow likes of Holiday – performed on the massively popular YouTube series Colors – as well as raucous collaborations with US rap luminaries Denzel Curry and Maxo Kream. It is less a narrative album, more a compilation, with songs gathered over the years before the spotlight shone on him. 'I have a lot of memories of coming into Kerala during the monsoon,' says Cherukat of the project's name. 'You can have days where things are absolutely reckless, flooded, out of control. There can be days where you get introspective and think about life. There are days where you love the rain: it feels good, there's that smell in the air when it hits the mud, the soil, the flowers. Your senses are heightened. You can fall in love with that. Or it can ruin all your plans and you hate it.' Cherukat's knee will take some time to recover before he embarks on a North American tour later this year. It's clear he needs a break: not just to heal, but to continue processing fame, adapt to its changes and return to the studio. 'I'm still adjusting,' he says. 'The attention, the conversation, the responsibility, the lifestyle, all this shit. Things have been a little haywire. So I just want to go back to the source – and make music.' Monsoon Season is out now on Capitol Records/Def Jam India
Hans India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Hanumankind unleashes high-profile collabs and global tour plans
Kerala-born and Houston-raised rapper Hanumankind has finally dropped his much-anticipated debut mixtape, Monsoon Season, via Capitol Records/Universal Music India. The 12-track project arrives after a whirlwind year filled with viral singles, high-energy performances—including a milestone debut at Coachella—and a successful sold-out European tour. Monsoon Season is a bold and expansive body of work that showcases Hanumankind's razor-sharp lyricism, global sound, and unrelenting ambition. Previously released bangers like 'Run It Up,' 'Holiday,' 'Villanous,' and fan-favorite 'Big Dawgs' (now boasting a fiery remix featuring A$AP Rocky) return in this mixtape, joined by new standouts including 'Reckless' featuring Denzel Curry, and the gritty 'Goons' featuring Maxo Kream. Though best known for his aggressive flow and electrifying stage presence, Hanumankind reveals his emotional depth in slower, introspective tracks like 'Someone Told Me' and 'Cause.' These songs peel back the layers of the artist, touching on themes of ambition, isolation, and personal struggle. Executive produced by Kalmi, a long-time collaborator, and with creative direction from Bijoy, Monsoon Season reflects years of tight-knit artistic brotherhood. The trio has worked together to develop a unique sonic and visual world, rich with texture and storytelling. Hanumankind's team shared that the mixtape's songs were created 'in the quiet,' long before the limelight, drawing from raw experiences and a relentless drive. To celebrate the release, Hanumankind also announced his first-ever North American headlining tour, 'OTW TOUR — NORTH AMERICA,' with stops in major cities including Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and his hometown Houston. The upcoming tour follows his breakout UK and Europe run, where he sold out shows in London, Paris, Dublin, and Amsterdam. With Monsoon Season, Hanumankind officially cements his place in the international hip-hop scene—armed with sonic diversity, lyrical firepower, and a fearless creative vision.
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First Post
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
India's Hip-Hop Renaissance: From streets to stadia with Travis Scott & Beyond
With Travis Scott set to perform two already sold-out shows in Delhi-NCR this October, it's not just witnessing a major international debut, we are witnessing hip-hop in India step into its most visible, powerful era yet. read more The energy that once lived in street corners is now being amplified on the country's biggest live stages. There is a seismic cultural shift in India's music landscape - one that's echoing across youth culture, fashion, streaming platforms and global touring circuits. At the heart of this transformation? Hip-hop. With global rap superstar Travis Scott set to debut in India with two sold-out shows in Delhi this October, the country's hip-hop narrative is hitting an undeniable inflection point. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What began in cyphers and street corners is now spilling into stadiums. From Divine, Raftaar, Kr$na, Hanumankind, Talwiinder, The Karan Kanchan Experience, Prabh Deep and AP Dhillon taking over the stage at Lollapalooza India, to artists like Yung Raja lighting up Nykaaland, with King opening at the Feeding India concert in 2022 produced by BookMyShow Live, Badshah performing at YouTube FanFest 2023, India has quietly built a vibrant, raw and relevant hip-hop ecosystem, and now, the world is taking note. On October 18th and 19th, 2025, Travis Scott will perform two back-to-back sold-out shows at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium marking not just his India debut, but a cultural milestone for hip-hop fans across the country. What was once 'underground' is now a movement that's shaping pop culture at large. Music has always been a countercultural force and hip-hop has led that charge. In India, it's more than a sound, it's a movement where marginalised communities speak for themselves and through their words, for an entire generation. India's Hip-Hop Renaissance: From streets to stadia with Travis Scott & Beyond From India to the world; a new era for hip-hop With global giants like Travis Scott now entering the Indian touring circuit, the narrative is shifting. India is no longer a fringe market - it's fast becoming a strategic stop for international hip-hop tours, just like Europe or Southeast Asia. What's more, Indian artists are increasingly collaborating across borders, bringing their unique regional sounds and lyrical identities to the global stage. How Hip-hop is no longer niche, what the data says It's now amongst the Top 4 streamed genres in India on Spotify, with 70% of its fans being youth one of the highest age skews for any genre globally. India also ranks 8th globally in hip-hop listenership. BookMyShow has already sold more hip-hop tickets in 2025 (Jan–May) than it did in all of 2024. Artists like Hanumankind and Diljit Dosanjh who performed at BookMyShow Live shows, went on to perform at global festivals like Coachella. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Audiences from metros and non-metros alike are tuning in top hip-hop ticket buyers in 2024 included those from cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Shillong, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Raipur, Thrissur and Nashik. It's a truly geography-agnostic genre, speaking to identity, authenticity and rebellion - themes that resonate with Indian youth today. Reasons for the popularity of hip-hop Hip-hop shows as 'therapeutic', 'emotionally liberating' and 'a form of collective release'. They're drawn to the lyrical honesty, genre fluidity and the emotional range hip-hop offers: from rage to loneliness to joy. The way artists rhyme and construct their lyrics resonates with me deeply. They have a unique ability to evoke a wide range of emotions—from rage to loneliness—through their words and music." About Rap cyphers Naman Pugalia, Chief Business Officer – Live Events, BookMyShow explains that Cyphers are the heartbeat of hip-hop. They're less about fame and more about skill, respect and the raw joy of wordplay. In a cypher, there's no autotune, no elaborate production, just bars, beats and authenticity. It's where talent is tested and sharpened. Even today, cyphers remain the truest form of expression in hip-hop culture, where emerging voices earn their stripes and veterans remind everyone why they still matter. It's hip-hop in its most democratic form where anyone can step in, but only a few can hold the floor, and that's the beauty of it. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From underground roots to become mainstream It's not so much a shift as it is a slow takeover. Naman says, 'This evolution has been a steady rise. Audiences started craving honesty in music and hip-hop delivered raw, unfiltered and unapologetically.' He further explains, 'Add to that the internet penetration and audio streaming across the world and you have a generation that grew up on Kendrick, Nas, Divine and Prabh Deep where suddenly, the underground became the blueprint. Over time, as social consciousness shifted and the world became more open to diverse narratives, hip-hop found its place not just on playlists, but in advertising, cinema and global discourse. Artists stopped waiting for validation from traditional gatekeepers and instead built their own communities online.'
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fred again.., Skepta & Denzel Curry Welcome Hanumankind to ‘Victory Lap Three'
Fred again.. is keeping his 'Victory Lap' series alive with another high-energy entry. The electronic producer and DJ has unveiled 'Victory Lap Three,' adding rising Desi hip-hop artist Hanumankind to a powerhouse lineup that already includes Skepta, PlaqueBoyMax and Denzel Curry. The latest remix follows a steady rollout of the series, which began on June 17 with the original 'Victory Lap' featuring Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax. More from Billboard Connie Francis, 'Who's Sorry Now' Singer, Dies at 87 Five Years Post-Rehab, $uicideboy$ Are 'Grateful to be Alive' - And Maybe Even Happy Jelly Roll Celebrated His 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Hosting Gig By Chokeslamming Logan Paul Through His Desk The follow-up arrived on July 9 with Florida rapper Denzel Curry bringing his signature rapid-fire flow to the track's bass-heavy production. Now, Hanumankind joins for the third iteration, delivering verses that highlight his growing international presence. Hanumankind, who went viral in late 2024 with his track 'Big Dawgs' and a remix featuring A$AP Rocky, continues his rise with standout bars on the new track. The Bengaluru-based rapper also references his Indian roots and global ambitions, bringing a unique perspective to the 'Victory Lap' project. Fans first speculated Hanumankind's involvement after a cryptic cut-off verse at the end of 'Victory Lap Two' hinted at another guest appearance. Online buzz suggests more MCs could join the expanding lineup, with listeners speculating that Danny Brown or Ski Mask the Slump God might feature on future versions. The 'Victory Lap' series has been praised for its genre-blending energy, fusing UK grime, U.S. rap, and Fred again..'s dynamic electronic production. Built around a playful Doechii sample and a propulsive bassline, each remix adds new dimensions while keeping the frenetic pace and party-ready vibe intact. Fred again.. has yet to confirm if additional versions of 'Victory Lap' are planned, but the series has already become a viral favorite. The producer's last full-length album, Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022), peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard 200 in November 2022 and solidified his reputation as one of electronic music's most innovative voices. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
