Latest news with #FredAgain
The Guardian
15 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
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
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fred again.. Releases ‘Victory Lap' Remix Featuring Denzel Curry
Fred again.. is taking a metaphorical victory lap with the just released 'Victory Lap Two' edit of his June track, 'Victory Lap.' Out today (July 9), the remix features a new verse from Denzel Curry, who makes a fierce entry onto the track with rhymes about money, his mission and turning heads 'like The Exorcist.' Curry joins the tracks original guests Skepta and New Jersey-born rapper/producer streamer PlaqueBoyMax. Listen to 'Victory Lap Two' below. More from Billboard Shady Nasty, Fred again.. and KETTAMA Join Forces for 'Air Maxes' 'Pride & Prejudice' Film Soundtrack Bewitches the Charts With 20th-Anniversary Vinyl Reissue Jadakiss Reacts to Drake's 'What Did I Miss?': 'They Flip on You ... That's the Game We In' 'Victory Lap' was originally released on June 17 via an extended livestream from New York with Fred again.. and Skepta that was followed by a much-hyped pop-up show that sold out the Brooklyn Paramount and streamed to fans online via Twitch. The song marked Fred's first new music of 2025. In a post announcing the remix, the artist born Fred Gibson wrote 'Victory lappeddddd, denzel curry, the people spoke, and obviii we agreed, and then denzel spoke, and its sorta hard to speak after that,Victory Lap Two out today featuring big ultra himself.' Fred also shared an Instagram story with video of Curry recording his verse. In a post from last week, Fred also told the story of how the original track came to be, from production of the drums to Skepta getting on the track 'to skepta play[ing] it at Glastonbury. with 4 hours notice. oh man this s–t was just a joy. had to leave glasto for rehearsals at 5, i made a festival special edit in the car at like 7, sent skep an mp3, got home at 8.30, in time to make a cup of tea and switch on iplayer at 9 to watch skep close his set with it AREUCRAZY it never goes like that. one of the most satisfying moments ive had in music genuinely.' Fred again.. is currently on tour in Asia, with dates in Bali, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Japan through the end of July. 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
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shady Nasty, Fred again.. and KETTAMA Join Forces for ‘Air Maxes'
Sydney genre-benders Shady Nasty have teamed up with electronic powerhouses Fred again.. and KETTAMA on their latest single, 'Air Maxes.' Released today (July 7) via Steel City Dance Discs, the collaboration finds the post-punk trio leaning into textured synths and ambient tension while staying true to their signature edge. More from Billboard 5 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Erin Enderlin, Randy Houser, Charley Crockett & More Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong Celebrates 4th of July With 'F-k Donald Trump' Chant in Belgium Spice Girls' Mel B Marries Longtime Boyfriend Rory McPhee in London 'Air Maxes' arrives in two distinct forms: the slow-burning, meditative 'Air Maxes (Ambient)' and a pulsating, dancefloor-ready rework by Irish DJ/producer KETTAMA. The project also features additional production from Fred again.., whose influence on the global electronic scene has been impossible to ignore following his chart-topping Actual Life series and recent collaborations with artists like Skrillex and Romy. After sharing the stage at HAZARD Festival in Sydney last January, Shady Nasty and KETTAMA jumped into a last-minute studio session where 'Air Maxes' was born. The demo landed in the hands of Fred again.., who added his finesse to the final track. On the track, Shady Nasty swap jagged guitars for ethereal synths and atmospheric production. Frontman Kevin Stathis delivers haunting lines like, 'I need to be a doctor, not a popstar,' reflecting on themes of ambition, burnout, and the duality of real and imagined lives. ''Air Maxes' is about losing sight of your ambition,' the band explained in a statement. 'Grinding toward something with no clear finish line can leave you wondering what might've happened if you'd taken a different path. Sometimes you need to hop in the whip and smoke the streets out just to remember why you're putting in the hours. And sometimes, you need your mates to remind you to keep your head screwed on.' The new single arrives just months after the release of Shady Nasty's long-awaited debut album, TREK, produced by Kim Moyes of The Presets. Trek also saw the group selling out shows across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Now, Shady Nasty are gearing up to take their live show on the road again, announcing a fresh run of dates in August and their first-ever headline shows in New Zealand this September. Local support will come from Heaven, MyRapScene and more. Tickets are on sale now via Shady Nasty 2025 Australia & New Zealand Tour Dates Aug. 1 – La La La's, Wollongong, Australia Aug. 2 – Gang Gang Cafe, Canberra, Australia Aug. 8 – Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle, Australia Aug. 30 – Liberty Hall, Sydney, Australia (RAD PRESENTS) Sept. 12 – Valhalla, Wellington, NZ Sept. 13 – Whammy Bar, Auckland, NZ 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
