Artist to Watch: Hanumankind

Southern hip-hop has given the music world subgenres like chopped and screwed, trap, crunk, and more. When rising rapper Hanumankind delivers the line “I come from the southside, southside baby,” it’s a double entendre. While he has a distinct Project Pat-style drawl—Project Pat from Tennessee being one of many artists to co-sign Hanumankind—his tracks often integrate a different kind of southern flavor. Songs like “Go to Sleep” and “Ayyayyo” feature Parimal Shais-produced beats with the coiling nadaswaram, a traditional wind instrument from South India.

Hanumankind, whose real name is Sooraj Cherukat, spent his formative years in Houston but was born in Kerala and has resided in Bangalore since 2012. He first started freestyling in high school. Almost a decade later, in 2019, he began releasing his own music. Not long after, he was signed to Def Jam India, the nascent branch of the legendary multinational label.

Indian hip-hop has flourished over the past decade, and Hanumankind might be the first rapper from this scene to achieve global recognition. His track “Big Dawgs,” produced with Kalmi, has become a staple on charts worldwide. Its success is partly due to its phenomenal music video, which showcases Cherukat driving on a “well of death” motordrome. The song exudes swagger, intensity, and potential.

Recently, Arsenal Football Club used “Big Dawgs” for an official pre-season video, even having Cherukat, a dedicated fan, provide a voiceover. With some big-name remixes in the pipeline and an album expected later this year, it appears Hanumankind is just beginning his ascent on the global stage.