Indian-American Rapper Raja Kumari Signs With Mass Appeal India
Mass Appeal India has announced the signing of Grammy-nominated Indian-American rapper-singer-songwriter-dancer Raja Kumari, the first female rapper to sign with the label.
Mass Appeal India launched in August 2019 as a partnership between legendary rapper Nas’ urban culture-focused entertainment company and Universal Music India, a division of Universal Music Group.
Born in California to Indian parents who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s, Kumari (real name: Svetha Rao) is on a “mission is to create art that blends her Indian roots with her American upbringing,” according to the announcement, with music that “fuses the rhythms she absorbed as a trained classical Indian dancer with her love for hip-hop.”
In announcing her signing to Mass Appeal India, Nas said, “When I first met Raja, I knew she was someone the world needs to hear. Her presence exudes confidence and individuality — a true artist with global appeal. We’re thrilled to have her on the team as the first lady of Mass Appeal India.”
“I’m so excited to be joining Mass Appeal family, ever since I fell in love with hip hop it has been a dream of mine to work with Nas. Their vision of bringing Indian hip hop to the international market is inspiring and I look forward to working together to achieve that goal,” Raja says of signing with Mass Appeal India.
Her first single through Mass Appeal India will be “NRI,” which will be released in April, with a full-length EP to follow. On Sunday, Kumari dropped “Goddess,” a new collaboration with Krewella and Nervo to celebrate Women’s History Month.
Kumari debuted in 2016 with “The Come Up” EP and has released several singles, along with last year’s “Bloodline” EP on Epic Records last year, on which she worked with veteran producers Sean Garrett and Danja. She has also collaborated or co-written songs with Iggy Azalea, Fall Out Boy, Fifth Harmony and Gwen Stefani.
Devraj Sanyal, MD & CEO of UMG, India & South Asia said, “Raja Kumari is one of the most unique artists I’ve ever met, not just because she’s a phenomenal rapper, singer and songwriter, but also a performer’s performer as well. I’m thrilled to welcome her to the Mass Appeal India family, as I truly believe in her vision, her music and her absolute lust for life.”
via Variety
