Verse Queen

She was born Svetha Rao but is now famously known as Raja Kumari. Having collaborated with international stars like Iggy Azalea, Gwen Stefani, Fifth Harmony, Fall Out Boy and others; she has a Grammy nomination to her name. She is ruling the desi hip hop scene with tracks like City Slums, I did It and the latest single Shook. In a freewheeling conversation with us, she discusses all things music and culture. American singer-songwriter, Raja Kumari has stirred the Indian hip hop scene with her strapping music. By

You grew up in Los Angeles. Tell us something about your childhood and early musical influences.

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I grew up listening to Carnatic music and Indian classic music. My parents listened to AR Rahman and a lot of Bollywood music. My love for classical music and AR Rahman and his work really inspired me to find a way to keep those influences in my daily life.

What inspired you to write Shook?

There is a lyric in the song which says, “Shook when you see a deity, we be army deep”. That’s the crux of the song for me. It is a shout out to all those who are spiritually aware and know that they are a reflection of a deity, of God. It doesn’t matter if you are an Indian or an American, as long as you are awake and aware, you are in my army. Shook’s music video has been gaining rave appreciation.

How was the experience of shooting it?

Shook was a very exciting video for me to shoot. I worked with Gil Green and I shot it in Miami. Gil Green is a very famous music director who has directed so many videos. He really understands the way hip hop looks visually. I think he immediately understood me and my vision. He said that I was a super gangster and he wanted to bring that element and help me express myself. The way the video is shot and is styled, it really brings the right attitude of my music. My favourite thing in the whole video is the camouflage saree. As soon as I put it on, I felt like the general of an army. Shooting that video was like a personal triumph for me as I achieved what I desired to achieve.

Your latest EP Bloodline is releasing early this year. What can we expect from the line up?

Bloodline explores the question that I constantly asked myself as I grew up in America. It is about what is really important to you and what you want to protect. The line-up is very aggressive, unapologetic, and straight forward. If you are a fan of my rapping, this album is the one for you. On this project, I strongly focus on my rapping and on my bars. That’s what can be expected and I am excited for my fans to listen to it.

You have always said that you want to bridge the gap between the East and the West. Why do you think there is a need and how do you plan to achieve that?

Music is such a powerful tool in collecting and unifying people. To understand a particular culture, you need to understand their rhythm. If I can make somebody from the middle of America, who has never thought of going to India relate to an Indian girl and care about what she cares about, then I am doing my job as an artist. I want to change the perception about our culture and I want an Indian to start the conversation. That’s why I push myself to represent the east.