Early this year Grammy Award-nominated songwriter and rapper Raja Kumari unleashed her brand new song Karma which headlined the arrival of her 'Bloodline' EP which also had the songs the single Shook and Still Care. The five track EP features an eclectic take on hip hop and world music, with highlights like the Hindu-flavored island swooning of Robin Hood and dark soul duet Born Hustla [feat. Janine The Machine].  

Indian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and dancer Raja Kumari is a force of nature. A fearless, charismatic personality and natural-born storyteller, her mission is to create art that blends her Indian roots with her American upbringing. Her music is a sonic bridge between East and West that fuses the rhythms she absorbed as a trained classical Indian dancer with her love for hip-hop.

Kumari made her initial impact on global pop music as a sought-after songwriter. The creative force behind hits like Fall Out Boy’s multiplatinum smash Centuries, Iggy Azalea’s Change Your Life [feat. T.I.], Fifth Harmony’s Like Mariah [feat. Tyga], music for the hit Fox show “Empire,” and numerous anthems for Gwen Stefani have earned her acclaim and accolades across the board. 

Emerging as a disruptive force in hip-hop in her own right, Kumari released her debut EP, 'The Come Up', in 2016. Recently she performed on the Red Bull Tour Bus tour which showcases breakthrough artists throughout India, and performed as a guest on Amazon Prime’s digital reality show “The Remix”. Sharing the stage with Academy Award-winning composer A. R. Rahman on tour last year at the SSE Arena Wembley, as well as at the 2017 IIFA Awards at MetLife Stadium, Raja continues to collaborate with other artists throughout the world and was recently featured on the international banger “Vamos”, which cracked over 10 million YouTube views in under one week. Now, with her forthcoming new EP, Raja Kumari is poised to be a global force in her own right.

Verus Ferreira met up with the singer to what more she has for her fans.

You began work in India in Bollywood and are now working with independent artists? Which do you prefer more?

Coming from the independent music scene, I enjoy the creativity and freedom there is in experimenting with different genres but Bollywood has been such a fun experience. I’m such a fan of Bollywood music and Bollywood music producers so every project I work on is a little check off of my bucket list.

There are many movies based on music artists, Divine being a fine example. Do you feel India needs more movies about musicians?

Yes, I think representation of musicians in films, press and forms of media is important as we’re in a time where self - expression is very necessary and we have the largest population below the age of 30 in the world. Combining that with the rise of social media we’re going to have a lot of people that need to express themselves so the more we encourage that, the more the artists we’re going to get out of the country.

Who is your inspiration?

My mom.

What is the difference between the music industry in India and abroad?

It’s very different. The independent music scene in India is growing in a lot of ways and it’s exciting to be here during that time period and be a part of it. In America, the life of a songwriter and an artist are more delineated. For instance, there is a set path for a songwriter there. If you want to be a songwriter you try and get around other songwriters, try and get published by different established publishing companies that will put you into songwriting sessions. There is a structure in place there whereas in India, it’s still developing. It’s much harder to earn a livelihood here from songwriting alone. I’d like to see the industry get established and pay songwriters appropriately so artists get their due credit which will happen once we have the required infrastructure in place.

How does it feel to be nominated at the Europe Music Awards 2019?

A global nomination like the European Music Awards is always a moment to stop and be thankful for all the blessings that I've had. This is my third year being nominated but this time it’s for Shook which was a turning point in my career. It was the biggest music video I've done and allowed me to work with some of the biggest producers and for me to be honoured for that video and song is really exciting. It shows that people are noticing and appreciating the work I've been putting in and that means a lot to me.

An artist you would love to collaborate with.

There’s many. It really depends on the kind of song it is. If I had to pick it would be MIA. I think she has done so much for the culture and she’s an incredible artist. I love her visual work and I think it would be really cool for the world to see two brown women on screen and it would help overcome the idea that artists have to always fight each other. There’s plenty of room for brown skin in this world.

What is the motto behind your latest track ‘Karma’?

I like to use my music as an opportunity to put across things I've learned in life through studying religion and people. I think Karma is a really interesting subject. I think there’s lots of levels to Karma. I wanted to use it to explain the different ways in which karma plays a role in people's everyday lives. For me it’s also a victory battle song. In the past, people have told me things like your music is never going to work or going to India was a bad idea but the success and happiness I have right now is my subtle revenge. This one’s for them.

A message to budding musicians.

Practice your craft. Be authentic. Figure out who you are. Soon as you know who you are, your music will fall in line. When you make music that’s authentic and unique to you, no one can stop you. If you practice and become good at what you do, no one can take away your opportunities and you don’t have to operate from scarcity or worry that nothing will work for you. If you put your time into your art, it will give you, life.

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira

Witness a spectacular night at the Europe Music Awards on Monday November 4, starting with the Red Carpet at 6 am followed by the main event at 7 am, and a repeat telecast starting at 8 pm with the Red Carpet, followed by the main event at 9 pm, exclusively on Vh1 India.