All Hail Yung Raja

Breaking barriers and shattering conventions, this Singaporean Rapper is steadily making his way into the pantheon of asian hip-hop royalty.

- Jeffrey Yan

Two years ago, Yung Raja catapulted into the public consciousness with his English-Tamil remixes of hits such as Lil Pump’s “Gucci Gang” and Cardi B’s “Bartier Cardi”. With audiences clamouring for more, the rapper released his debut single, “Mustafa”, that same year. To date, that track has surpassed two million streams on Spotify while its music video has racked up a similar number of views on YouTube. Sensing the power of that raw potential, record label Def Jam Southeast Asia signed him in 2019 and the 25-year-old’s trajectory has been upward ever since. His latest single, “The Dance Song”, dropped this October and within a month, was on track to hit 500,000 streams on Spotify and 800,000 views on YouTube—spawning a viral TikTok Wiggly dance challenge along the way. Catchy as the song is, it surely doesn’t hurt that its visuals are equally eyepopping—an aesthetic Raja wholeheartedly embraces on the personal front as well, with his penchant for a psychedelic palette and his ever-changing hair colour.

How would you describe your sense of style?

I’d say it’s all about head-turners—colourful, bold statement pieces. I really like outfits that are not so common. I believe that fashion is an extension of one’s personality and identity, and the choices we make in fashion say a lot about who we are, so I always try my best to never copy someone else’s fashion choice or style.

What shaped that desire to stand out?