hanumenkind

The Bengaluru-based rapper talks about the work he's putting into his upcoming debut album and how corporatization in music can be a worry

- Anurag Tagat

WHEN HANUMANKIND came in hot with his song "South-side" in 2019, off the EP Kalari, it became an anthem for South Indians not just in the country, but around the world. Songs of resilience like "Genghis and "DAMNSON" made Hanumankind aka Sooraj Cherukat the rapper who tells it like it is.

For that, he's cemented his reputation in Indian hip-hop as one of the few prolific English-language rappers to blow up in recent times. Whether it's acerbic take-downs of authority or introspective vulnerabilities, Hanumankind has flexed his pen game and then proceeded to get down into the moshpit when his favorite artists are playing. Over the years, the rapper says he's gained a stronger sense of purpose, one that he's channeling into his upcoming debut album.

In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Hanumankind talks about the journey so far, new material and clears up the different ways his moniker can be pronounced (Hanuman-kind or Hanu-mankind).

Rolling Stone India: You've had singles and a couple of EPs come out. Has an album been on your mind?

Hanumankind: An album has definitely been on my mind. The album has actually been the only thing on my mind right now. I've been on that headspace. That's why I haven't released music in a bit, because I took a step back when I dove into the idea of doing more than just one song, putting together a sequence of emotions, a sequence of perspectives, and creating an album, which is more than just a quick two to three minutes.

I've definitely taken some time in order to do this because the last actual release that I had was 'Go To Sleep, everything else had been features and collaborations popping up here and there.