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HT Brunch Cover Story: Rapping up the patriarchy
Celebrated Indian rapper Raja Kumari hasn’t just climbed to the top of male-dominated charts. She’s taken other women musicians with her, too
Raja Kumari’s first big performance in India was at the annual NH7 Weekender, back in December 2016. The next year, she was a headlining act. Five years and a pandemic later, she’s established herself as a celebrated Indian rapper, shifted base to Mumbai from Los Angeles, started her own music label, and collaborated with renowned musicians, including American musician John Legend. She is also an advocate for mental health, having started therapy, and on top of all that, she’s right at the front of the fight for women’s visibility in the global music scene.
All this in just one person and over just a brief period of time! Raja Kumari should be exhausted by now. But the 36-year-old Indian rapper has set the beat for more.
A change is coming
“I brought my American attitude of ‘nothing is out of reach’ with me to India. That’s set the precedent for people being able to imagine women in different fields,” she thinks out loud. Which explains why her first song was titled American Dream Fir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.
“There are events where people reluctantly list women. But, in every situation, you can no longer keep women out. There is a lot of space for women and a lot of it comes with angst and sacrifice. But women are taking charge of their identities,” Raja Kumari says.
Her espousal of the movement for the visibility of women in music began unintentionally. “I was just advocating for myself. I knew I had written songs in the US and whatever I was doing was of value. And I transitioned from songwriting to being the face and voice for my songs. And then, I came to India. As I saw more platforms being inspired to give women a chance, I understood that I was able to say things and people would listen.”
Raja Kumari even put together all-female teams for her music projects, including Bindis and Bangles. That had a ripple effect. Her contributions in the song Rani Cypher, which featured SIRI, Meba Ofilia and Dee MC, and released in June 2021, encouraged brands and music festivals to invest in female collaborations.
“Everyone can be unique and there is space for all of us. Strength and power aren’t gender-based. And that’s the most amazing thing about the internet. There is an explosion of accessibility, which gives people power. It’s not power based off money or family, but influence. It’s about how loud your voice is,” she says, adding that she can list 10 people who have done great work in the recent past. “Which is why it bothers me that these top lists only feature me just because I am the loudest!” she says.
Not a man’s world
“I have the privilege of having a loud voice. I’ve been privileged enough to bypass issues like harassment and pay disparity, which other women in the field go through. I wanted to utilise that to make a safe space for women,” she says, manifesting a festival with an all-female line-up.
Raja Kumari’s actions speak louder than words. When Punjabi musician Raashi Sood was told that no Punjabi rap song would work if it didn’t feature a male rapper, Raja stepped in. “I was the masculine energy in the song. And I’ve had to be this aggressive to cut through and be heard. Now, I’m, making it a point to tone it down.
“There is a rise of female energy. We are watching that happen in Iran. And it’s contagious. We need to be powerful in any way we can be and show solidarity with the matriarchal female energy which has been suppressed for so long,” she says.
The music industry will always be male-dominated because we live in a patriarchal society here, she points out. “But, even if men are running it, they are scared of the rising female energy. I write about the two big issues in the two places I’m from—racism in the US and patriarchy in India.”
This thought was instrumental to her launch of Godmother Records in the summer of 2022. “Growing up, I did not dream of having my own record label. But, after going through five contracts in seven years, I knew it was time. It was a scary leap. But now, there is no need for validation from the outside!” she shrugs. She’ll be releasing two albums in the coming year.
But it isn’t like Raja Kumari has never felt insecure. “It happens continually. So, before I put on my make-up, I sit and remember what I stand for and what I can be,” she admits. She also started therapy during the pandemic to really understand her patterns. “I was mean to myself and overtly critical, too. Now, I will never let anyone talk to my inner child the way I have talked to myself in the past. I have confidence in my art because of the hours I’ve put in. I don’t want to pretend to be a superhero. It’s about being kind to myself and enjoying the ride, instead of thinking about what’s next and how I can get bigger. As a young girl, all I wanted to do was go to India one day, and then, conquer the world! But, when I feel the love of my audience while I’m performing, that’s bigger than any trophy,” she smiles.
Another confidence booster, definitely, is her end-of-year single release in collaboration with American musician John Legend. Called Keep On Walking, the song was co-written by John Legend and Raja Kumari in LA. “I love the idea behind the song. It’s about persistence, pushing yourself, authenticity, and being who you are, and living in the moment. I walked in and there were some 10 Grammys in the room. And John Legend was sitting at the piano! We wrote and recorded in four hours. We did harmonies and ad libs! And it was an honour to be the person to introduce him to Indian culture,” she says. “Johnnie Walker is one platform that’s investing in female artistes. My collaboration with John Legend is proof of that.”
The song also helped her get back in touch with her more melodic and feminine singing, something she did before she started rapping. “I leaned into that as a writer when this song was being composed. It’s not an aggressive rap record,” she says. And the fashionista in her is happy too, as she’s worked with top designers like Manish Malhotra and Rimzim Dadu for it. “Which made me feel like I have arrived,” she laughs.
India on the map
Raja Kumari reckons that Indians are thriving everywhere at the moment. “Deepika Padukone was at the World Cup Finale! I feel we are in a renaissance when it comes to Indian representation on the global front. We are finally being celebrated for us. There are models and actors with Indian features who are being celebrated. Our story is being told by us,” she says, even as she admits, “We love to look at the West. But, here I am, a beacon from the West, telling people that if we are authentically ourselves, then we, too, can voice our own culture.”
And it’s a great time to be a musician, too. “If, when I started listening to music, when I was 12, had I seen an Indian female pop/rock/hip-hop star wearing a saree, it would have blown my mind.” she says. Now, that’s exactly what she’s doing.
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From HT Brunch, December 24, 2022
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