NEW YORK/MUMBAI (CelebrityAccess) – Mass Appeal India, launched in partnership with legendary rapper Nas last year, has announced the signing of Grammy-nominated Indian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and dancer Raja Kumari.
Kumari is the first female rapper to sign with the label.
Since the release of her debut EP The Come Up in 2016, Raja has released a series of acclaimed singles, “Mute,” “City Slums” (ft. DIVINE), “Believe In You,” & “I Did It.” Her Bloodline EP, released via Epic Records last year, created with internationally renowned producers Sean Garratt and Danja, spawned the hit single “SHOOK” and an award-winning video (South American Film Festival Award, Best Music Video 2019). Her most recent single “Bindis and Bangles” was premiered by Bobby Friction on BBC’s Asian Network last month, and received more than 2M video views in its first week.
An accomplished songwriter in her own right, Kumari was Grammy-nominated for her work on Iggy Azalea’s ‘Change Your Life’ ft. T.I., she has co-written hit songs for Fall Out Boy (the 4x-Platinum “Centuries,” which earned her a 2015 BMI Pop Award), Fifth Harmony, Twin Shadow, Knife Party, Dirty South, Lindsey Stirling, and Gwen Stefani (Kumari co-wrote six tracks on Stefani’s most recent album, This Is What The Truth Feels Like).
In announcing her signing to Mass Appeal India, Nas said: “When I first met Raja, I knew she was someone the world needs to hear. Her presence exudes confidence and individuality — a true artist with global appeal. We’re thrilled to have her on the team as the first lady of Mass Appeal India.”
Raja added: “I’m so excited to be joining Mass Appeal family, ever since I fell in love with hip hop it has been a dream of mine to work with Nas. Their vision of bringing Indian hip hop to the international market is inspiring and I look forward to working together to achieve that goal.”
Devraj Sanyal, MD & CEO of UMG, India & South Asia said: “Raja Kumari is one of the most unique artists I’ve ever met, not just because she’s a phenomenal rapper, singer and songwriter, but also a performer’s performer as well. I’m thrilled to welcome her to the Mass Appeal India family, as I truly believe in her vision, her music and her absolute lust for life. She is destined to become one of the most prolific hip-hop superstars and will help introduce Indian hip-hop to the world.”
In fall 2019, Kumari released Raja Kumari: So Far, a documentary detailing her journey as a songwriter in LA and her battle facing stereotypes and stigmas to find success. She will host a new show Internationally Known, which debuts this Wednesday, March 11, at 21:00 PM EST on REVOLT TV, and features her introducing the latest hip hop coming out of India to a worldwide audience.
Kumari is managed globally by Cory Andersen of PRYSM Management and in India by Tej Brar of Third Culture. Her first single released through Mass Appeal India will be “NRI,” which is due out in April. A full-length EP is expected to follow.
