The rising rapper spits out one powerful rhyme after another.
About Hanumankind
Artist Biography
Kerala-born, Houston-raised and Bengaluru-based rapper Hanumankind—aka Sooraj Cherukat—will go down in history as one of the artists who introduced the world to Indian hip-hop. HMK, as he’s known by fans and friends, and producer Kalmi, a long-time collaborator, scored an international smash with their 2024 single “Big Dawgs”, whose worldwide virality and chart peaks were aided by its eye-popping music video directed by Bijoy Shetty. The track pays homage to HMK’s earliest influences such as DJ Screw, Project Pat and UGK, South Coast hip-hop acts whose music he absorbed while growing up in Texas. After moving back to India in 2012, he studied business administration and attempted to live the corporate life before realising that he was meant to be an MC.
By 2019, when he put out his debut EP Kalari, HMK had already started impressing hip-hop fans with blistering bars and unbridled energy, both on record and at live shows—performing either solo or with the genre-meshing hip-hop collective Till Apes. For his own material, HMK has worked primarily with Kalmi and Parimal Shais, whose bracing beats find a perfect match with his lyrical flow, enabling him to simultaneously sound raw yet polished on cuts such as “Cowboy Samurai” and “DAMNSON”, the popularity of which resulted in a deal with the India division of Def Jam.
The ground-breaking success of “Big Dawgs”—only his second release under the label—not only led to co-signs from idols Bun B, Project Pat and Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul but also a collab with his favourite football club, Arsenal, and a deal with booking agency Wasserman for his live shows. And after lending his vocals to “The Last Dance” on the soundtrack of hit Malayalam film Aavesham in 2024, HMK is eyeing a new direction in front of the camera too.
Hometown
Malappuram, India
Genre
Hip-Hop/Rap
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