Indian-American rapper, singer and songwriter, Raja Kumari is a force to be reckoned with. She created a major buzz in the music industry in 2016 with her first single, Mute. Her hard-hitting lyrics challenge societal norms and her signature style is the perfect incorporation of Carnatic vocalisation into rap music. RK’s songs will leave you experiencing the best of both worlds as her art blends her American upbringing with her Indian roots. She has created her own unique space and identity in the world on her own terms. It is her sheer confidence, uniqueness and determination that Levi’s® is celebrating with their #IShapeMyWorld campaign.
Over the years, Raja Kumari has collaborated with several musical icons including Gwen Stefani and Iggy Azalea. She was nominated for a Grammy Awards in 2015 and won a BMI Pop Award for songwriting in 2016. The rapper has made several empowering songs about women and with women. She aims to introduce a platform in the country that gives a fair and equal chance to all female artists to share their stories with the world.
The singer grew up in the USA in a South Indian household with a Telugu upbringing. She’s a trained classical dancer and has grown up listening to every kind of music, ranging from Michael Jackson to A. R. Rahman. Originally known as Svetha Yallapradada Rao, she chose her stage name to be Raja Kumari to make a bold statement. She wanted to remind people that even though she lives in a patriarchal society, she’s the daughter of the king of kings—she’s fearless…she’s royalty.
Raja Kumari is part of the 7th season of the Levi’s® #IShapeMyWorld campaign that started on International Women’s Day 2021. She’s one of the seven fearless women featured by the digital initiative and here’s everything you need to know about her.
On Creating A Space For Her Art In India
Raja Kumari has incorporated ancient Indian vocalisations into modern music and has learned to navigate both worlds with ease. While talking about creating space for her unique style of art in the country, she says, “If I felt rejected in America, if I felt that there was no space for my art, then I felt the exact opposite in India. I felt welcomed, celebrated and I just had a place where I could be myself. That’s why I really make sure that I put the culture forward and really celebrate who I am.”
The singer took control of her life’s narrative and did not wait or depend on others to believe in her. She made sure to believe in herself and while talking about making a unique impact in the music industry, she says, “To prove that Indian women made music, I ended up self-funding my first album and my first tour. A lot of it was done on my own with the help of a great team and people who believed in me.”
On Not Changing For The World & Celebrating Herself
As an American of Indian origin, Raja Kumari faced racism while growing up. People misunderstood her Indian culture and even asked her to tone down her ethnicity to be a successful singer in the U.S. Obviously, she never gave two hoots about what others had to say and stayed authentic and rooted in her culture. While talking about it, she says, “However I look beautiful. I just try to celebrate myself in those moments because there are young girls watching and I want to be that person who wasn’t there for me.”
Raja Kumari’s style is a perfect balance between the East and the West. She has made it a point to share her story and her art with the world without diluting her unique identity in the process. “You cannot change yourself to fit in. Otherwise, the world will never know who you truly are,” she says. That’s exactly how the singer shapes her world and inspires us to do the same—by staying authentic to ourselves.
Stay tuned for the latest episode of #IShapeMyWorld!
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