South Asian Trailblazers

Raja Kumari, Rapper, Singer, Songwriter

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Episode notes

Simi speaks with the revered RAJA KUMARI. Born Svetha Rao, Raja Kumari is a Grammy-nominated, international singer, songwriter, and rapper.

With over 43 million monthly Spotify streams, she has launched multiple hit singles and albums and collaborated with John Legend, AR Rahman, Iggy Azalea, and Fall Out Boy. Drawing from her Indian roots, she is trained in multiple styles of Indian dance and is regarded as one of India's top female rappers. She has been featured in Billboard, Vogue India, Elle India, and Harper’s Bazaar India, was the global face of MAC Cosmetics, and served as a judge on MTV’s "The Hustle." She was the first female rapper signed to artist Nas' record label in 2020. She recently founded Godmother Records, her own label, in order to have the freedom to pave her own way in music. She has toured globally, performed at Coachella, and most recently, released the debut album of her own label, The Bridge. In this episode, Raja Kumari reveals how she first fell in love with music, the obstacles she's faced along the way, and how she endeavors to set the next generation of talent up for success.

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