Hanumankind

Last updated

Hanumankind
2025 cover photo Hanumankind.jpg
Hanumankind in 2025
Background information
Birth nameSooraj Cherukat
Born (1992-10-17) 17 October 1992 (age 32)
Malappuram, Kerala, India
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • actor
Years active2019–present
Musical career
OriginKerala, India
Genres
Labels

Sooraj Cherukat (born 17 October 1992), [1] [2] known professionally as Hanumankind, is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor from Kerala, India. [3] [4] He released his first single "Daily Dose" from his debut EP Kalari in 2019. [5] He received mainstream popularity in India and internationally with his track "Big Dawgs", which features the Hyderabad-based artist and producer Kalmi and American rapper ASAP Rocky on its remix. He acted in the 2024 Malayalam film, Rifle Club , directed by Aashiq Abu.

Contents

Early life and education

Sooraj Cherukat was born in 1992, in Malappuram, Kerala, India. [6] [2] His father works for a leading oil company, as a result he moved around a lot. [7] [8] As a child, Cherukat lived in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt, Qatar, and Italy before settling down in Houston, Texas when he was in second grade. [7] [9] [6] He attended Houston Community College. [10] In 2012, he returned to India enrolling at PSG College in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to pursue a degree in business administration. [7] [2] He worked at Goldman Sachs in 2014, and also as a personal trainer. [11] [8]

Music career

Hanumankind performing in 2024. Hanumankind live performance 2024.jpg
Hanumankind performing in 2024.

Cherukat began his career as a professional rapper by performing at NH7 Weekender, which is held in multiple cities and releasing his debut EP Kalari, in 2019. [12] The name Hanumankind is a portmanteau of the Hindu deity Hanuman and "mankind". [11] He initially collabed with Charan Raj and Sanjith Hegde for the song "Maadeva" featuring on the Kannada movie Popcorn Monkey Tiger . [13] His song "The Last Dance" is featured on the official soundtrack for the Malayalam-language film Aavesham . [14]

He gained widespread recognition both with the release of the single and its music video "Big Dawgs", featuring Kalmi, in July 2024. [15] [16] The accompanying music video directed by Bijoy Shetty, features Cherukat performing in a classic carnival attraction with motorcycles known as the well of death. The video was shot in Ponnani, his hometown district in Kerala state in India. [17] [11] He acted in the 2024 Malayalam film, Rifle Club , directed by Aashiq Abu. [18] In 2025, he released his song "Run It Up", which features chenda drums in its instrumental, [19] [20] and performed the song at Netflix's 2025 Tudum event. [21] He performed the single "Holiday" on the Colors Show [22] and headlined the "OTW Tour" in support of his debut mixtape, Monsoon Season, in the summer of 2025. [23] Monsoon Season released on July 25, 2025, featuring guest appearances from Denzel Curry, Roisee, ASAP Rocky, Rudy Mukta and Maxo Kream and production from longtime collaborators Parimal Shais and Kalmi. [24]

Artistry

While living in Houston, Cherukat was exposed to Southern hip hop and listened to artists like Chamillionaire, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, UGK, and DJ Screw. He is also a fan of System of a Down. [11] His musical style is significantly influenced by Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Logic. [11]

Personal life

As of July 2025, Cherukat lives in Bengaluru. [20] Cherukat is not religious. [6]

Discography

Mixtapes

TitleDetails
Monsoon Season [25]

Extended plays

TitleDetails
Kalari [26]
Surface Level [27]
  • Released: 2 October 2020
  • Label: The Illage, Create Music Group
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

List of singles, with selected peak chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
IND
[28] 		AUS
[29] 		CAN
[30] 		GER
[31] 		IRE
[32] 		NZ
[33] 		SWI
[34] 		UK
[35] 		US
[36] 		WW
[37]
"Daily Dose" [26] 2019——————————Kalari
"S.L.A.B" [26] 2020——————————Non-album single
"Options" [26] ——————————
"Beer and Biryani" [26] ——————————
"Genghis" [26] 2021——————————
"Damnson" [26] ——————————
"Skyline" [26] ——————————
"Lola's Chant"
(with Kalmi) [26] 		2022——————————
"Third Eye Freeverse (Red Bull 64 Bars)" [26] ——————————
"Go To Sleep" [26] 2023——————————
"Ayyayyo" [26] ——————————
"Big Dawgs"
(with Kalmi, remixed by ASAP Rocky) [26] 		202439911302915239Monsoon Season
"Run It Up"
(with Kalmi) [26] 		2025—————— [A] ————
"Holiday" [26] ——————————
"Villainous Freestyle" [26] [25] ——————————

Soundtracks

List of Soundtracks
YearFilmSongComposer(s)NotesRef.
2020 Popcorn Monkey Tiger "Maadeva" Charan Raj [13]
2024 Aavesham "The Last Dance" Sushin Shyam [42]
2024 Squid Game "The Game Don't Stop" Netflix [21]

Filmography

As actor
YearFilmRoleLanguageNotesRef.
2024 Por Student Tamil Guest appearance
Rifle Club Bheera Bare Malayalam [18]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Run It Up" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 24 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart. [41]

References

  1. ↑ Khurana, Suanshu (5 August 2024). "Meet Hanumankind, the genre-smashing rapper based in Kerala whose latest song is a global sensation". The Indian Express. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Who is Hanumankind, the Kerala-born rapper who smashed global records with 'Big Dawgs'?". The Times of India . 14 August 2024. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  3. ↑ "Meet the rapper from Kerala who is trending worldwide with his sensational 'Big Dawgs'". Mathrubhumi . 1 August 2024.
  4. ↑ Singh, Ritu (29 July 2024). "Anand Mahindra's Big Shoutout To Rapper Sooraj Cherukat: Extraordinary, Raw Videos". NDTV . Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  5. ↑ Tagat, Anurag (5 April 2024). "Future of Music - Hanumankind". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Thapar, Ciaran (28 July 2025). "'They're rowdy. They're vibing. I rip my shirt off': the exploding career of Hanumankind, India's hottest rapper". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Mateen, Zoya (30 August 2024). "Hanumankind: The rapper from India topping global hip-hop charts". BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  8. 1 2 Hirwani, Peony (6 September 2024). "COVER STORY: Hanumankind is Just Getting Started". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  9. ↑ Williams, Kyann-Sian (20 November 2024). "Hanumankind: the India-born, Houston-raised rapper riding high on southern pride". NME. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  10. ↑ Javaid, Arfa (29 July 2024). "'Rapping his way to global recognition': Anand Mahindra on Sooraj Cherukat's viral 'well of death' rap". Hindustan Times.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Sharma, Isha (2 August 2024). "Big Beats, Death-Defying Stunts: How Indian Rapper Hanumankind Stunned Audiences With His Viral Hit 'Big Dawgs'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  12. ↑ "Anand Mahindra is in awe of desi rapper Sooraj Cherukat, calls him 'extraordinary & raw'". The Economic Times. 29 July 2024. ISSN   0013-0389 . Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  13. 1 2 Fernandes, Sandra Marina (15 February 2020). "How a Kannada song for Popcorn Monkey Tiger ended up with English lyrics". The Times of India. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  14. ↑ Kumar, Aman (10 August 2024). "Beer, Bikes & Adrenaline: How Hanumankind's international hit 'Big Dawgs' redefined masculinity". MensXP . Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  15. ↑ Lidhoo, Prateek (2 August 2024). "Hanumankind's 'Big Dawgs': The Indian Rapper Who Took Over American Hip Hop". The Quint . Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  16. ↑ Trivedi, Aaryaman (24 July 2024). "Big Dawgs: Hanumankind Is The Brown Daredevil We've Been Waiting For". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  17. ↑ "Indian Directors Who Played a Huge Role in Music Success: From "Be-Together for O Sajna" to Bijoy Shetty's "Big Dawgs"". Telly Chakkar. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  18. 1 2 "'Big Dawgs' rapper Hanumankind's first look from Aashiq Abu's 'Rifle Club' out". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  19. ↑ Conteh, Mankaprr (6 March 2025). "Hanumankind Bets Big On Himself to 'Run It Up'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  20. 1 2 Pace-McCarrick, Solomon (25 July 2025). "Hanumankind is welcoming us to rap's 'south side'". Dazed. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  21. 1 2 Paul, Larisha (28 May 2025). "Hanumankind Joins Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event Performance Lineup". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  22. ↑ Aurelius, Marcus (3 June 2025). "Hanumankind continues hot streak with 'Holiday' on COLORS". LIFTED Asia. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  23. ↑ Armstrong, Sam (17 July 2025). "Hanumankind Announces Debut Headlining North American Tour". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  24. ↑ Tagat, Anurag (25 July 2025). "Hanumankind's 'Monsoon Season' Is the Arrival of a Global Rap Contender". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  25. 1 2 Hirwani, Peony (11 July 2025). "Hanumankind Jumps Off a Cliff to Announce 'Monsoon Season' Mixtape". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Hanumankind – Singles & EPs". Apple Music . Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  27. ↑ Tagat, Anurag (7 October 2020). "Hanumankind and Kalmi Swim Against the Tide on New Mixtape 'Surface Level'". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  28. ↑ "India Songs: Week of August 17, 2024". Billboard . Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  29. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of August 24, 2024". Billboard . Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  31. ↑ "Hanumankind". Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 23 August 2024". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  33. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  34. ↑ "Discography Hanumankind" (Switch to the "Charts" tab). swisscharts.com (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  35. ↑ "Hanumankind | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  36. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of August 24, 2024". Billboard . Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  37. ↑ "Billboard Global 200: Week of August 24, 2024". Billboard . Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  38. ↑ "British certifications – Hanumankind". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 5 January 2025.Type Hanumankind in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  39. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Hanumankind – Big Dawgs". Music Canada.
  40. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Hanumankind and Kalmi – Big Dawgs". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  41. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  42. ↑ Shyam, Sushin (19 April 2024). "Aavesham (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Think Music. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024– via Apple Music.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.