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.
Cherukat officially 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.[13] Before the release of Kalari, he had released a mixtape consisting of him rapping on YouTube beats, called the 959 Mixtape on Soundcloud and a single "Super Mario", where he rapped over a beat which sampled the video game Super Mario's soundtrack in 2018. The name Hanumankind is a portmanteau of the Hindu deity Hanuman and "mankind".[12]
Cherukat released his sophomore EP, Surface Level, in 2020,[11][14] which was succeeded by the release of some singles, such as "DAMNSON", "Genghis", "Go To Sleep",[15] as well as collaborations, like "THAT'S A FACT" and "Enemies" with Yashraj.[16][17]
He was featured in Rolling Stone India's first edition of the "Future of Music" list in March 2024.[20] He gained widespread recognition both with the release of the single and its music video "Big Dawgs", featuring Kalmi, in July 2024.[21][22] 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.[23][12]
Hanumankind performing in 2024.
He also acted in the 2024 Malayalam film, Rifle Club, directed by Aashiq Abu.[24] In 2025, he released his song "Run It Up", which features chenda drums in its instrumental,[25][26] and performed the song at Netflix's 2025 Tudum event.[27] He performed the single "Holiday" on the Colors Show[28] and headlined the "OTW Tour" in support of his debut mixtape, Monsoon Season, in the summer of 2025.[29]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.[30] On November 22, 2025, Cherukat made his second appearance at Rolling Loud in his home country, India, where he performed alongside other notable names within the music scene and industry; it was also his first headlining Rolling Loud performance.[31]
As of July 2025, Cherukat lives in Bengaluru.[26] Cherukat is not religious.[6] He tore his ACL during a July 2025 performance in London, leading him to cancel his 2025 United States tour.[11][33]
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