King (singer)

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King
King rapper.jpg
King at Monopoly Moves Tour 2024
Background information
Birth nameArpan Kumar Chandel
Also known asKing Rocco
Born (1995-10-10) 10 October 1995 (age 29)
Uttar Pradesh, India
Genres Rap, Indie, Pop, Hip hop
Occupation(s) Artist, Performer, Storyteller
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2018–present

Arpan Kumar Chandel (born 10 October 1995), known professionally as King or King Rocco, is an Indian singer-songwriter, rapper, and music producer. In 2019, he rose to fame as a finalist on the MTV India reality show MTV Hustle . [1] He is best known for his singles "Ghumshudaa" (2019), "Tu Aake Dekhle" (2020), "Oops" (2022), "Pablo" (2022) and "Maan Meri Jaan" (2022). [2] "Maan Meri Jaan" achieved commercial success, becoming the most streamed song of 2023 on Spotify India, and other music streaming platforms. [3]

Contents

Early life

Arpan was born on 10 October 1995 in Uttar Pradesh, India. He attended a government school for his early education before enrolling in Vinay Marg Navyug Secondary School in New Delhi. He later gained admission to Dyal Singh College through the sport quota to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree. [4] [5]

Arpan played for the national under -20 team for four years during his time in college. Despite his athletic achievements, he eventually dropped out to focus on his passion for rapping. [6]

King began sharing his music online through his YouTube channel, "King Rocco," which he launched in 2012. He continued to upload his music to various social media platforms while in school. [7] In an interview with NME, he cited early musical influences including pop groups like the Backstreet Boys and Vengaboys. [8]

Career

2018-2020:Career beginnings, MTV Hustle and debut album

King began his professional career in early 2018, dropping his first EP Talismann, which included 7 tracks (as per his ReverbNation release, the EP originally included 6 songs). He released the Mashhoor Chp 1 in 2019, which included 10 tracks and subsequently, participated in the inaugural season of the rap reality show MTV Hustle , where he was judged by Raftaar, Raja Kumari, and Nucleya. He rose to fame as a finalist on the show in 2019. [9]

Following MTV Hustle , King released 2 of the lead singles from his subsequent fourth studio album New Life, namely, "Tum Saath Rehnaa" and "No Loss", but due to the COVID-19 outbreak, he couldn't proceed with the album rollout and instead, announced a limited edition mixtape Heartbreak Made Me Do It. It released in April 2020 comprising eight tracks. Over 500 digital copies were sold, and a half of the funds raised by the album sales were donated to the PMCARES fund.[ citation needed ]

King finally released his debut album, The Carnival, on September 21, 2020. The album featured the sleeper hit "Tu Aake Dekhle," which became his first breakthrough and garnered significant attention, becoming one of his signature tracks and a chart-topping hit. [10] [11]

2021-2023: Maan Meri Jaan, and subsequent projects

He followed this with his second album, The Gorilla Bounce, in 2021. [12]

In 2022, King made his major-label debut with his Khwabeeda EP, which featured tracks like “Baazi”, “Ektarfa”, and “Sinner” and was his first release with Warner Music India. [13] Later that year, he released his album, "Champagne Talk" which consisted of singles like “Pablo”, "Oops" and "Maan Meri Jaan," which went on to become the most streamed song on Spotify, Apple Music, and Shazam in India in 2023. [14] [15] He subsequently released multiple versions of "Maan Meri Jaan" featuring artists from different language backgrounds, including a Hindi-English version titled "Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife)" with Nick Jonas. [16] “Maan Meri Jaan” was also featured in Spotify’s Top 50 Viral Charts in 2023. [17] He debuted in Bollywood with the song "Sahi Galat" from the film Drishyam 2 in 2022.[ citation needed ]

In April 2023, King partnered with Indian entrepreneur Raj Shamani and his company, House of X, to launch his debut perfume brand, Blanko. [18] [19]

In 2023, King released a three-track EP titled Shayad Woh Sune, which included songs such as "Laapata" and "Teri Ho Na Saki." [20]

2024-present: New Life, collaborations and Cannes debut

Following the EP's release, he launched his long-awaited fourth studio album, New Life, featuring collaborations with international artists Gucci Mane and Julia Michaels. [21] Tracks such as "Crown," "Good Trip," and "Sarkaare" from the album garnered critical acclaim, with "Good Trip" being featured in the Grammy Recording Academy’s Global Spin series. [22] [23] Additionally, his song "We Are The Ones" was included in the official soundtrack for EA SPORTS FC 24 . [24] He performed a 9-city tour across India in support of his album New Life. The tour included performances in Bengaluru, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Goa, among other cities. [25]

In the same year, Sony India appointed King as the brand ambassador for its audio product category. [26] He was also shortlisted as one of GQ India’s 35 Most Influential Young Indians and performed at the closing ceremony of the Indian Premier League Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. [27] [28]

In 2024, King released his fifth studio album, Monopoly Moves, featuring collaborations with Indian rappers like MC STΔN, Ikka, Seedhe Maut and Raftaar. [29] He also released the single "Bumpa" with Jason Derulo in the same year, [30] as well as his long-awaited collaboration “Aawara” with American producer KSHMR and Indian singer Zaeden. [31] King partnered with Red Bull to release “Shining Star,” which served as the official anthem for the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2024. [32]

That year, King attended the 77th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Brut India delegation, becoming the first Indian pop artist to walk the red carpet at the event. [33] [34] He was later featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in the Entertainment & Sports category. [35] In April 2024, he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone India as part of their Future of Music ‘24 list. [36]

Discography

Albums (LPs)

YearAlbumTrackArtist(s)Producer(s)Ref.
2019Mashhoor Chapter 1MaahaulKing [37]
Fantasy
Umar 73
Akeli Awara Azaad
Ghumshudha
I Know You
Going Bad
Outta My Mind
2020The CarnivalShe Don't Give A [38]
Thoda Samjha Karo
Dracula
90s
MAFIIA
Let The Eyes Talk
IICONIC
Tu Aake Dekhle
2021The Gorilla BouncePicassoSection 8 [39]
Blanko
Saloot
Godfather
CasanovaKing, Rahul SathuRahul Sathu
Desi Dan Bilzerian
Koo KooKing, Aesap, JazDev
ShaameinKing, Harjas HarjaayiSshiv
Main Bas Kehti NahiKingSection 8
ERA
Tera Hua Na Main KabhiKing, HIGHBORN
2022Champagne TalkNa Ja TuKingAakash [40]
OOPSHiten, Section 8
Broken DreamsAakash
Maan Meri JaanSaurabh Lokhande
DejaloAakash
PabloNDS, Section 8
Champagne TalkSaurabh Lokhande
Me & MeNDS, Section 8
2023NEW LIFEAafatKaran Kanchan, Section 8 [41]
RunawayKing, Julia Michaels David Arkwright
Tu Jaana Na PiyaKing
Good Trip
SarkaareAlan Sampson
Tum Saath RehnaaRiz Shain
LegendsKaran Kanchan
We Are the OnesKing, Gucci Mane David Arkwright
High HukkuKing, Nikhita Gandhi Aditya Dev
No LossKingAyo Shree, Section 8
CROWNKing, NataniaDavid Arkwright
Legends (B Side)King
2024MONOPOLY MOVESGOAT SHITKing, KarmaUKato [42]
STILL THE SAMEKing, Abhijay SharmaAbhijay Sharma
WAY BIGGERKingJaz
BAWE MAIN CHECKKing, RagaUKato
MISFITKing
KODAKKing, Seedhe Maut
SAZAKing, MC HeamExult Yowl
PYAAR HUMARAKingBharg
F*CK WHAT THEY SAYKing, MC STΔN Riz Shain
WARCRYKing, Raftaar
MASHINEYKing, Ikka UKato
SUPREME LEADERKing, Talhah Yunus
SUITS & STREETSKing, Yashraj, GravityAbhijay Sharma
CAN'T AFFORDKing, Sikander KahlonUKato
TERE HO KEKing, Bella
DELULU DANCEKingBharg

EPs/Mixtapes

YearEPs/MixtapesTrackCo-artist(s)Producer(s)Ref.
2018TalismannDur KyunRyini Beats
FLEXYoung Taylor
Main Ho Gaya TeraLCS
HennessyLytton Scott
Talismann
Hum Bekhudi MeinTundra beats
TaaliyaanGum$
2020Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition)MoodLucas
Tere Naam Pe
Fosure
BanjarrTundra Beats
Dur KyunnRyini Beat
Aarzoo
Mirza Aur Ghalib
Obsession
2022KhwabeedaBaaziSection 8 [43]
EktarfaAakash
SinnerENZO
2023Shayad Woh SuneLaapataBharg [44]
Hum Tumse
Teri Ho Na Saki
2025Shayad Koi Na SuneYeh Zindagi HaiBharg
Sab Be AsarUkato
Speak SoftlyAditya Pushkarna

Singles and collaborations

YearTrackCo-artist(s)Ref.
2015Boombass [45]
2016Zinnda
2017Hitman
Promise
2018Chorus
Hauley
2019Gold Digger
Moment Hah
2020Jaane De YaaraRahul Sathu
Let There Be Love(Remix) Ananya Birla, Rahul Sathu [46]
2021Keh Na PaunVoid
Famous Arjun Kanungo
Father Saab Amit Bhadana
Gangster Karma
Ishq Samundar Arjun Kanungo [47]
Dhoondein Sitare Aastha Gill [48]
2022Ilzaam Arjun Kanungo [49]
Habibi(Remix) Ricky Rich
Doob Ja Sunidhi Chauhan, Salim Sulaiman
OOPS (Remix) Masked Wolf [50]
Naya Nazariya [51]
2023Maan Meri Jaan (African Version)Rayvanny [52]
Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife) Nick Jonas [53]
Sona re [54]
2024Rang Barse x Yaaron Wali BaatKaran Kanchan, Shiv-Hari [55]
Aawara KSHMR, Zaeden [56]
Bumpa Jason Derulo [57]
Mr. K
Shining Star
Alpha's Goodbye
2025Pray Ikka, Hiten
Stay [58]
Till The End
Story of a Bird Alan Walker

MTV Hustle S01 Songs

King was the first Artist in the show MTV Hustle who got entry to Top 15 by performing his track "Maahaul".

WeekTrackRef.
AuditionMaahaul (Hustle Version)
ShowcaseGhumshudaa (Hustle Version)
IIIAye Jaani
Bollywood RemixShe Move It Like (Remix)
VUsool
VIGold Digger (Hustle Version)
VIIMemories
VIIIMoment Hai (Hustle Version)
Semi FinalsHennessy (Hustle Version)
Grand FinaleBadnaam Raja

Film and Web Series Songs

YearSongFilm/SeriesComposer(s)LyricistsCo-artist(s)Ref.
2022Sahi Galat Drishyam 2 Devi Sri Prasad Amitabh Bhattacharya - [59]
2023Mere Sawaal Ka Shehzada Pritam Shloke Lal [60]
Baap Aa Gaya Hai Rana Naidu Karan KanchanKing, Roll Rida Roll Rida [61]
O Bandeya Farrey Sachin-Jigar Jigar Saraiya [62]

References

  1. "Rapper King says Indians only criticise desi artists: 'Ghar ki murgi daal barabar…'". Hindustan Times. 6 August 2024.
  2. Azeem, Eba Fatima. "Rapper King Birthday Special: Did You Know King Wrote His First Song In 9th Grade? Read Deets!". News24. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  3. "Spotify Wrapped India 2023: Arijit Singh takes top spot for fourth consecutive year; 'Maan Meri Jaan' most-streamed song". The Hindu. 30 November 2023. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  4. "10 Indian rappers and their educational qualifications". mirchi.in. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  5. "The Unstoppable Journey of King in the World of Rap". Eat My News. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  6. Sabharwal, Punita (9 February 2024). "Reign of the 'King': Arpan Kumar Chandel". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  7. Daswani, Venesa (6 June 2024). "Breakout Artist King Makes His Mark in Southeast Asia". Masala Magazine. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  8. Levine, Nick (28 October 2023). "King: "I want to show that Indian sounds can blend with any sound in the world"". NME. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  9. IANS (8 September 2022). "MTV Hustle 2.0: Rapper King's Life Comes To Full Circle As He Returns As Squad Boss After Being A Contestant In 1st Season". Koimoi. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  10. "EXCL! Tu Aake Dekhle fame King reveals the secret behind every generation vibing on his songs, 'I was not expecting ...'". Times Now. 31 October 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  11. "Rapper King reflects on importance of Indian artistes taking their culture across the world - www.lokmattimes.com". Lokmat Times. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  12. The Gorilla Bounce by King on Apple Music, 15 October 2021, retrieved 8 December 2024
  13. "King's cinematic EP 'Khwabeeda' to feature a collection of short stories". The Times of India. 13 May 2022. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  14. "Spotify wrapped 2023: Arijit Singh becomes most-streamed artist, King's "Maan Meri Jaan" is most-streamed song in India". The Indian Express. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  15. "Warner Music India artists dominate major streaming platforms' Year End Roundup in 2023". www.radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  16. Mier, Tomás (20 April 2023). "Nick Jonas and Indian Star King's Duet About 'Everlasting Love' Is Transcending 'Borders'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  17. "Why Spotify Is Hitting High Notes In India". Forbes India. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  18. "In Three Months Since Launch, Popstar King's Brand Blanko Hits Rs1 Crore Per Month Run Rate In Revenue With House Of X". Forbes India. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  19. "Latest in entertainment, lifestyle, fashion | t2ONLINE - Vibe With The tRIBE". www.t2online.in. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  20. "King: 'Mana Teri Ho Na Saki' is dedicated to girls who've given their all but couldn't express". The Times of India. 17 February 2024. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  21. "King To Drop His New Album 'New Life': 'Sometimes Being Late, Is Being Right On Time'". Outlook India. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  22. "Watch King's Vibrant Poolside Performance Of "Good Trip" | Global Spin | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  23. "Rapper King's song 'Good Trip' gets featured at Grammys Recording Academy!". mirchi.in. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  24. Taylor, Poppy (29 September 2023). "EA SPORTS CELEBRATES A NEW ERA FOR THE WORLD'S GAME WITH FC 24 SOUNDTRACK - Music". Verge Magazine. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  25. Tagat, Anurag (14 September 2023). "KING's 'New Life' India Tour Announced with 11 Cities". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  26. "Sony India appoints King as brand ambassador | Marketing". Campaign India. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  27. Kappal, Bhanuj (3 July 2023). "GQ Hype: Hail to the King". GQ India. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  28. "Rapper King performs at IPL 2023 final, crowd grooves to his songs. Watch video". The Indian Express. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  29. Chakravorty, Reshmi (28 August 2024). "Rap music is a raw and real form of expression: Arpan Kumar Chandel". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  30. "Singer King collaborates with Jason Derulo for his next party song 'Bumpa'". India Today. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  31. "Singer Zaeden shares his experience of working with American musician KSHMR". mirchi.in. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  32. "How King created his latest banger track, 'Shining Star'". RedBull.
  33. "Rapper King To Make Debut Appearance At 77th Cannes Film Festival". Zee News. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  34. "Rapper King mocks his own accent after video of him at Cannes goes viral: 'Jab aati nahi to accent hi nikalta hai'". The Indian Express. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  35. "Arpan Chandel (King)". Forbes. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  36. Hirwani, Peony (3 April 2024). "COVER STORY: They Don't Call Him King for No Reason". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  37. "Indian rapper 'King' perform live at the Calcutta Boating Club". www.telegraphindia.com. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2024. Famous for chartbusters like 'Tu aake dekhle', 'Maan meri jaan' and 'Ghumshudaa', King made his fans dance to his beats
  38. Shah, Masumi (20 August 2024). "Rap music is a huge ecosystem in India now: King". Times of India . Retrieved 22 August 2024. From his early days at MTV Hustle to producing hits like Maan Meri Jaan and Tu Aake Dekhle and coming up with albums like The Carnival to his latest Monopoly Moves, King has come a long way.
  39. Singh Sisodia, Upendra (25 May 2021). "Listen To King Rocco's New Album, "The Gorilla Bounce"". Siachen Studios. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  40. "Rapper King Chuffed With The Response To His Album 'Champagne Talk'". Outlook India . 16 November 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  41. Ray, Sanjana (14 December 2023). "King's New Life, Ankur Tewari's Akela: Top 10 Indian albums of 2023". GQ India . Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  42. News Network, Bollywood Hungama (11 July 2024). "KING set to embark on Monopoly Moves Album Listening Party Tour across 8 Indian cities". Bollywood Hungama . Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  43. "King's cinematic EP 'Khwabeeda' to feature a collection of short stories". Times of India . 13 May 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  44. Vaigankar, Shukrta (15 July 2023). "Rapper King's latest track 'Teri Ho Na Saki' from his extended playlist 'Shayad Woh Sune' is out now!". Business UpTurn. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  45. "King". Apple Music . Retrieved 26 August 2024. Also known as King Rocco, the man born Arpan Kumar in 1997 made his first waves in India's hip-hop community with a self released pair of confrontational early singles, "Zinnda" and "Hitman".
  46. "KING's New Track Jaane De Yaara Brings The Heat". Urban Asian. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  47. "Arjun Kanungo releases 3 tracks from debut studio album 'Industry'". Times of India . 16 June 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2024. The tracks include the official Indian rendition of Vaultboy's number one international hit 'Everything Sucks', 'Foto' featuring Rashmeet Kaur and 'Ishq Samundar' featuring KING.
  48. Murthy, Neeraja (28 December 2021). "'Dhoondein Sitaare' will resonate with everyone, say Aastha Gill and King". The Hindu . Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  49. "Watch New Hindi Trending Song Music Video - 'Ilzaam' Sung By Arjun Kanungo, King". Times of India. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  50. "Warner Music India Signs Indian Breakout Artist King". PR Newswire. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024. He even released a remix for his groovy track "OOPS," featuring Masked Wolf of the viral chartbuster "Astronaut in the Ocean" fame.
  51. "Popular Hindi Video Song 'Naya Nazariya' Sung By King". Times of India. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  52. Milimo, Dennis (1 March 2023). "Rayvanny teams up with India's King for a new tune 'Maan Meri Jaan'". Classic FM. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  53. Banerjee, Diya. "Hip hop artist, 'King' collabs with Nick Jonas for 'Maan Meri Jaan' (Afterlife)". Radio Mirchi . Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  54. Tagat, Anurag (29 October 2023). "KKING Flexes a Diverse Catalog at 'New Life' Tour Kickoff in Bengaluru". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 26 August 2024. Whether it was moshpits or sing-alongs, KING balanced it all with songs across his catalog, traversing synthwave, jazz, rock, tropical house vibes and a tip of the hat to Bollywood/Indipop with his version of "O Mere Sona Re Sona" from 1957's Teesri Manzil
  55. "Get ready to groove as The House of McDowell's Soda showers festive cheer with classic remix of Rang Barse". Radio and Music. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  56. "American DJ KSHMR collaborates with Indian pop stars King & Zaeden on new track 'Aawara'". CNBC TV18 . 22 March 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  57. "King joins force with global pop star Jason Derulo for a summer anthem Bumpa". Hindustan Times . 26 April 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  58. "Indian rapper King's new track 'Stay' out now!". Radio Mirchi . Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  59. "King lent his voice to the 'Mere Sawaal Ka' track from the Kartik Aryan and Kriti Sanon film 'Shehzada'". Koimoi. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  60. "Drishyam 2: King On His Bollywood Debut With Rap Song 'Sahi Galat', "I Have Always Believed In Hard Work…"". Koimoi. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  61. "Rana Naidu New Song: 'Baap Aa Gaya' By King And RollRida Shows The World Of 'Fixer' Rana Daggubati". ABP Live . 16 March 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  62. "Farrey | Song - O Bandeya". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 January 2025.