Her parents played an important role in developing her Indian character and trained her to become an Indian classical dancer who started performing at the age of 5.[11] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Raja Kumari said that she found it tough and lonely as a South Indian girl growing up in Los Angeles.[12]
During her artist career, she has contributed to several philanthropic activities through her performances including the creation of a hospital in Bangalore and a meditation hall in Hyderabad for the Vegesna Foundation, a school for children with physical disabilities. As a result, Kumari has been recognized as a benefactor by the Foundation for Indic Philosophy and Culture (Indic Foundation) and has been honored with the Kohinoor Award for excellence in the Classical Arts by the Governor of Tamil Nadu.[13]
Career
2013-2016: Career beginnings as a songwriter and debut EP The Come Up
On July 1, 2016, she released her debut solo single "Mute" featuring Elvis Brown and produced by Jules Wolfson at Epic Records,[2][6][17] which premiered on Paper Magazine's website. It was later included in her debut EP, The Come Up, which released on December 2, 2016.[18][19]
2017-2020: BLOODLINE and further successes in India
In 2018, she co-wrote and released the songs, "Roots" and "City Slums" in collaboration with Indian rapper Divine.[21] She has starred in the Bollywood film Gully Boy as a judge, in a cameo appearance. In 2019, she finally made her debut in mother tongue Telugu by featuring in 'Attention Everybody', a single produced by SouthBay (subsidiary of Ramanaidu Studios). The music was composed by Kone Kone and the Telugu lyrics were penned by Pranav Chaganty, which was a tribute to Telugu actor Venkatesh Daggubati released on his birthday.
She was nominated for an MTV European Music Awards three times for Best India Act. She released her second EP BLOODLINE, in February 2019.[22] She hosted the American Music Awards of 2019 Pre-Show telecast, alongside Lauren Jaregui.[23] Kumari was also announced as the face of MAC Cosmetics' holiday campaign: #MACStarringYou, in which she appears in adverts and marketing materials around the globe. She was a judge on the first season of MTV Hustle, an Indian rap battle competition show.[24]
2022-present: Independent label
In 2022, she started her own independent label, Godmother Records.[25] Her first release under the label was her third EP, HBIC, which featured guest appearances from Indian rappers KRSNA and Shah Rule. The EP's release was preceded by the lead single "MADE IN INDIA", a remix of "Made in India" by Alisha Chinai, which was accompanied by a music video featuring veteran Indian actress Madhuri Dixit.[26][27]
In April 2023, she released her debut studio album THE BRIDGE,[28] featuring no guest appearances.[29][30] In the same year in December, she worked with KSHMR on the track "All Fall Down", alongside Indian rappers Yashraj and Riar Saab, which was included on KSHMR's fourth studio album KARAM.[31]
In 2024, she worked with Stefflon Don on the track "Renegade" for Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 and in 2025, won an American Music Award for the track, being the first person of Indian descent to ever do so.[32][33] In February 2025, she released her sophomore studio album, KASHI TO KAILASH, a devotional and spiritual project that blended traditional Sanskrit chants with modern hip-hop and electronica beats, under her independent label Godmother Records.[34]
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