Hanumankind

Kerala-born, Houston-raised and Bengaluru-based rapper Hanumankind—aka Sooraj Cherukat—will go down in history as one of the artists who introduced the world to Indian hip-hop. HMK, as he’s known by fans and friends, and producer Kalmi, a long-time collaborator, scored an international smash with their 2024 single 'Big Dawgs', whose worldwide virality and chart peaks were aided by its eye-popping music video directed by Bijoy Shetty. The track pays homage to HMK’s earliest influences such as DJ Screw, Project Pat and UGK, South Coast hip-hop acts whose music he absorbed while growing up in Texas. After moving back to India in 2012, he studied business administration and attempted to live the corporate life before realising that he was meant to be an MC.