Does the name Yung Raja ring a bell? If it doesn’t, it’s about to — and you’re gonna hear it. The Singaporean rapper is known for spittin’ bars in both English and Tamil, seamlessly switching between the two — all in the same song. Get you a man who can do both, right? But really, Yung Raja has proven that he can do it all. At the yung age of 25, the Indian rapper has amassed quite the fanbase for his distinctive rap style and unapologetically vibrant aesthetic that’s all about embracing his roots.
He’s been on the come up ever since his debut single “Mustafa” catapulted him into the periphery of Singaporeans, Malaysians and hip hop connoisseurs everywhere — but that’s not his only song. With a flow like lava that’s certified hot like Sumatra, the Def Jam South East Asia signee definitely sees no sign of slowing down.
Yep, Yung Raja’s got quite the portfolio. Besides the 3 million Spotify streams under his (Gucci) belt, his second single “Mad Blessings” also flawlessly incorporates elements of Indian culture, both lyrically and visually. There’s no doubt that the man’s well along on his mission to bring Southeast Asian hip hop to the forefront of the genre.
The bilingual rapper is definitely no stranger to mixing different elements together either. You might’ve noticed his and fellow rapper Fariz Jabba’s neon-hued heads in a brief cameo on Netflix’s Singapore Social, where they took on the task of mashing up hip hop and burlesque.
These days though, the rapper is keeping indoors and encouraging you to do the same. Yung Raja was recently featured in a song alongside 13 other Singaporean artists for the massive multilingual collaboration titled Stay Home. The track celebrates unity in the face of adversity, while delivering the poignant message (in four languages, no less) to, well, stay home during these uncertain times. A catchy message it is indeed, delivered with the help of ABANGSAPAU, Aisyah Aziz, Alif, Charlie Lim, Dee Kosh, Fariz Jabba, Hashy, Iman, ShiGGa Shay, Shye, Tosh Rock, YAØ and Zadon. The song is available now on major streaming platforms. Check out the music video below:
We’re excited to announce that we’ll be speaking with the man himself LIVE on Instagram in the latest episode of Coco Chats this Thursday! Indeed, Coconuts Founder and CEO Byron Perry will chew the fat with Yung Raja about the hip hop scene in Asia, what it’s like to rap in two languages, and much more. Audience participation is very welcome, so feel free to ask him any burning questions in the live chat. Be sure to follow @coconuts, set a reminder for tomorrow at 9pm SGT, and we’ll see you there!
Reader Interactions