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Brodha V
Brodha V in 2016
Born
Vighnesh Shivanand

(1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 34)
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • lyricist
Years active2008–present
Spouse
Nithya Ramesh
​
(m. 2023)​
Musical career
OriginBangalore, Karnataka, India
GenresHip hop
Labels

Vighnesh Shivanand (born 27 March 1990), better known by his stage name Brodha V, is an Indian hip-hop artist, lyricist, rapper and music producer.[1] Born in Kanchipuram, the Bengaluru-based artist started rapping at the age of 18 and took part in online rap battles on Orkut.[2] As an independent artist, Brodha V released a mixtape called Deathpunch which had a limited release and which garnered him some attention from the hip hop fraternity and the independent music circuit in Southern India.

Storypick called him "one of the best rappers in the country", [3] and he was featured in ScoopWhoop's list of top ten Indian hip-hop artists who deserve more recognition.[4] Rolling Stone India considers him part of "hip-hop's elite".[5] The popularity he garnered led him to be signed by Sony Music India in 2013 and he released his single "Aigiri Nandini" under their banner.[6][7] He has also collaborated with other artists in the Indian film industry such as Hiphop Tamizha, KR$NA, Raghu Dixit, Vishal Dadlani, Benny Dayal, Raftaar and Anirudh Ravichander.[8]

Career

[edit]

Brodha V's initial recognition came from active participation in "text battles" on Orkut, a social media network operated by Google. In 2008, Speed Ice and D'Brassic, two Delhi-based rappers, started a forum on Orkut called Insignia Rap Combat which helped found an online space for hip-hop artists to write rap battles.[9] After using "Battle Communities" on Orkut to gain recognition and develop a personal style, Brodha V moved on to composing his own songs.[10]

In 2008, he founded Machas With Attitude (MWA) with Smokey the Ghost and Big Nikk.[11] They collaborated with Raghu Dixit and performed the rap portions in the song "Dheaon Dheaon" from the movie Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge. In 2013, the trio won the Radio City Freedom Award and met Vishal Dadlani, who offered to have them work on the film Chennai Express. This collaboration led them to compose the track "Ready Steady Po" for the film, which brought them further recognition in the music industry.[12] The trio disbanded in 2013 to pursue independent careers.[13]

As a solo artist, Brodha V released his first mix tape, Death Punch, in 2011 for a limited audience. In 2012 his next single, "On My Own", was praised for its lyrical complexity and innate Indian quality.[14] Gaining recognition, he released the singles "Aathma Raama" and "After Party" in 2012 and 2013 respectively. In 2013, Brodha V signed with Sony Music India.[15] He next released his single "Aigiri Nandini".[16] In 2015 he walked out on his contract with Sony Music, citing creative differences.[17]

As a solo artist, Brodha V has worked with Anirudh Ravichander ("Why This Kolaveri Di" music director) for the song "Shake That," used in the score for Kaaki Sattai.[18] Brodha V produced music for and rapped in "Anu Aunty – The Engineering Anthem", along with author, film maker and entrepreneur Varun Agarwal and stand-up comedians Sanjay Manaktala and Sumukhi Suresh, which parodied Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" and went viral on social media.[19] With the intention of promoting hip-hop in India, Brodha V organized the first Indian rap cypher in Bangalore in 2014. Subsequent versions of the event were organized in Delhi and Mumbai.[20] A rapper who changed the face of the Indian music scene,[21] Brodha V has also been the inspiration for several prominent rappers to take up rap as a career, including DIVINE.[22] In 2015 he collaborated with singer Benny Dayal to release the single "Round Round", which was listed as a top 10 track on Saavn. He has also produced music for jingles and anthems.[23][24]

In 2017, Brodha V collaborated with artist Sanjeev Thomas on a campaign to raise awareness for Congenital Heart Defect using heartbeats donated by the public.[25][26] In 2018, Brodha V stirred up controversy through his song "Shook Ones- Freestyle" by calling out artists who plagiarize content from other artists, and draws attention to the disparity in media attention given to artists from South India vs North India.[27][28] In addition to performing shows across India, Brodha V was also invited to perform for the Music Matters festival in Singapore in 2018.[29] As an ambassador for the cellphone brand OnePlus, Brodha V hosted and performed in the largest unboxing event conducted for the release of OnePlus 6T that set a Guinness World Record. Brodha V has also featured in the Bollywood movie Gully Boy directed by Zoya Akhtar, and he is one of the artists on whom the title and story were based upon.[30][31] Brodha V's collaboration with Delhi-based rapper Raftaar shot him to fame in mainstream Hindi media in 2019.[32] Brodha V has collaborated with athletic company Puma in 2019 to promote underground music and hip-hop culture in India.[33][34] In 2019, Brodha V also released his first ever Kannada rap song, which was his rendition of the song "Maari Kannu" from the cult classic film A.[35] In the music video that was well received by fans, he questions Indian society and asks everyone to introspect their values.[35]

As a veteran in the Indian rap industry, Brodha V was a guest judge on the Indian rap reality TV show MTV Hustle where he also performed his latest single "Vaishnava Jana To" in the finale. In the socio-political anthem "Vaishnava Jana To" released in October 2019,[36] Brodha V delivers his rendition of the Gandhian Bhajan using a unique boom bap sound. The song's lyrics, in line with Mahatma Gandhi's vision of peace and unity, talks about keeping aside differences and looking past religious and cultural backgrounds.[37] Brodha V also released "Vainko", a collaboration with Bangalore-based YouTubers Jordindian, which instantly went viral and led to the "vainko challenge".[38] In 2020, Brodha V released "Flex" that features Punjabi tunes.[39][40] Two months later, in February 2021, Brodha V released "Aaraam", his second Kannada track.[41] While speaking about "Aaraam" in an interview with Mid-Day, Brodha V stated that releasing songs in regional languages "lets him reach out to new listeners".[42] Following an injury that set him back during the pandemic, Brodha V released All Divine that features Malayalam lyrics in February 2022. The song features Steve Knight from Flipsyde and the lyrics focus on Brodha V's "past mental health struggles, the pandemic-enforced isolation and most recently, a torn ligament."[43] In August 2022, Brodha V released Bujjima that features Niharika NM in the music video.[44] In September 2022, Brodha V collaborated with KR$NA and released the much awaited track "Forever" where the two lyrical rappers showcased their penmanship.[45] Following the success of Vainko, Brodha V collaborated with comedic duo Jordindian again in 2023 to release "Basti Bounce" which is touted as the successor for Vainko.[46] In May 2023, Brodha V released his first love song "Azhage" which he stated was a personal challenge to channel deep emotions to expand on his versatality.[47] In March 2024, Brodha V performed at the Royal Challengers Bangalore Unbox event at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Etymology behind the stage name

[edit]

Brodha V revealed in an interview to Raaj Jones[48] that his stage name, Brodha V is derived from two elements, the first fragment stands for brotherhood while the second stands for his given name, Vighnesh.

Musical style

[edit]

Brodha V's style is a blend of hip-hop, Hindustani classical, Carnatic classical and Indian folk music. Most of his work is delivered in common language, drawn from his own personal experiences.[49]

Influences

[edit]

Brodha V mentions the song "Pettai Rap", composed by A. R. Rahman for the Tamil film Kadhalan, as his introduction to rap music.[50] He also cites early '90s East coast rappers Eminem, Rakim, Nas, Big Pun, Wu-Tang Clan and Jay-Z as his inspiration and role models.[29] As a producer, he refers to Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Quincy Jones as his inspiration.[51]

Discography

[edit]

Singles & collaborations

[edit]
Year Track Artist(s) Producer(s) Note(s)
2012 On My Own Brodha V ft. Avinash Bhat
Aathma Raama Brodha V
2013 After Party
2014 Roobaroo - Micromax Unite Anthem Swaroop Khan, Kamal Khan, Benny Dayal, Raghu Dixit, Apeksha Dandekar, Shruti Pathak, Neeti Mohan, Sanam Puri, Brodha V & Voctronica Dub Sharma
Aigiri Nandini Brodha V
2015 Indian Flava (Live version)
2016 Round Round Brodha V ft. Benny Dayal
2017 Let Em Talk Brodha V
2018 Way Too Easy
Shook Ones Freestyle
Young and Restless Promotional track for Spykar Jeans
2019 Naachne Ka Shaunq Raftaar ft. Brodha V Tom Enzy From the album Mr. Nair by Raftaar
Maari Kannu Brodha V, Sukruth Mallesh & Guru Kiran
Silk Board Shuffle Brodha V Promotional track for NBA India
Vaishnava Jana To Brodha V ft. Aishwarya Rangarajan
Vainko Brodha V and Jordindian
2020 Whoa (The Passioneering Anthem) Brodha V
Flex Brodha V
2021 Aaraam Brodha V
Booyah For Your City! Ikka, Brodha V, Cizzy, StreetViolater & Kidshot Promotional track for Garena Free Fire India
2022 All Divine Brodha V & Steve Knight
Bujjima Brodha V Bharath MD
Forever Brodha V ft. KR$NA Tone Jonez
2023 Basti Bounce Brodha V and Jordindian
Azhage Brodha V Brodha V
Moodu Brodha V Vighnesh S, Manaswi Gundi

Film music

[edit]
Year Film Song Language
2010 Nil Gavani Sellathey Vanavillum Tamil
2011 Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge Dheaon Dheaon Hindi
2013 Chennai Express Ready Steady Po
2015 Kaaki Sattai Shake That Tamil
2018 Krishnarjuna Yudham Turn This Party Up Telugu
2019 Jersey Padhe Padhe
2024 Kadaisi Ulaga Por I am a Beast English, Tamil

Awards and nominations

[edit]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2013: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – ("Indian Flava") – Winner (Judge's Choice Award)[52]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2014: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – ("After Party") – Nominated[53]
  • Vh1 Sound Nation Awards 2014 – Best Hip Hop Act – Nominated[54]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2015: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – (Indian Rap Cypher/"Aigiri Nandini") – Nominated[55]
  • GIMA 2015: Best Music Debut Non-Film ("Aigiri Nandini") – Nominated[56]
  • Renault Free the Music Award 2015 for Contribution to Independent Music – Winner[57]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2016 : Best Indie Collaboration of the Year – ("Round Round") – Nominated[58]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2018: Best Hip Hop Artist of the Year (Jury Award)- Let em Talk[58]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2018: Best Hip Hop Artist of the Year (Jury Award)- Way Too Easy[59]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2023: Best Hip Hop Collaboration of the Year - Forever ft. KRSNA[60]
  • The CLEF Music Awards 2023: Best regional song/album Tamil - Basti Bounce[61]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Key Takeaways from Music Inc. 2019 -". My Site. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Dial V for Brodha". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  3. ^ "This Is One Of The Best Songs I've Ever Heard From An Indian Rapper". Storypick.com. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  4. ^ Bhattacharya, Rohit (15 July 2016). "10 Indian Hip-Hop Artists Who Revolutionised The Music Scene But Are Still Waiting To Get Their Due". Scoopwhoop.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Voice of Tha People Recap Indian Hip Hop's Big Month". Rollingstoneindia.com. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  6. ^ Mohan, Shriya (21 June 2019). "Rap Nadu: How Dravidian hip-hop arrived to pack a punch". Thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  7. ^ "5 young Indian rappers you should know about". In.askmen.com. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Rap rage". Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  9. ^ Kappal, Bhanuj (2016). "The Rise of Desi Hip Hop". Jabong.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  10. ^ "彩神ii_彩神ii官网登录". Pepsimtvindies.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  11. ^ "High on rap and hip hop". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  12. ^ Rodricks, Allan Moses (7 July 2014). "The beat poets". Thehindu.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  13. ^ K, Bhumika (10 August 2013). "Machas, ready to rap?". Thehindu.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Finally You Have a World Class Indian Rap That You Always Wanted to Hear | ScoopPick.com". Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  15. ^ "How India is Taking to Hip Hop -". rollingstoneindia.com. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  16. ^ Vinay, Adarsh (17 October 2014). "What Happens When You Mix Rap With A Classical Song On Goddess Durga? This!". Scoopwhoop.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Brodha V parts ways with Sony Music". Radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  18. ^ [1] [dead link]
  19. ^ "'Anu Aunty' has gone viral with a music video featuring Brodha V". Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  20. ^ "The beat poets". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  21. ^ "Top Underrated Desi Hip Hop Artists Who Changed the Face of Indian Music Scene". 26 June 2018.
  22. ^ "Hip-hop artists on how the genre is placed at the moment in India". Mid-day.com. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Sharing the same space with A.R. Rahman will be an honour: Brodha V". Radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  24. ^ "There was no Badtameezi!". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  25. ^ "WATCH: Two musicians use actual heartbeats to compose a song". Indulgexpress.com. 15 November 2017.
  26. ^ "Spikes Asia 2018: Propaganda India and FCB Ulka win a Grand Prix each for India". Bestmediainfo.com. 28 September 2018.
  27. ^ "Brodha V believes in creating the trend and not running after one". The Times of India. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Brodha V roots for rappers pan-India". Mid-day.com. 12 August 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  29. ^ a b "Interview: India's Rap G, Brodha V :: Habitual | Asian Street Culture, Fashion and Arts". Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  30. ^ "Rap it like Ranveer Singh". Mumbai Mirror.
  31. ^ "Ranveer turns rapper for Zoya". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  32. ^ "Have you checked out new hip-hop song Naachne Ka Shaunq?". Thestatesman.com. 19 February 2019.
  33. ^ "Brodha V". Platform-mag.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  34. ^ "Hey, big Brodha V! Rap star from Bengaluru jams for street culture with Puma". Indulgexpress.com. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  35. ^ a b "Brodha V's first Kannada rap is a rendition of Maari Kannu". The Times of India. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  36. ^ "Brodha V is set to release his version of Vaishnav Jana To, this October". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  37. ^ "Brodha V is set to release his version of Vaishnav Jana To, this October - Times of India". The Times of India. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  38. ^ "It's a rap! New single goes viral on day one". The New Indian Express. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  39. ^ Homegrown. "Homegrown's Fresh Picks From Music That Released Last Week". homegrown.co.in. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  40. ^ "Bengaluru-based rapper Brodha V's latest single 'Flex' may make to a New Year party mix". The New Indian Express. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  41. ^ "ಅಲ್ಲೇನು ಆರಾಮಾ? ಯೋಗಕ್ಷೇಮ ವಿಚಾರಿಸಲು ಬಂದ್ರು ಬ್ರೋಧಾ ವಿ!– News18 Kannada". News18 Gujarati (in Kannada). 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  42. ^ "Brodha V: Commercial rap is still manufactured". Mid-day.com. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  43. ^ "Brodha V Scales a New Peak of Self-Discovery in 'All Divine' Video". Rolling Stone India. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  44. ^ "Rapper Brodha V releases new single 'Bujjima' starring Niharika NM". www.indulgexpress.com. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  45. ^ "Brodha V collaborates with KRSNA, drops new single 'Forever' - Times of India". The Times of India. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  46. ^ "Bouncing back with a bang". The New Indian Express. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  47. ^ "The big Brodha of rap".
  48. ^ "BRODHA V - X- CLUSIVE & RARE INTERVIEW BY RAAJ JONES (PART-1)". 13 October 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2021 – via YouTube.
  49. ^ "'My music has always talked about my state of mind' | Deccan Herald". Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  50. ^ "Exclusive Interview With Brodha V – Desi Hip Hop". Desi Hip Hop. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  51. ^ "The big Brodha of rap".
  52. ^ ":: Radio City Freedom Awards ::". Radiocity.in. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  53. ^ "Music is the ultimate winner with Radio City Freedom Awards 2014". Radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  54. ^ "- Wild City". Thewildcity.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  55. ^ "The 3rd edition of Radio City Freedom Awards honours independent music". Bestmediaifo.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  56. ^ "GIMA » Over The Years". Gima.co.in. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  57. ^ "Renault Free The Music Award – honoring the best in music industry". Musicmalt.com. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  58. ^ a b "Radio City Freedom Awards 6 | Independent Artist Awards for Indie Artists | Celebrating Independent Music across all Genres & Languages". Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  59. ^ "Radio City Freedom Awards 6 Honours Stars of Indie Music". Thestatesman.com. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  60. ^ "Radio City Freedom Awards (RCFA) 7 Winners". Radio City Freedom Awards. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  61. ^ https://www.radioandmusic.com/clefmusicawards/winner.html [bare URL]
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