For Millennials. By Millennials.
Svetha Rao, better known as Raja Kumari, has brought a new voice to the music industry with her rich Indian heritage and cultural flair. The young female rapper recently dropped her second EP, ‘Bloodline’. Known for collaborating with artists like Gwen Stefani and Iggy Azalea, Kumari is breaking boundaries in hip-hop/rap music.
The combination of hip-hop with rap gives her songs a unique spin. Moreover, as she likes to put it, her music has created a “bridge” between the East and the West.
As for ‘Bloodline’, it is a collection of five songs in total. It includes the hit single ‘Shook‘, which racked up nearly 3 million views on YouTube. The Grammy-nominated singer stated that the album was inspired by her Indian heritage and has “battle anthems”.
Story Behind Bloodline
This album is more than just a couple of rap songs. It seems to hold a lot of depth and meaning for Kumari, as she connects to people who may have the same background as her.
According to the singer, ‘Bloodline’ asks the question, ‘Who are you?’. In a press release, she said:
“It’s not just about your family line or your heritage. What are you willing to fight for?”
She said that the collection of songs was inspired by her time in India:
“These battle anthems are my story, my bloodline.”
Album Review
Basically, the EP features an eclectic take on hip-hop music. All five songs have a different message. The track ‘Robinhood‘ begins with some Indian-sounding music, as Kumari integrates her culture into the Western-style lyrics.
In the track “Karma“, a man’s voice shouts out:
“Make room for the queen of Hindustan
Stand up for the Daughter of the King”
This symbolizes what songwriter Raja Kumari wants to be portrayed as. Progressing with enthusiasm and purpose towards her career in music, she’s not afraid to express how she feels. She has wholeheartedly and unapologetically embraced her dual American-Indian identity. Moreover, she even spent a considerable amount of time living in India just to get closer to her roots. After finding the inspiration she was looking for, she released ‘Bloodline’, singing about her truth.
Meanwhile, the song ‘Still Care‘ is as empowering as catchy to listen to. The lyrics mainly remember a cheating ex as she blatantly points out “I know you still care”. She goes on to mention that she’s still attracted to him:
“Is it divine time?
Or is it imperfect timing?”
It’s definitely a worthwhile listen! As for “Born Hustla”, it’s a pure hustle song with some money-obsessed, lofty lyrics, as is typical of hip-hop/rap music. It adds another cool touch of upbeat and hip-hop rap to the new EP album:
“Mama said get out that bed and hurry
Gotta go make them dollas”
Consequently, Raja Kumari is set to play a series of live shows surrounding the EP’s release. She will be performing at Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco in the coming days.
