Present & Show: Hanumankind
Phrases: C. Vernon Coleman II
Editor’s Observe: This story seems within the Fall 2025 situation of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and obtainable on the market on the XXL web site.
Hanumankind’s music ought to include a critical unwanted effects label as a result of listening to songs like his explosive hit singles, “Huge Dawgs” and “Run It Up,” may end up in excessive bouts of turn-up. He discovered how actual it will get on the ultimate present of the European leg of his OTW Tour final July when he decimated his knee throughout a rousing set in London.
“I used to be simply in the midst of the efficiency,” he remembers throughout a name from Mumbai, India, the place he’s at the moment based mostly. “My knee sort of buckled backwards, and my ACL snapped fully misplaced. The exhibits are typically very high-energy. Whether or not it’s the group, whether or not it’s me, it tends to be fueled by a sure sort of power. And, that sort of took over.”
For the previous few years, Hanumankind has been dominating India’s rap scene, and now his success is spreading to the U.S. by way of tracks which might be gaining worldwide enchantment. Hailing from Kerala in Southern India, the 33-year-old rapper, born Sooraj Cherukat, spent his adolescence within the U.S., Houston to be precise. There he soaked up the syrupy H-City tradition, changing into enamored with rappers like UGK, the Screwed Up Click on, Chamillionaire, Trae Tha Fact, The Coloration Changin’ Click on and others, and started freestyling over beat CDs.
The rhymer attended Houston Group Faculty in 2011, however moved again to India in 2012, on the age of 20, and attended PSG Faculty in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. With a focus
in Enterprise Administration, Hanumankind interned and scored a job at funding firm Goldman Sachs in 2017. All of the whereas, he continued to hone his rap expertise by hitting India’s fledgling rap scene and making a reputation for himself domestically at open mics and showcases, because of his lyrical aptitude and full of life stage exhibits.
“Once I was in Houston, what I listened to and the sonics and the model was very particular to that area,” Hanumankind says of his musical origins. “However after I stepped out, I simply had the liberty to take heed to music because it got here, no matter I appreciated, no matter I f**ok with. I feel my music is continually evolving like that. The roots are based mostly off that particular sound and that particular area. However then, all the things else is simply me f**king round and discovering out.”
In 2019, he independently launched the Kalari EP. The Floor Stage EP adopted a 12 months later, together with notable singles “No Hook” (2020) and “Genghis” (2021). The net and native buzz garnered from the songs and subsequent singles led to sold-out exhibits, which caught the eye of Def Jam India A&R Yash Upadhyay and led to a contract with the label in 2023. In July of 2024, HMK made his first splash internationally when he dropped the toothy single “Huge Dawgs” produced by his longtime beatmaker, Kalmi. A tune that Han didn’t initially take care of. “I assume everybody’s their very own worst critic,” he remembers about his preliminary impressions of the tune. “I put it out after which rapidly folks can’t cease enjoying it. I’m like, What the f**ok is going on?”
The only was accompanied by an motion movie-level video, which captures the theme of the fiery observe by exhibiting Hanumankind within the “Properly of Dying”—an iconic attraction at Indian carnivals the place contributors drive automobiles and bikes inside a picket silo that requires a stuntman’s diploma of issue. The visible at the moment has over a quarter-billion views on YouTube. The tune peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Scorching 100 chart and was additionally one of many prime 10 most-streamed rap songs on Spotify in 2024. On account of the tune’s success, rappers within the U.S. took discover and needed to faucet in with the motion.
In late 2024, A$AP Rocky’s group reached out to Hanumankind about Rocky hopping on the official “Huge Dawgs” remix, which dropped that December with the Harlem rapper. Hanumankind additionally acquired cosigns from the likes of Venture Pat and Bun B, who hopped on Instagram Dwell with HMK and gave him props after “Huge Dawgs” blew up. Final March, Hanuman dropped the equally energized follow-up “Run It Up.” As a testomony to his meteoric rise within the States, he carried out his very first present on U.S. soil on the storied Coachella Valley Music & Arts Competition the next month.
“I had like, [a]102 fever,” he particulars about performing in entrance of hundreds on the famed showcase in 2025. “They threw me into the deep finish, and I used to be attempting to determine it out. However I feel we did our factor, and we had a f**king ball of time.”
Final July, Hanumankind dropped the mixtape Monsoon Season, a group of tracks he’d been sitting on and new bangers that present the rise and fall of the tides of his psyche. The mission options “Huge Dawgs,” “Run It Up” and visitor appearances from Houston native Maxo Kream and Florida’s personal Denzel Curry. HMK linked with Maxo by Maxo’s group and Denzel on social media. Hanumankind has been in a position to stand out by staying true to his native roots whereas additionally tapping right into a tradition that he holds close to and pricey to his coronary heart. He’s now placing on for a world viewers, together with all the nation of India, with a inhabitants of 1.4 billion folks on his again. No strain.
“I feel he’s genuine to the time-frame during which he fell in love with hip-hop and needed to be like, part of the tradition,” says Houston rap luminary Bun B. “However on the identical time, not compromising his Indian tradition. I feel that’s vital due to so many individuals the place he’s from representing one thing that they don’t get a possibility to do right here on that stage.”
With Hanumankind’s buzz rising within the States, the rising artist shares that a number of extra massive identify rappers have reached out to work, although he stays mum on the names, selecting to let all the things play out in actual time. Along with his first North American tour now postponed as he recoups from knee surgical procedure, he’ll use his off time to create, with no strong timeline for an upcoming mission.
“From the start, I’ve been doing this only for the necessity to create and the necessity to do one thing that makes me really feel like I’m doing my half on this world,” Hanumankind maintains. “However I’m studying to acknowledge the truth that we have now been in a position to have an effect on folks from
this aspect of the world and be capable to join with folks on different sides of the world and sort of showcase what it’s that we really feel.”
A distinct breed.
Take heed to Hanumankind’s Monson Season
The autumn 2025 situation of XXL journal that includes Hanumankind’s interview is accessible to buy right here. The problem additionally contains Joey Bada$$ and J.I.D’s cowl story interviews, conversations with Likelihood The Rapper, Rob49, Curren$y, Hit-Boy, Wallo267, Bay Swag, KenTheMan, Babyfxce E, Ghostface Killah, KenTheMan, Hurricane Knowledge, Conway The Machine, TiaCorine, Pluto, singer Isaiah Falls, comic Josh Johnson, Vice President of Music at SiriusXM and Pandora Joshua “J1” Raiford, a have a look at the change in album rollouts through the years highlighted by Clipse’s Let God Kind Em Out album and extra.
See Pictures From Joey Bada$$ and J.I.D’s XXL Journal Fall 2025 Cowl Shoot
