Brodha V

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Brodha V
Brodha V
Brodha in 2016
Background information
Birth nameVighnesh Shivanand
Born (1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 33)
Kanchipuram,Tamil Nadu, India
OriginBangalore
GenresHip hop
Years active2008–present
LabelsSony Music India, Zee Music Company, Lahari Music, T-Series
Associated actsMachas With Attitude, Benny Dayal, Vishal Dadlani, Raghu Dixit, Anirudh Ravichander, Jordindian, Raftaar

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, Tamil Nadu, the Bangalore-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 South India.

Storypick called him "one of the best rappers in the country",Template:Hair space[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 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 D'Brassic, a Delhi-based rapper, 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.[36]

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,[37] 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.[38] Brodha V also released "Vainko", a collaboration with Bangalore-based YouTubers Jordindian, which instantly went viral and led to the "vainko challenge".[39] In 2020, Brodha V released "Flex" that garnered over 2 million views in 45 hours.[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]

Etymology Behind the Stage Name[edit]

Brodha V revealed in an interview to Raaj Jones[43] 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.[44]

Influences[edit]

Brodha V cites the song "Pettai Rap", composed by A. R. Rahman for the Tamil film Kadhalan, as his introduction to rap music.[45] 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.[46]

Discography[edit]

Singles[edit]

Year Song Co-singer(s)
2012 "On My Own" ft. Avinash Bhat
"Aathma Raama"
2013 "After Party"
2014 "Aigiri Nandini"
2015 "Indian Flava" (Live version)
2016 "Round Round" ft. Benny Dayal
2017 "Let Em Talk"
2018 "Way Too Easy"
"Shook Ones Freestyle"
"Young and Restless" Collaboration with Spykar Jeans, India
2019 "Maari Kannu"
"Vaishnava Jana To" ft. Aishwarya Rangarajan
"Vainko" ft. Jordindian
2020 "Flex"
2021 "Aaraam"

Film soundtracks[edit]

Year Song Film Language
2010 "Vanavillum" Nil Gavani Sellathey Tamil
2011 "Dheaon Dheaon" Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge Hindi
2013 "Ready Steady Po" Chennai Express
2015 "Shake That" Kaaki Sattai Tamil
2018 "Turn This Party Up" Krishnarjuna Yudham Telugu
2019 "Padhe Padhe" Jersey

Collaborations[edit]

Title Album/ Movie Other Artists Music Director
"Roobaroo – Micromax Unite Anthem" Single Benny Dayal, Swaroop, Kamal Khan, Raghu Dixit, Apeksha Dandekar, Shruti Pathak, Neeti Mohan, SANAM, Voctronica Siddharth "Dub" Sharma
"Naachne Ka Shaunq" Single Raftaar Raftaar, Brodha V
"Vainko" Single Jordindian Brodha V

Awards and nominations[edit]

  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2013: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – ("Indian Flava") – Winner (Judge's Choice Award)[47]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2014: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – ("After Party") – Nominated[48]
  • Vh1 Sound Nation Awards 2014 – Best Hip Hop Act – Nominated[49]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2015: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – (Indian Rap Cypher/"Aigiri Nandini") – Nominated[50]
  • GIMA 2015: Best Music Debut Non-Film ("Aigiri Nandini") – Nominated[51]
  • Renault Free the Music Award 2015 for Contribution to Independent Music – Winner[52]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2016 : Best Indie Collaboration of the Year – ("Round Round") – Nominated[53]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2018: Best Hip Hop Artist of the Year (Jury Award)- Let em Talk[54]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2018: Best Hip Hop Artist of the Year (Jury Award)- Way Too Easy[55]

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. ↑ Storypickers. This Is One Of The Best Songs I’ve Ever Heard From An Indian Rapper [Internet]. Storypick. 2014 [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://www.storypick.com/brodhav-best-songs/
  4. ↑ Bhattacharya R. 10 Indian Hip-Hop Artists Who Revolutionised The Music Scene But Are Still Waiting To Get Their Due [Internet]. ScoopWhoop. 2016 [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: https://www.scoopwhoop.com/indian-underground-hip-hop-artists/
  5. ↑ Voice of Tha People Recap Indian Hip Hop's Big Month – [Internet]. Rolling Stone India. 2014 [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://rollingstoneindia.com/recap-indian-hip-hops-big-month/
  6. ↑ Mohan, Shriya. "Rap Nadu: How Dravidian hip-hop arrived to pack a punch". @businessline. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  7. ↑ Ch PS, ran. 5 young Indian rappers you should know about [Internet]. Askmen India. 2015 [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://in.askmen.com/music/1109022/article/5-young-indian-rappers-you-should-know-about
  8. ↑ Rap rage [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151004/jsp/graphiti/story_45805.jsp
  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. ↑ How Orkut Shaped Brodha V's Supreme Rapping Sensibilities [Internet]. [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://www.pepsimtvindies.com/buzz/update/how-orkut-shaped-brodha-vs-supreme-rapping-sensibilities-52192659.html
  11. ↑ "High on rap and hip hop". Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  12. ↑ The beat poets – The Hindu [Internet]. [cited 2017 Jun 23];Available from: http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-beat-poets/article6185922.ece
  13. ↑ Machas, ready to rap? – Bangalore – The Hindu [Internet]. [cited 2017 Jun 23];Available from: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/machas-ready-to-rap/article5007709.ece
  14. ↑ Finally You Have A World Class Indian Rap That You Always Wanted To Hear | ScoopPick.com [Internet]. [cited 2017 Jun 23];Available from: http://www.scooppick.com/indian-rap/
  15. ↑ "How India is Taking to Hip Hop -". rollingstoneindia.com. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  16. ↑ Vinay A. What Happens When You Mix Rap with a Classical Song On Goddess Durga? This! [Internet]. ScoopWhoop. 2014 [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://www.scoopwhoop.com/inothernews/rap-classical-durga-2/
  17. ↑ Brodha V parts ways with Sony Music [Internet]. [cited 2017 Jun 23];Available from: http://www.radioandmusic.com/biz/music/artiste/151027-brodha-v-parts-ways-sony-music
  18. ↑ India's Rising Rap Star – Brodha V – Jocular [Internet]. [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://jocular.in/blog/indias-rising-rap-star-brodha-v/
  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. ↑ https://edtimes.in/top-underrated-desi-hip-hop-artists-who-changed-the-face-of-indian-music-scene/
  22. ↑ https://www.mid-day.com/articles/hip-hop-artists-on-how-the-genre-is-placed-at-the-moment-in-india/403955
  23. ↑ Sharing the same space with A.R. Rahman will be an honour: Brodha V [Internet]. [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://www.radioandmusic.com/entertainment/editorial/news/sharing-same-space-ar-rahman-will-be-honour-brodha
  24. ↑ 15 BMB| UF, 2016, Ist 12 41 Am. There was no Badtameezi! – Bangalore Mirror – [Internet]. Bangalore Mirror. [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/There-was-no-Badtameezi/articleshow/50988069.cms
  25. ↑ http://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/music/2017/nov/15/watch-two-musicians-use-actual-heartbeats-to-compose-a-song-4747.html
  26. ↑ https://bestmediainfo.com/2018/09/spikes-asia-2018-propaganda-india-and-fcb-ulka-win-a-grand-prix-each-for-india/
  27. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/music/news/brodha-v-believes-in-creating-the-trend-and-not-running-after-one/articleshow/65532448.cms
  28. ↑ https://www.mid-day.com/articles/brodha-v-roots-for-rappers-pan-india/19696194
  29. ↑ https://www.thehabitual.com/interview-indias-rap-g-brodha-v/
  30. ↑ https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/rap-it-like-ranveer-singh/articleshow/62061847.cms
  31. ↑ https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/Ranveer-turns-rapper-for-zoya/articleshow/52288008.cms
  32. ↑ https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/have-you-checked-out-the-new-hip-hop-song-naachne-ka-shaunq-1502733392.html
  33. ↑ http://platform-mag.com/music/asli-hip-hop-brodha-v.html
  34. ↑ https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/music/2019/mar/29/hey-big-brodha-v-rap-star-from-bengaluru-jams-for-street-culture-with-puma-13747.html
  35. ↑ https://m.timesofindia.com/entertainment/kannada/music/brodha-vs-first-kannada-rap-is-a-rendition-of-maari-kannu/amp_articleshow/68937436.cms
  36. ↑ https://m.timesofindia.com/entertainment/kannada/music/brodha-vs-first-kannada-rap-is-a-rendition-of-maari-kannu/amp_articleshow/68937436.cms
  37. ↑ "Brodha V is set to release his version of Vaishnav Jana To, this October". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  38. ↑ World, Republic. "Brodha V pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi with Vaishnava Jana To reprise". Republic World. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  39. ↑ "It's a rap! New single goes viral on day one". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  40. ↑ Homegrown. "Homegrown's Fresh Picks From Music That Released Last Week". homegrown.co.in. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  41. ↑ "ಅಲ್ಲೇನು ಆರಾಮಾ? ಯೋಗಕ್ಷೇಮ ವಿಚಾರಿಸಲು ಬಂದ್ರು ಬ್ರೋಧಾ ವಿ!– News18 Kannada". News18 Gujarati (in ಕನ್ನಡ). 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  42. ↑ "Brodha V: Commercial rap is still manufactured". www.mid-day.com. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  43. ↑ BRODHA V - X- CLUSIVE & RARE INTERVIEW BY RAAJ JONES (PART-1), retrieved 11 March 2021
  44. ↑ "My music has always talked about my state of mind" [Internet]. Deccan Herald. [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/577544/my-music-has-always-talked.html
  45. ↑ "Exclusive Interview With Brodha V – Desi Hip Hop". Desi Hip Hop. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  46. ↑ https://www.thehabitual.com/interview-indias-rap-g-brodha-v/
  47. ↑ ":: Radio City Freedom Awards ::". radiocity.in. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  48. ↑ "Music is the ultimate winner with Radio City Freedom Awards 2014". Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  49. ↑ "- Wild City". thewildcity.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  50. ↑ "The 3rd edition of Radio City Freedom Awards honours independent music". bestmediaifo.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  51. ↑ "GIMA » Over The Years". gima.co.in. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  52. ↑ Malt, Team Music. "Renault Free The Music Award – honoring the best in music industry". musicmalt.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  53. ↑ https://www.radiocity.in/rcfa/
  54. ↑ https://www.radiocity.in/rcfa/
  55. ↑ https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/music/radio-city-freedom-awards-6-honours-stars-indie-music-1502742559.html
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