Paal Dabba | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Anish |
| Also known as | Paal Dabba |
| Born | 17 January 2000 |
| Genres | Hip-hop, Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Songwriter, Dancer, Choreographer |
| Labels | Think Music India |
Anish (born 17 January 2000), better known by his stage name Paal Dabba, is an Indian rapper, singer, songwriter and choreographer[1] from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is best known for his singles "170CM", "Galatta" (from Aavesham), and "Kaathu Mela".[2]
Early life[edit | edit source]
Anish was born in Pulianthope, Tamil Nadu and later shifted to Vyasarpadi. He was a professional dancer before transitioning to the music industry.[3] As a member of the Bfab dance crew, he participated in various reality shows and won national competitions like Breezer Vivid Shuffle 2019.[4] Later, he ventured into rapping, adopting the stage name "Paal Dabba", inspired by his love for cold milk.[5]
Career[edit | edit source]
Anish (Paal Dabba) started his career professionally in 2022 with his single "3SHA" while he was a part of Bfab Dance Crew.[6] The track gained recognition. In 2023, he performed the song "His Name Is John" from the unreleased movie Dhruva Natchathiram.[7] The same year, he released "170CM" through Think Music Indie, which was featured in Apple's 'Work is worth it' campaign.[8][9] The track received critical acclaim.[10]
In 2024, he sang "Galatta", featuring Sushin Shyam and Vinayak Sasikumar, from the Malayalam film Aavesham.[11] The track received over 30 million streams, charting in the Top 100 in India & UAE on Spotify Charts.[12]
His release "Kaathu Mela" with OfRo came out in 2024 and went viral on Instagram. The track ranked in the Top 100 Spotify India Charts.[13] The music video for the song was filmed on a police station set, highlighting the current state of law and order.[14]
He performed the promo song "Makkamishi" from the 2024 Tamil film Brother.[15] Anish was featured in Rolling Stone India's "Future Top 25 Artists 2024" and in Prime Music's "Future Artists of the Generation".[16][17][18]
Discography[edit | edit source]
Singles[edit | edit source]
| Year | Song | Language | Composer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "3SHA" | Tamil | Saish Bharadwaj | [19] |
| "Ai" | phenomenalprod | |||
| 2023 | "170CM" | Flameboi | [20] | |
| "SAB" | Himself | |||
| 2024 | "Binge and Cringe" | Darbuka Siva | ||
| "OCB" | Shiv Paul | |||
| "Kaathu Mela" | ofRo | [21] | ||
| "Torrie Wilson- Red Bull 64 Bars" | Sez on the Beat | |||
| "D.A.T.N." with Brodha V | Brodha V | [22] | ||
| 2025 | "X" | SHIV PAUL | ||
| "Vibe" | Sickflip | [23] | ||
| "United by Hip Hop" with Reble, Vichaar and 99side | Hindi, Tamil, English | Adil | ||
| 2026 | Psilovibin | Tamil | Foxn |
Film songs[edit | edit source]
| Year | Song | Language | Film | Composer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | "His Name is John" | Tamil | Dhruva Natchathiram | Harris Jayaraj | [24] |
| "Kaattu Payapulla" | Let's Get Married | Ramesh Thamilmani | [25] | ||
| 2024 | "Galatta" | Malayalam | Aavesham | Sushin Shyam | [26] |
| "Makkamishi" | Tamil | Brother | Harris Jayaraj | [27] | |
| 2025 | "God Bless U" | Good Bad Ugly | G. V. Prakash Kumar | [28] | |
| "O Maara" | Thug Life | A. R. Rahman | [29] | ||
| "Idi Mazhai" | 3BHK | Amrit Ramnath | |||
| "Oorum Blood" | Dude | Sai Abhyankkar | [30] | ||
| 2026 | "Raathu Raasan" | Karuppu |
Awards and nominations[edit | edit source]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Behindwoods Gold Mic Music Awards | Independent Rap Singer – Tamil | — | Won[31] |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Iyengar, Mahalaxmi (3 June 2019). "From Chennai streets to World of Dance". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ↑ "Paal Dabba – Future of Music". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ Iyengar, Mahalaxmi (3 June 2019). "From Chennai streets to World of Dance". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ↑ Sudeep, Theres. "Popular dance crew wins hiphop event". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ↑ Ganesh, Sanjana (15 May 2024). "Tamil rapper Paal Dabba on his Chennai roots, camp costumes and cryptic clues in songs". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ Bfab Dance Crew (11 June 2022). PAAL DABBA – 3SHA | (Official Music video). Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "'Dhruva Natchathiram': 'His Name Is John' song from Gautham Menon-Vikram's film out". The Hindu. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Apple launches 'Work is worth it' Mac campaign in India". FoneArena. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Apple India's latest campaign for Mac highlights tenacity of college students". Campaign Brief Asia. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Tamil Rapper Paal Dabba's New Music Video Is An Inspired, Pop Culture-Laced Acid Trip". Homegrown. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Second single 'Galatta' from Fahadh Faasil's Aavesham out". Cinema Express. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Sushin Shyam – Galatta – Spotify Chart History". Kworb. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Paal Dabba – Spotify Chart History". ChartStats. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ Tagat, Anurag (22 August 2024). "Paal Dabba on Directing and Dancing His Way Through 'Kaathu Mela'". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Brother first single promo OUT: Jayam Ravi shakes a leg to peppy beats of Makkamishi". Pinkvilla. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Future of Music 2024". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Everything You Need to Know About Rolling Stone India's Future of Music Campaign". Rolling Stone India. 5 April 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Amazon Music Reveals the Breakthrough Artists to Watch India 2024". Radio and Music. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ PAAL DABBA – 3SHA (Official Music Video). 11 June 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Apple launches 'Work is worth it' Mac campaign in India". Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ Tagat, Anurag (22 August 2024). "Paal Dabba on Directing and Dancing His Way Through 'Kaathu Mela'". Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ Soji, Alwin Benjamin (8 February 2025). "'Hengaithe Maige' by Brodha V is that one Kannada single that his fans have been eagerly waiting for!". Indulgexpress. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ↑ Tagat, Anurag (13 April 2025). "Paal Dabba and Sickflip Match Dancefloor Energies on 'Vibe'". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ↑ "'Dhruva Natchathiram': 'His Name Is John' song out". The Hindu. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Let's Get Married soundtrack". Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Second single 'Galatta' from Fahadh Faasil's Aavesham out". 12 March 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Brother first single promo OUT: Jayam Ravi shakes a leg to Makkamishi". 18 July 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Good Bad Ugly first single out". Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "AR Rahman composes for Thug Life". Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Dude soundtrack announced". Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ↑ "Behindwoods Gold Winners 2024". Retrieved 23 August 2024.