‘They’re rowdy. They’re vibing. I rip my shirt off’: the exploding career of Hanumankind, India’s hottest rapper

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He’s a thrilling performer who rails against injustice and ‘mob mentality’ in his homeland – but is he burning himself out? Recovering from an onstage injury, he discusses stereotypes and subversionTwo weeks ago, halfway through his first ever UK show, Hanumankind instructed the crowd to mimic him by hopping to the right then to the left, back and forth, in unison. But the rapper from India slipped and fell, limping to the end of the gig in evident pain, kept upright by his DJ and inspired by the audience’s singalong familiarity with his catalogue.“We were ready to have a good time,” he sheepishly grins from an armchair at his record label’s offices three days later. It turns out he has torn a ligament. “It was a battle of internal turmoil. The show was like a fifth of what it was meant to be, but I gave it my all. London has a beautiful energy which gave me strength.” Continue reading...