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Male
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27 March 1990(Kanchipuram, Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, India)
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The details
Biography

Introduction

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. Born in Kanchipuram, the Bangalore-based artist started rapping at the age of 18 and took part in online rap battles on Orkut. 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. ScoopWhoop, Buzzfeed, Storypick and other pop culture websites have listed him as one of the top Indian rappers in the country, and Rolling Stone India considers him as part of "hip hop's elite". 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. He has also collaborated with other artists in the Indian film industry such as Raghu Dixit, Vishal Dadlani, Benny Dayal, Raftaar and Anirudh Ravichander.

Career

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. After using "Battle Communities" on Orkut to gain recognition and develop a personal style, Brodha V moved on to composing his own songs.

In 2008 he founded Machas With Attitude (MWA) with Smokey the Ghost and Big Nikk.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. The trio disbanded in 2013 to pursue independent careers.

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. 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. He next released his single "Aigiri Nandini". In 2015 he walked out on his contract with Sony Music, citing creative differences.

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. 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. 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. A rapper who changed the face of the Indian music scene, Brodha V has also been the inspiration for several prominent rappers to take up rap as a career, including Divine. 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.

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. 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. . In addition to performing shows across India, Brodha V was also invited to perform for the Music Matters festival in Singapore in 2018. 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.Brodha V's collaboration with Delhi based rapper Raftaar shot him to fame in mainstream hindi media in 2019.

Musical style

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.

Influences

Brodha V cites the song "Pettai Rap", composed by A. R. Rahman for the Tamil film Kadhalan, as his introduction to rap music. . He also cites early-90s East coast rappers Rakim, Nas, Big Pun, Wu-Tang Clan and Jay-Z as his inspiration.

Discography

Singles

  • 2012: "On My Own"
  • 2012: "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"
  • 2018: "Shook Ones Freestyle"
  • 2018: "Young and Restless" in collaboration with Spykar Jeans, India

Film soundtracks

  • 2010: Nil Gavani Sellathey - "Vanavillum"
  • 2011: Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge – "Dheaon Dheaon"
  • 2013: Chennai Express – "Ready Steady Po"
  • 2015: Kaaki Sattai – "Shake That"
  • 2018: Krishnarjuna Yudham - "Turn This Party Up"

Collaborations

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

Awards and nominations

  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2013: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – ("Indian Flava") – Winner (Judge's Choice Award)
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2014: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – ("After Party") – Nominated
  • Vh1 Sound Nation Awards 2014 – Best Hip Hop Act – Nominated
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2015: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – (Indian Rap Cypher/"Aigiri Nandini") – Nominated
  • GIMA 2015: Best Music Debut Non-Film ("Aigiri Nandini") – Nominated
  • Renault Free the Music Award 2015 for Contribution to Independent Music – Winner
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2016 : Best Indie Collaboration of the Year – ("Round Round") – Nominated
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2018: Best Hip Hop Artist of the Year (Jury Award)