Brodha V

Brodha V
Birth name Vighnesh Shivanand
Born (1990-03-27) 27 March 1990
Kanchipuram, India
Origin Bangalore
Genres Hip hop
Years active 2008–present
Labels Sony Music India
Associated acts Machas With Attitude,Benny Dayal, Vishal Dadlani, Raghu Dixit, Anirudh Ravichander

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.[1] 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,[2][3] and Rolling Stone India considers him as part of "hip hop's elite".[4] 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.[5] He has also collaborated with other artists in the Indian film industry such as Raghu Dixit, Vishal Dadlani, Benny Dayal and Anirudh Ravichander.[6]

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.[7] After using "Battle Communities" on Orkut to gain recognition and develop a personal style, Brodha V moved on to composing his own songs.[8]

In 2008, with Smokey the Ghost and Big Nikk, he founded Machas With Attitude (MWA).[9] 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.[10] The trio disbanded in 2013 to pursue independent careers.[11]

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.[12] 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.[13] He next released his single "Aigiri Nandini".[14] In 2015 he walked out on his contract with Sony Music, citing creative differences.[15]

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.[16] 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.[17] 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.[18][19] 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.[20]

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.[21]

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.[22]

Influences

Brodha V cites the song "Pettai Rap", composed by A. R. Rahman for the Tamil film Kadhalan, as his introduction to rap music.[23]

Discography

Singles

  • 2012: "On My Own"
  • 2012: "Aathma Raama"
  • 2013: "After Party"
  • 2014: "Aigiri Nandini"
  • 2015: "Indian Flava" [live version]
  • 2016: "Round Round"
  • 2017: "Let Em Talk"
  • 2018: "Way Too Easy"

Film soundracks

Collaborations

TitleAlbum/ MovieOther ArtistsMusic Director
"Vanavillum"Nil Gavani SellatheyKarthik, Premji Amaren, Kalpana, Sri MadhumithaV. Selvaganesh
"Dheaon Dheaon"Mujhse Fraaandship KarogeVishal Dadlani, Aditi Singh SharmaRaghu Dixit
"Ready Steady Po"Chennai ExpressVishal Dadlani, Smokey, Enkore, Natalie Di LuccioVishal-Shekhar
"Shake That"Kaaki SattaiAnirudh RavichanderAnirudh Ravichander
"Roobaroo – Micromax Unite Anthem"singleBenny Dayal, Swaroop, Kamal Khan, Raghu Dixit, Apeksha Dandekar, Shruti Pathak, Neeti Mohan, SANAM, VoctronicaSiddharth "Dub" Sharma

Awards and nominations

  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2013: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – ("Indian Flava") – Winner (Judge’s Choice Award)[24]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2014: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – ("After Party") – Nominated[25]
  • Vh1 Sound Nation Awards 2014 – Best Hip Hop Act – Nominated[26]
  • Radio City Freedom Awards 2015: Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist – (Indian Rap Cypher/"Aigiri Nandini") – Nominated[27]
  • GIMA 2015: Best Music Debut Non-Film ("Aigiri Nandini") – Nominated[28]
  • Renault Free the Music Award 2015 for Contribution to Independent Music – Winner[29]
  • 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)

References

  1. ↑ "Dial V for Brodha". Indulge. New Indian Express. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  2. ↑ 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/
  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. ↑ 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/
  5. ↑ 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
  6. ↑ Rap rage [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2017 Apr 4];Available from: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151004/jsp/graphiti/story_45805.jsp
  7. ↑ Kappal, Bhanuj (2016). "The Rise of Desi Hip Hop". www.jabong.com.
  8. ↑ 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
  9. ↑ "High on rap and hip hop". Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  10. ↑ The beat poets – The Hindu [Internet]. [cited 2017 Jun 23];Available from: http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-beat-poets/article6185922.ece
  11. ↑ 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
  12. ↑ 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/
  13. ↑ "How India is Taking to Hip Hop -". rollingstoneindia.com. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  14. ↑ 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/
  15. ↑ 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
  16. ↑ 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/
  17. ↑ "'Anu Aunty' has gone viral with a music video featuring Brodha V". Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  18. ↑ 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
  19. ↑ 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
  20. ↑ http://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/music/2017/nov/15/watch-two-musicians-use-actual-heartbeats-to-compose-a-song-4747.html
  21. ↑ "The beat poets". The Hindu. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  22. ↑ "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
  23. ↑ "Exclusive Interview With Brodha V - Desi Hip Hop". Desi Hip Hop. 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  24. ↑ ":: Radio City Freedom Awards ::". www.radiocity.in. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  25. ↑ "Music is the ultimate winner with Radio City Freedom Awards 2014". Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  26. ↑ "- Wild City". www.thewildcity.com. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  27. ↑ "The 3rd edition of Radio City Freedom Awards honours independent music". www.bestmediaifo.com. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  28. ↑ "GIMA » Over The Years". www.gima.co.in. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  29. ↑ Malt, Team Music. "Renault Free The Music Award - honoring the best in music industry". www.musicmalt.com. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
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