Indian rapper Hanumankind’s unlikely year was eclipsed only by our number one, Awich. But boy did he have a big year. The Houston, Texas-raised rapper’s massive single ‘Big Dawgs’ dropped last summer and took off like a Tsunami, with a confident Southern drawl, slick rhyme, signature distorted bassline, production by Kalmi, and a crazy video that captured Indian carnival motorcyclists riding around in a well of death. It all added up to a perfect storm that catapulted the respected Indian rapper into the international spotlight.

Signed to Def Jam India, the track has charted in 10 countries, including going to number 23 on the US Billboard chart. With nearly half a billion Spotify plays and 240 million YouTube views, ‘Big Dawgs’ was by far the biggest international Asian Rap hit in the last year. Just when the uninitiated were wondering if he was a one-hit wonder, the follow-up single, ‘Run it Up’ dropped three months ago and pushed the aural and visual boundaries even further, with heavy tribal drums and a spectacular video - again directed by Bijoy Shetty - that gets deeper into his Keralan culture. 2021 saw Cambodia’s VannDa create a monster hit by mining Khmer culture with ‘Time to Rise.’ 2024 saw Hanumankind do the same thing and up the ante by taking it international.