Raja Kumari, the Indian-American rapper and singer, just scored a big win at the American Music Awards. Her track ‘Renegade (We Never Run)’, part of the Arcane League of Legends Season 2, bagged the Favourite Soundtrack: Dance/Electronic award.
She lit a deepak in her puja room to mark the moment. With head bowed in prayer, she said the award felt like divine reward after a difficult few years.
Born as Svetha Yallapragada Rao in the U.S., she’s proud of her Indian heritage. She blends Indian culture and fierce beats into her music, inspired by teachings from the Bhagavad Gita.
‘Renegade’ was meant to be powerful and aggressive, yet still rooted in Indian energy. When Arcane streamed on Netflix, the song went viral, turning heads globally.
Kumari started off as a classical dancer and nearly became a PhD scholar. But her love for music led her to charts, Bollywood, and now, the AMAs. She’s known for hits like ‘Jawan’, ‘The Wakhra Song’, and ‘Allah Duhai Hai’.
She’s worked with Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, and the late Sidhu Moosewala, who she calls her gentle big brother. With a new devotional album, ‘Kashi to Kailash’, and dreams of singing in regional languages, Kumari is just getting started.