Rajid Ahamed Yousuf Arafat[1] (born 14 December 1995[2]), known by his stage name Yung Raja, is a Singaporean-Tamil rapper and songwriter.[3] He is known for his use of Tanglish, a mix of Tamil and English, in his raps.[4]
Yung Raja | |
|---|---|
 Yung Raja at SXSW Sydney, October 2024. | |
| Born | Rajid Ahamed Yousuf Arafat 14 December 1995 Singapore |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Education | Ngee Ann Polytechnic |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Singapore |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | |
Early life
editRajid Ahamed was born in 1995, in Singapore, to Tamil-Muslim parents from Thanjavur Tamil Nadu. Ahamed has three elder sisters, which led to him being given the nickname "chinna thambi" (Tamil meaning: younger brother), and subsequently inspiring the first half of his stage name. The second half of his stage name, Raja, pays tribute to the Indian composer, Ilaiyaraaja.[5]
Rajid Ahamed attended Ngee Ann Polytechnic and graduated with a diploma in mass communications.
Career
editBefore becoming a singer-songwriter, Ahamed was a child actor acting in local dramas and having cameos in films including Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen and Joker Game.
Released in early 2018, Yung Raja's debut single was a remix of "Gucci Gang" by Lil Pump, titled "Poori Gang".[6] Yung Raja came to prominence after being featured in an episode of the Malaysia hip hop web-series, 16 Baris, in 2018.[7] The same year, he rose to prominence with the single "Mustafa", which was followed by "Mad Blessings". A sequel to "Mad Blessings", titled "The Dance Song", was released in October 2020.[8]
In 2019, Ahamed hosted the Asian reboot of YO! MTV Raps alongside Kim Lee.[9] Yung Raja was one of six inaugural signees of Def Jam Southeast Asia (alongside Joe Flizzow, Daboyway, Fariz Jabba and A.Nayaka) in September 2019.[10] After becoming the first Asian artist signed to Alamo Records,[11] he released the single "Mami" in March 2021.[12] Yung Raja gained international attention after "Mami" was featured in a The Tonight Show segment when Jimmy Fallon roasted the song's repetitive hook.[13][14]
Influences
editYung Raja was influenced by musicians including A.R. Rahman,[15] FlightSch, Alyph, Sid Sriram, and Drake.[16]
Discography
editExtended plays
edit- One 65 (2021)
- Mike (2021)
Singles
editAs lead artist
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Poori Gang" | 2018 | Non-album singles |
| "Mustafa" | ||
| "Mad Blessings" | 2019 | |
| "Amazing" (with ALYPH and Trifect) | 2020 | |
| "The Dance Song" | ||
| "Muneru Valiba" | One 65 | |
| "Mami" | 2021 | Non-album singles |
| "Spice Boy" | ||
| "Mike" | Mike | |
| "And Then" (with Fariz Jabba) | Non-album single |
As featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "PrettyGirlBop" (SYA featuring Yuna Raja) |
2020 | Non-album single |
| "No Shade" (Kayan featuring Yuna Raja) |
2022 | Non-album single |
Guest appearances
edit| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Qualified" | 2021 | Snoop Dogg, Larry June, October London | Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm (Global Edition) |
References
edit- ^ "BOMBAE". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "thank u for ur birthday wishes my kanmanis / chellakutties ❤️". Instagram. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Raguraman, Anjali (2 January 2021). "Worth Watching in 2021: Local hip-hop artist Yung Raja takes crack at American market". The Straits Times.
- ^ "Yung Raja is Bringing His Brand of "Tanglish" Rap to America".
- ^ Kannadasan, Akila (21 February 2019). "Meet Yung Raja, one of Singapore's promising rappers". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Subaramaniam, P. Bala (6 May 2019). "Singaporean rapper Yung Raja infuses Indian culture into hip hop". The New Paper.
- ^ "Fariz Jabba and Yung Raja drop fire freestyles on 16 Baris – watch". Fariz Jabba and Yung Raja drop fire freestyles on 16 Baris – watch | Bandwagon | Music media championing and spotlighting music in Asia. 9 March 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Gwee, Karen (5 October 2020). "Yung Raja: Singaporean hip-hop star sparks joy with dizzying Tamil and English raps". NME.
- ^ Hadi, Eddino Abdul (10 April 2019). "YO! MTV Raps celebrates the diversity of hip-hop in Asia". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (17 September 2019). "Def Jam, Astralwerks Launch Label Divisions in South East Asia". Variety. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Chandran, Nyshka (4 December 2020). "The rap stars breaking out of South East Asia". BBC.
- ^ Idris, A. Azim (29 March 2021). "Watch Yung Raja's video for dancey new single 'Mami'". NME.
- ^ "Jimmy Fallon roasts Yung Raja's single 'Mami' on 'The Tonight Show'". NME. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "Jimmy Fallon praises Yung Raja's song 'Mami': "We loved that jam!"". NME. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Wadehra, Jashima (2 April 2021). "ingaporean Artist Yung Raja Takes his Music Global With Bilingual Hip-Hop". Brown Girl Magazine.
- ^ Khalid, Cam (2 April 2021). "Meet Yung Raja: the Singaporean rapper breaks into the global market with new song Mami". Time Out.
