Krishna Kaul, known mononymously as Krishna, stylised now as KR$NA, (previously as Krsna; known formerly as YoungProzpekt) is an Indian rapper.[1][2] He was one of the earliest rappers to emerge in the Indian hip hop scene in the mid-2000s under the stage name Prozpekt. He is widely acknowledged within the Desi Hip Hop community for pioneering a lyrical revolution in the genre, infusing a new wave of poetic depth and lyrical complexity into hip hop's narrative.[3] He was also briefly featured in the 2019 Bollywood film Gully Boy as himself.[4]
KR$NA | |
|---|---|
 KR$NA at SXSW Sydney, October 2024. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Krishna Kaul |
| Also known as | KR$NA, Krsna, YoungProzpekt, Prozpekt |
| Born | 4 October 1989 Delhi, India |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Universal, Zee, Kalamkaar |
Early life
editKrishna Kaul was born on 4 October 1989, into a Kashmiri Pandit family in Delhi. He spent a part of his childhood in South London, where he was raised and schooled for a few years. Kaul started rapping at the age of fourteen in an effort to blend in with other children at his school in London.[5]
Career
edit[6] His first shot of success came with the release of the music video for "Kaisa Mera Desh" in 2010,[7][8] becoming the first Indian hip hop song on YouTube and earning a #2 ranking as one of the most watched music videos in India overnight following its release.[9] He also released a song titled "Vijay" in collaboration with international NGO Save The Children in 2013.[10]
After sporadic underground releases, Kaul switched from Prozpekt to his current stage name KR$NA after signing a record deal with Universal Music in 2013.[11] In May 2014, he released his debut album Sellout, an all-English effort on Universal Music with its lead single "Last Night" peaking at #5 on the Vh1 Music Charts in India.[12] Kaul became the first hip hop artist in India to do a five-city album tour with a band.[2][1] Following this, the music video for the title song "Sellout" was released but failed to make a large impact due to lacklustre marketing and shrinking label budgets.[13][14]
After a 2-year hiatus, Kaul made his return in 2016 with his Hindi release "Vyanjan".[15][16] Following the success of the song, he signed to the artist management agency DNH Artists (now Kalamkaar) in 2017 and became a partner in 2018, with the likes of Ankit Khanna and Raftaar. Kaul shares a brother like bond with Raftaar.
In 2020, Kaul accused the IPL and Disney+ Hotstar of permitting the plagiarism of his 2017 song "Dekh Kaun Aaya Wapas" when creating the 2020 IPL anthem "Ayenge Hum Wapas", an allegation which was dismissed by composer Pranav Ajayrao Malpe. Kaul responded by stating that "his team[...], will take the legal route and approach Disney+ Hotstar, which commissioned the song".[17][18]
In the month of January 2021, Kaul was featured on American rapper Hi-Rez's song "Crossroads" along with Royce da 5'9".[19] Later in July, another collaboration with Hi-Rez was released, titled "Playground" which also featured former Slaughterhouse member, KXNG Crooked. His collaboration in Hi-Rez's song "Overdrive", was released in November 2021, featuring A-F-R-O, Joell Ortiz, Bizzy Bone, Tech N9ne and Twista. The music videos were released on Hi-Rez's YouTube channel.[20] In 2022, he featured on Karan Aujla's song "Ykwim".
Kaul with Brodha-V won the Radio City Freedom Awards 2023 on 31 March 2023, for the Best Indie Collaboration. The two won the Freedom Awards 7 for the song "Forever" which was released back in September 2022.[21]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Track | Artist(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Sellout | The Glorious First Step | KR$NA | Bradley Dhawan |
| Faded | KR$NA ft. Cory Jones | |||
| Sellout | KR$NA | Tony Fadd | ||
| Getting Away | KR$NA | Breathtaking Beats | ||
| Last Night | KR$NA | MetroGnome | ||
| Erryday | KR$NA ft. Sonny Brown | Tony Fadd | ||
| Tripping | KR$NA | |||
| Last Song | KR$NA | Bradley Dhawan | ||
| 2021 | Still Here | Still Here (Intro) | KR$NA | Safin |
| What's My Name | KR$NA | Raftaar | ||
| Roll Up | KR$NA ft. Badshah | Josh Petruccio | ||
| Villain | KR$NA ft. Karma & Ikka | Depo | ||
| Dream | KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | ||
| Fall Off (Interlude) | KR$NA | Kapellmaister | ||
| Saza-E-Maut | KR$NA ft. Raftaar | Rill Beats & Young Grape Beatz | ||
| Na Hai Time | KR$NA | J Caspersen | ||
| Living Legend | KR$NA ft. Rashmeet Kaur | Didker |
| Year | EP | Track | Artist(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Time Will Tell | Kaha Tak | KR$NA | Jokhay & Umair |
| NGL | KR$NA ft. Talhah Yunus | Umair & Rovalio | ||
| Been A While | KR$NA ft. Talha Anjum | Umair | ||
| FAR FROM OVER | Still Standing | KR$NA | Enigma Beats | |
| Prarthana[22] | KR$NA ft. Bharg | Bharg, Umair & Deep Kalsi | ||
| Wanna Know | KR$NA | Sylvester | ||
| Hola Amigo | KR$NA ft. Seedhe Maut | Umair | ||
| Some Of Us | KR$NA ft. AR Paisley | JpBeatz | ||
| 2024 | FOR THE DAY ONE$ | Shut Up | KR$NA
prod. Subspace |
Subspace |
| What's Up | KR$NA ft. Lisa Mishra | Riz Shain | ||
| Stay Away | KR$NA
prod. Bharg |
Bharg | ||
| Role Model | KR$NA ft. Faris Shafi, Karma | Deep Kalsi |
Singles and collaborations
editThis section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (August 2022) |
| Year | Track | Artist(s) | Producer(s) | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | I Want it All | Young Prozpekt | Samples Queen's I Want It All | |
| Bitch Please (Remix) | Big T ft.Young Prozpekt | Remix of Eminem's Bitch Please II | ||
| 2007 | I Go Go | Young Prozpekt ft. Soldier Hard | ||
| 2008 | F$ck Wit Us | Pacifik ft. Young Prozpekt | From the album F1J1 Survivor by Pacifik | |
| 2009 | Fancy Gill | Rabbit Sack C & Young Prozpekt | Rabbit Sack C | From the album BackLog by Rabbit Sack C |
| Thats me / Shahzaade | Rabbit Sack C, Bluntz, Young Prozpekt & NYCE | |||
| Yellow Taxi | Rabbit Sack C, Young Prozpekt, Big T & Slim Neil | |||
| Naam Toh Pukar / Get Out Of My Way | Prozpekt | |||
| 2010 | Kaisa Mera Desh | Prozpekt | DJ Corbett | |
| Khatarnaak | Prozpekt ft. Sonny Brown | |||
| 2011 | Imran Khan – Amped Up (Amplifier Remix) | Rabbit Sack C & Young Prozpekt | Rabbit Sack C | |
| DISCONNECT | Su.1, Prozpekt & Ashish D'souza | Su.1 | ||
| Poocho na Yaar Kya Hua – Remix | Rabbit Sack C & Young Prozpekt | |||
| Lokpal Freestyle | Prozpekt | |||
| 2012 | Peeche Na Dekh | Rabbit Sack C ft. Prozpekt | Rabbit Sack C | |
| Put Ur Lighters Up | Rabbit Sack C ft. Su.1 & Prozpekt | Rabbit Sack C | ||
| Vijay | Prozpekt | DJ Corbett | From the album BackLog by Rabbit Sack C | |
| 2013 | Whatchya Know About It | Rabbit Sack C & Young Prozpekt | Rabbit Sack C | |
| Cold Blooded | Prozpekt ft. Twisted Insane | MetroGnome | ||
| How You Like Me Now | Lost Stories ft. Krishna Kaul | Lost Stories | From the album Music for the # Generation by Lost Stories | |
| 2014 | Bang Bang | Rabbit Sack C, Young Prozpekt, Agrim Joshi & Nishit Bhatia | Rabbit Sack C | From the album BackLog by Rabbit Sack C |
| 2015 | Keep It Real | KR$NA | ||
| NO HASHTAG | KR$NA & Su Real | Su Real | Released via SoundCloud | |
| I'm Back | KR$NA & FuzzCulture | FuzzCulture | ||
| Patli Gali | Pankaj Awasthi & KR$NA | From the movie Yahaan Sabki Lagi Hai | ||
| Beyond The Matrix | Rabbit Sack C ft. KR$NA | Rabbit Sack C | ||
| Shots Fired | MojoJojo & Sound Avtar ft. KR$NA | MojoJojo | From the album Shots Fired by MojoJojo | |
| Jungle Raj | MojoJojo ft. KR$NA | |||
| 2016 | Vyanjan | KR$NA | Insane | |
| Desi Wrap Up 2016 | KR$NA | Insane | ||
| 2017 | Meri Baari | Kidshot ft. KR$NA | Rekoil Chafe | |
| Tere Buss Ki Na Hai | KR$NA | KR$NA | ||
| Dekh Kaun Aaya Wapas | KR$NA | Breathtaking & LAD | ||
| Woofer | Deep Kalsi & KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | ||
| Mumbai Se Delhi Tak | Emiway Bantai & KR$NA | Insane | ||
| I’m Ready | KR$NA ft. Raftaar | Breathtaking & LAD | ||
| Alag | KR$NA | J.P | ||
| 2018 | Hip Hop Holi (MTV) | KR$NA, Deep KalsI & Harjas | Deep Kalsi | Released via Facebook |
| Aakhir Tumhe Aana Hai | Suryaveer ft. KR$NA | Boney John | ||
| Delhi Times | KR$NA | Dhruv Ganekar | From Flirt with Your City Rap by Times Network | |
| Muqabla | KR$NA | KR$NA | ||
| 2019 | Voice of the Streets Ep.04 – KR$NA | KR$NA | Siddhant Shirodkar | Voice of the Streets is a capsule series from the movie Gully Boy |
| Solo | KR$NA | Certi | ||
| Warm Up | Deep Kalsi, Karma, Harjas, Kidshot, KR$NA & Raftaar | Deep Kalsi | Kidshot later replaced by Raftaar in a live version | |
| Janta Kyun | KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | ||
| No No | Deep Kalsi, Harjas & KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | ||
| Farak Nahi Padta | KR$NA | JCaspersen | ||
| Aadat | KR$NA | JCaspersen | ||
| Freeverse Feast (Langar) | KR$NA | Raftaar | A response to Emiway Bantai's Freeverse Feast (Daawat) | |
| Seedha Makeover | KR$NA | Call Me G | Diss track aimed Emiway Bantai, after his track Seedha Takeover | |
| Dum Hai | KR$NA | Dannyetracks | ||
| 2020 | Untitled | KR$NA | Dansonn | |
| Maharani | KR$NA | Dansonn | Diss track aimed at Delhi-based rapper, Muhfaad | |
| Sher | Deep Kalsi ft. KR$NA, Harjas & Karma | Xplicit | ||
| Makasam | KR$NA | Deep Kalsi & KR$NA | Second diss track aimed at Muhfaad. The most brutal diss track in Desi hip hop. | |
| Quarantine | Young Stunners & KR$NA | Jokhay | ||
| Damn | Raftaar ft. KR$NA | Raftaar | From the album Mr. Nair by Raftaar | |
| Down | Raftaar ft. KR$NA | |||
| Tokyo Drift Freestyle | KR$NA | The Neptunes | Uses Tokyo Drift by Teriyaki Boyz
Released via Instagram | |
| Window Shopper Freestyle | KR$NA | C. Styles & Sire | Uses Window Shopper by 50 Cent | |
| Bag | DIVINE ft. KR$NA | NDS, Stunnah Beatz & Progression Music | From the compilation SHUTDOWN by Mass Appeal, Gully Gang and DIVINE | |
| Hundred | Raftaar & KR$NA ft. Karan Wahi | Deep Kalsi | From the Hotstar Specials show Hundred | |
| Woofer 2 | Deep Kalsi ft. KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | ||
| Gallan | Deep Kalsi, Harjas, Fateh, KR$NA & Karma | Deep Kalsi | From the EP No Days Off by Deep Kalsi | |
| No Losses | KR$NA | Roclegion & Danny E.B | ||
| Say My Name (Hindi Version) | KR$NA | Call Me G | ||
| Say My Name (English Version) | KR$NA | Call Me G | ||
| Saath Ya Khilaf | KR$NA & Raftaar | Raftaar | ||
| The Key – Freestyle | KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | ||
| Baap Se | Fotty Seven ft. KR$NA | Frisk | From the EP Asli Independent by Fotty Seven | |
| Bohot Sahi | J Trix, SubSpace & KR$NA | SubSpace | From the EP Bohot Sahi by J Trix & SubSpace | |
| 2021 | Crossroads | Hi-Rez ft. Royce da 5'9" & KR$NA | Ryan Summer | |
| Khauf Hai | KR$NA | Haji Springer | Collaboration with Realme India | |
| Playground | Hi-Rez ft. KR$NA & KXNG Crooked | Ryan Summer | ||
| Zaruri Nahi | Karma ft. KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | From the album Made You Proud by Karma | |
| Taazi Saans, Taazi Soch | KR$NA | SubSpace | Collaboration with Center Fresh and MTV India | |
| OG | KR$NA | Mandalaz | ||
| No Cap | KR$NA | Enigma | ||
| Overdrive | Hi-Rez ft. KR$NA, Tech N9ne, A-F-R-O, Joell Ortiz, Twista & Bizzy Bone | Ryan Summer | ||
| 2022 | Ykwim | Karan Aujla & KR$NA ft. Mehar Vaani | Yeah Proof | |
| Blowing Up | KR$NA | Flexus | ||
| HIGH | Deep Kalsi ft. KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | From the EP WINNERSCIRCLE by Deep Kalsi | |
| ON | Raja Kumari ft. KR$NA | Nacho Larraza & Karan Pandav | From the EP HBIC by Raja Kumari | |
| Lil Bunty | KR$NA | Flamboy | Diss track aimed at Emiway Bantai, after his track Chusamba | |
| Batman | Aghor ft. KR$NA | AShock | ||
| Machayenge 4 | KR$NA | Pendo46 | Diss track aimed at Emiway Bantai, after his track KR L$DA SIGN | |
| Forever | Brodha V ft. KR$NA | Tone Jonez | ||
| I Guess | KR$NA | Kabu Beats | ||
| Tony Montana | Karma & KR$NA | Josh Petruccio | ||
| No China | Raftaar ft. KR$NA | Raftaar & Frisk | From the EP HARD DRIVE Vol.1 by Raftaar | |
| 10 Pe 10 | KR$NA ft. French The Kid | ditto & leiJA | ||
| 2023 | Touch Base | Talha Anjum ft. Talhah Yunus & KR$NA | Umair | From the album Open Letter by Talha Anjum |
| Khatta Flow | Seedhe Maut ft KR$NA | Calm | From the mixtape Lunch Break by Seedhe Maut | |
| Zero After Zero | KR$NA & Talay Riley | Kshmr | From the album KARAM by Kshmr | |
| Paisa On My Mind | Deep Kalsi & KR$NA | Deep Kalsi | From the album Tunnel Vision by Deep Kalsi | |
| Woh Raat | Raftaar & KR$NA | lejJA | ||
| No Mercy | Deep Kalsi, Raftaar, KR$NA & Karma | Deep Kalsi | From the album Tunnel Vision by Deep Kalsi | |
| 2024 | Joota Japani | KR$NA & Mukesh | Umair | Samples the iconic Bollywood song Mera Joota Hai Japani, from Shree 420 by Mukesh |
| Hola At Your Boy | Badshah ft. KR$NA & Prajina | Hiten | From the album Ek Tha Raja by Badshah | |
| Refunds | Rap Demon & KR$NA | Umair | From the album Rockstar without a Guitar by Umair |
References
edit- ^ a b Sridharan, Apuurva (16 July 2014). "Krsna: Rap is about the situation you". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ a b Rodricks, Allan Moses (5 June 2014). "No Plan B for this rapper". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Maheshwari, Aman (18 April 2023). "KR$NA And The Rise Of Indian Hip-Hop". Youth Incorporated Magazine. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "The 4th episode of Voice of the Streets features rapper Krishna Kaul". Mid-day. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Understanding Rap ft. Kr$na, RAFTAAR, Rohan Cariappa, retrieved 19 March 2021
- ^ Joshi, Sakshi (20 May 2022). "How a Rapper named KR$NA changed the whole Rap scene in India". Medium. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ Solani, Dhvani (6 October 2010). "Desi rapper slamming CWG is a hit". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Anand, Kunal (26 November 2012). "'Yeh Kaisa Mera Desh: – Young Prozpekt's Rant against the Commonwealth Games". Men's XP. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Marwaha, Ekta (19 August 2013). "Hip hop hustle". India Today. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Bedi, Shibani (23 July 2013). "Young Prozpekt playing for change". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ "Contrabands signs on indie artist, rapper and hip-hop musician – KRSNA". Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "I live and breathe rap: Indian Rapper Krsna". Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Krsna's 'Sellout' title track video released". Business Standard India. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Ferreira, Verus (29 October 2014). "Musicunplugged.in : news". www.musicunplugged.in. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Kaul, Krishna (18 November 2016). "How I made a rap song using the entire Hindi alphabet". www.dailyo.in. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Ray, Badsha (24 November 2016). "Rap Scene Today is Bigger, Less Friendly: KRSNA of 'Vyanjan' Fame". The Quint. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Purkayastha, Pallabi Dey (9 September 2020). "Rapper KR$NA says IPL 2020 anthem is plagiarised from his 2017 track 'Dekh Kaun Aaya Waapas'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "IPL 2020 anthem faces plagiarism charges, composer dismisses allegations". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Rappers KR$NA, Hi-Rez collaborate with hip hop legend Royce Da 5'9". The Siasat Daily. 2 January 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "New Music: Hi-Rez, KRSNA & KXNG Crooked – Playground". HipHop24x7. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Radio City Freedom Awards (RCFA) 7 Winners". Radio City Freedom Awards. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ KR$NA - Prarthana | Prod. Bharg | Far From Over EP, retrieved 31 August 2023
