KRSNA (rapper)

For other people named Krishna Kaul, see Krishna Kaul (disambiguation).

KR$NA
KR$NA at SXSW Sydney, October 2024.
KR$NA at SXSW Sydney, October 2024.
Background information
Birth nameKrishna Kaul
Also known asKR$NA, Krsna, YoungProzpekt, Prozpekt
BornDelhi, India
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • producer
Years active2002–present
LabelsUniversal, Zee, Kalamkaar

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]

Early life

Krishna Kaul was born 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

Krishna's first shot of success came with the release of the music video for "Kaisa Mera Desh" in 2010,[6][7] becoming the first Indian hip hop song on YouTube and earning a number 2 ranking as one of the most watched music videos in India overnight following its release.[8] He also released a song titled "Vijay" in collaboration with international NGO Save The Children in 2013.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12][13]

After a 2-year hiatus, Kaul made his return in 2016 with his Hindi release "Vyanjan".[14][15] 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".[16][17]

In the month of January 2021, Kaul was featured on American rapper Hi-Rez's song "Crossroads" along with Royce da 5'9".[18] 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.[19] 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.[20]

Discography

Albums

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

EPs

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[21] 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

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

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Maheshwari, Aman (18 April 2023). "KR$NA And The Rise Of Indian Hip-Hop". Youth Incorporated Magazine. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  4. ^ "The 4th episode of Voice of the Streets features rapper Krishna Kaul". Mid-day. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  5. ^ Understanding Rap ft. Kr$na, RAFTAAR, Rohan Cariappa, retrieved 19 March 2021
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Marwaha, Ekta (19 August 2013). "Hip hop hustle". India Today. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  9. ^ Bedi, Shibani (23 July 2013). "Young Prozpekt playing for change". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Contrabands signs on indie artist, rapper and hip-hop musician – KRSNA". Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  11. ^ "I live and breathe rap: Indian Rapper Krsna". Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Krsna's 'Sellout' title track video released". Business Standard India. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  13. ^ Ferreira, Verus (29 October 2014). "Musicunplugged.in : news". www.musicunplugged.in. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ Purkayastha, Pallabi Dey (9 September 2020). "Rapper KR$NA says IPL 2020 anthem is plagiarised from his 2017 track 'Dekh Kaun Aaya Waapas'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  17. ^ "IPL 2020 anthem faces plagiarism charges, composer dismisses allegations". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Rappers KR$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.
  19. ^ "New Music: Hi-Rez, KRSNA & KXNG Crooked – Playground". HipHop24x7. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Radio City Freedom Awards (RCFA) 7 Winners". Radio City Freedom Awards. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  21. ^ KR$NA - Prarthana | Prod. Bharg | Far From Over EP, retrieved 31 August 2023

Strategi Solo vs Squad di Free Fire: Cara Menang Mudah!