Raja Kumari

About Raja Kumari

Svetha Yallapragada Rao, professionally known as Raja Kumari, is an Indian-American rapper, songwriter and singer from Claremont, California. Kumari is best known for her collaboration with notable artists including Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, Fifth Harmony, Knife Party, Fall Out Boy. She is also notable for receiving as a songwriter, the BMI Pop Awards in 2016, and featuring on BBC Asian Network programme Bobby Friction on July 5, 2016.

Raja Kumari is born as Svetha Yallapragada Rao to Telugu parents in Claremont, California. Kumari holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious studies, with an emphasis on South Asian religions. She is an Indian classical dancer who started dancing at the age of 7. While in fifth grade, Kumari discovered hip hop through the Fugees' album The Score. By the age of 14, she was a noticed freestyle MC known as "Indian Princess" (IP) or "Raja Kumari". She is a trained dancer in Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Bharatanatyam and had given many live performances in Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad.During her artist career, she has contributed to several philanthropic activities through her performances including the creation of a hospital in Bangalore and a meditation hall in South India for the Vegesna Foundation, a school for children with physical disabilities. As a result, Kumari has been recognized as a benefactor by the Foundation for Indic Philosophy and Culture (Indic Foundation) and has been honored with the Kohinoor Award for excellence in the Classical Arts by the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

Kumari co-wrote, featured in or performed background vocals in a number of notable songs including Fall Out Boy's double-platinum single "Centuries", "Change Your Life" feat. T.I., Vicetone's "Don't You Run", Brave Enough by Lindsey Stirling and "Set Me Free" for Baz Luhrmann's original Netflix series The Get Down about the birth of Hip Hop. She has also contributed to songs in albums by Gwen Stefani, Fifth Harmony (Reflection), Twin Shadow, and Dirty South. Recently she released her debut solo single "Mute" featuring Elvis Brown and produced by Jules Wolfson at Epic Records. which premiered on Paper Magazine's website. In May 2016, Kumari was honored at the 2016 BMI Pop Awards for co-writing the song "Centuries" with Fall Out Boy. In addition, she has a recording contract with Epic Records through L.A. Reid and collaborated with several players in the music industry, including artists Polow Da Don, J.R. Rotem, Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Soulshock and Karlin, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, Justin Tranter and Fernando Garibay. She has also been inspired in her music style by the Indian composer and producer A. R. Rahman. In 2018, she co-wrote and performed the song titled 'Roots' and 'City Slums' in collaboration with Divine. She has starred in Gully Boy as a judge, which was a cameo appearance.
She also hosted the American Music Awards Pre-Show telecast, alongside Lauren Jaregui. She has been nominated for an MTV European Music Awards three times for Best India Act.
Kumari has also been announced as the face of MAC Cosmetics' holiday campaign: MAC STARRING YOU, in which she appears in adverts and marketing materials around the globe.
She also was a judge on season one of MTV HUSTLE, a rap battle competition show that was the highest rated premiere in MTV History.

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