The YouTube comments section for Hanumankind’s latest release, ‘Big Dawgs’ has brought the whole world to the Kerala-origin, Bengaluru-based rapper’s doorstep. From Kenya and Turkey to Kazakhstan and the US, everyone is tuning in to see Hanumankind in the Well of Death, the fairground attraction where people drive motorbikes or cars in a silo held in place by centrifugal force.
The video received worldwide acclaim and plenty of hype from his own hip-hop heroes such as Project Pat, Bun B and more. Hanumankind says it was “terrifying” to be inside the car as it defied gravity.
“They call it the Well of Death for a reason. You have to credit those who perform there everyday because they risk their lives to keep people entertained. I was just there for a day, but I’m blessed they accepted me into their community and let me partake in something like this,” he says.
The video was directed by Hanumankind’s long-time collaborator, Bijoy Shetty, who first thought of the Well of Death as a venue for their video. The idea resonated with their ethos of “no risk, no reward” and the rapper says, “This is something all of us have grown up watching, not just in India, but around the world too. We prepped ourselves, shot and released it, and now, here we are.”
Hanumankind | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The video was shot in Malappuram, not too far from Hanumankind’s home. Their previous team-up, the early 2023 song ‘Go To Sleep’ with music by Parimal Shais, paid tribute to Fight Club and still lives in memory of those who follow Hanumankind’s gritty, no-holds-barred rap. It took a year and a half, but now, ‘Big Dawgs’ with music by Kalmi, is Hanumankind’s biggest song yet.
With over 4.1 million views on YouTube and 4.1 million streams on Spotify since its release on July 9, a shorter reel introducing the ‘Big Dawgs’ video has garnered 4.7 million views on Instagram. It even blew up on TikTok with 3.7 million views on a review video.
With top hip-hop publications such as Pigeons and Planes as well as their Instagram page shining a spotlight, the world was watching and judging Hanumankind and the song. “I’m grateful how it all came together,” he says.
He may have brought the world together in the comments section on YouTube, but social media’s nagging, dismissive negativity and questioning of how ‘Big Dawgs’ became huge, also came to the front. Some began claiming that all the pages posting about the release were paid promotions. In today’s media age, some conceded it was necessary to put in the money to promote a song as hard-hitting as ‘Big Dawgs’.
Hanumankind | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Hanumankind, on the other hand, says their minds were blown by how pages picked up on the song and video of their own volition. “We have a marketing budget, so we know if, where and how much (money) is going anywhere. We also know when it hasn’t. We’d keep calling people to ask, ‘Did you pay for this?’ and they would reply “It just picked up”.
The rapper adds that it “would not sit well with my soul” if it was anything but an organic approach to making sure his music is heard. “This is along the lines of how something just gets picked up — it is a byproduct of putting in the work,” he says.
Hanumankind says he has ’s been building a community within the country. “That has been my base, that is still my home, my heart, my everything,” he adds. He points out that is was the same community which has given him millions of streams over the years, ever since he released his debut EP Kalari in 2019.
It was the same community that showed him how to upend trolls and racist remarks that floated up on social media posts when ‘Big Dawgs’ began gaining attention. “I think it’s an effect of our time. There is a lot of negativity going around, and people aren’t happy, so they find reasons to attack you,” he says. Unfazed, he adds, “I think hate is quite normal in this world. It shouldn’t deter a person from doing what they’re supposed to do.”
Hanumankind adds how he got a shoutout from his idols such as Project Pat (whom he references in the song) from Three 6 Mafia, plus Bun B from the rap group UGK. “These are my idols, my heroes. They hit me up. They’re messaging me, telling me that they appreciate what we’re doing over here. Now I don’t need to care what anyone else says.”
Hanumankind | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
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