DIVINE Marks Four Years Since the Release of Seminal Debut Album ‘Kohinoor’

Mumbai rap frontrunner DIVINE toasted to four years since the release of his first full-length album Kohinoor, which came out via Mass Appeal India and breached new ground for Indian hip-hop on a national and global scale.

With songs like the galloping title track produced by iLL Wayno, “Wallah” featuring fellow Gully Gang member Shah Rule and the Phenom-assisted “Gandhi Money,” one of the bigger smashes off Kohinoor was “Chal Bombay.” Produced by iLL Wayno and Phenom, the buoyant song showcased a more carefree DIVINE pitching woo, complete with Konkani lyrics.

Kohinoor marked DIVINE’s first album via Mass Appeal India, the hip-hopco-founded by America’s stalwart hip-hop artist and entrepreneur Nas. In the years since the release of Kohinoor, not only has Nas been a regular in DIVINE’s corner — he invited the Mumbai rapper to his 50th birthday celebrations last month — but so have the numbers. Mass Appeal India posted on Instagram about the success of Kohinoor four years on, counting up to 600 million views across streaming and viewing platforms.

In March 2021, Kohinoor went multi-platinum thanks to songs like “Chal Bombay.” DIVINE had said in a statement at the time, “Kohinoor has been one of my most personal projects till date as it allowed me the opportunity to express myself authentically and narrate my story to the world unwaveringly. It truly feels special to be recognized and appreciated for something that holds so much meaning and value for me. Onwards and upwards, world domination is the goal!”

The album also brought in fellow Gully Gang artists like D’Evil and Aavrutti on the party-friendly “Vibe Hai,” tapped Harlem rapper Dave East on “Remand” and called on singer-composer Sid Sriram and producer Sanjoy for “Too Hype.” In the years since Kohinoor came out, DIVINE has been on a prolific streak, releasing the follow-up sophomore album Punya Paap [which is referenced on “Kohinoor”] in 2020 and his third album Gunehgar in 2022.

Listen to ‘Kohinoor’ here. Watch the video for “Kohinoor” below.