Watch Raja Kumari on Rolling Stone ICONS: ‘You Must Have the Audacity to Dream’

Raja Kumari has probably never been more honest. On the fourth episode of our newest music show, Rolling Stone ICONS, she admits that she often feels unwelcome in the Indian music ecosystem. “Sometimes when I do things on a high level, it is threatening to people and they say ‘Oh she is American that is why she can do that’. So it is easier to dismiss me,” she says. 

The California-born Indian-American singer/rapper is going through a momentous time in her career right now — she’s massively scaled up her stage act, released a new EP and also launched her own label, Godmother Records. In her conversation with Nirmika Singh (Executive Editor, Rolling Stone India), Kumar says she is pulling no punches now. “The more you build your own platform, the more control you have over your own message. The platform is power.” When asked what emerging artists can do to become fearless in their ambitions, Kumari said, “Unshakeable self belief and the audacity to dream. Just focus on yourself; everybody gets their chance. And there is no time limit on it. So if you really, truly want to dedicate your life to art, your time will come.”

Rolling Stone ICONS, presented in association with JBL and Beatoven.ai, is a six-episode show that aims to spotlight the creative processes of some of India’s greatest music minds. Besides Kumari, the show features A.R. Rahman, Amit Trivedi, Armaan Malik and Salim Merchant. 

Watch Rolling Stone ICONS featuring Raja Kumari:

Speaking about the special significance of this episode, Singh says, “Raja’s indomitable artistry is an inspiration to not just budding hip-hop talent in India but also to women who dare to dream. And with her turning entrepreneur, she has brought even more inter-disciplinary merit, gravitas and diversity to the table. She is a true changemaker.”

The partners for Rolling Stone ICONS – JBL and Beatoven.ai – are rooted in music and represent two fascinating facets of the industry. JBL’s name is synonymous with the changing tides in the history of music for the past 75 years, and it has powered some of the world’s milestone events ranging from Woodstock to the Olympics to the Grammys, as well as local epicenters of music such as clubs, house parties, etc.

Beatoven.ai is a newly launched revolutionary platform that employs the wonders of AI to create unique royalty-free sounds and music to amplify a creator’s mission. In today’s social media ecosystem that has necessitated content creators to use top-quality music, the role of a platform like Beatoven.ai is unmatched and unparalleled.