Hanumankind
Indian rapper (born 1992)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sooraj Cherukat (born 17 October 1992),[1][2] known professionally as Hanumankind, is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor from Kerala, India.[3][4] He released his first single "Daily Dose" from his debut EP Kalari in 2019.[5] He received mainstream popularity in India and internationally with his track "Big Dawgs", which features the Hyderabad-based artist and producer Kalmi and American rapper ASAP Rocky on its remix. He acted in the 2024 Malayalam film, Rifle Club, directed by Aashiq Abu.
17 October 1992
- Rapper
- singer
- songwriter
- actor
Hanumankind | |
|---|---|
Hanumankind in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | HMK, HMKOTW |
| Born | Sooraj Cherukat 17 October 1992 |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Kerala, India |
| Genres | |
| Labels | |
Early life and education
Sooraj Cherukat was born in 1992, in Malappuram, Kondotty, Kerala, India.[6][2] His father works for a leading oil company, as a result he moved around a lot.[7][8] As a child, Cherukat lived in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt, Qatar, and Italy before settling down in Houston, Texas when he was in second grade.[7][9][6] He attended Houston Community College in 2011.[10][11] In 2012, he returned to India enrolling at PSG College in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to pursue a degree in business administration.[7][2] He worked at Goldman Sachs in 2014, and also as a personal trainer.[12][8]
Music career
2018–2023: Career beginnings
Cherukat officially began his career as a professional rapper by performing at NH7 Weekender, which is held in multiple cities and releasing his debut EP Kalari, in 2019.[13] Before the release of Kalari, he had released a mixtape consisting of him rapping on YouTube beats, called the 959 Mixtape on Soundcloud and a single "Super Mario", where he rapped over a beat which sampled the video game Super Mario's soundtrack in 2018. The name Hanumankind is a portmanteau of the Hindu deity Hanuman and "mankind".[12]
Cherukat released his sophomore EP, Surface Level, in 2020,[11][14] which was succeeded by the release of some singles, such as "DAMNSON", "Genghis", "Go To Sleep",[15] as well as collaborations, like "THAT'S A FACT" and "Enemies" with Yashraj.[16][17]
He collaborated with Charan Raj and Sanjith Hegde for the song "Maadeva" featuring on the Kannada movie Popcorn Monkey Tiger.[18]
2024-present: Breakthrough with "Big Dawgs" and debut mixtape
His song "The Last Dance" is featured on the official soundtrack for the Malayalam-language film Aavesham.[19]
He was featured in Rolling Stone India's first edition of the "Future of Music" list in March 2024.[20] He gained widespread recognition both with the release of the single and its music video "Big Dawgs", featuring Kalmi, in July 2024.[21][22] The accompanying music video directed by Bijoy Shetty, features Cherukat performing in a classic carnival attraction with motorcycles known as the well of death. The video was shot in Ponnani, his hometown district in Kerala state in India.[23][12]
He also acted in the 2024 Malayalam film, Rifle Club, directed by Aashiq Abu.[24] In 2025, he released his song "Run It Up", which features chenda drums in its instrumental,[25][26] and performed the song at Netflix's 2025 Tudum event.[27] He performed the single "Holiday" on the Colors Show[28] and headlined the "OTW Tour" in support of his debut mixtape, Monsoon Season, in the summer of 2025.[29] Monsoon Season released on July 25, 2025, featuring guest appearances from Denzel Curry, Roisee, ASAP Rocky, Rudy Mukta and Maxo Kream and production from longtime collaborators Parimal Shais and Kalmi.[30] On November 22, 2025, Cherukat made his second appearance at Rolling Loud in his home country, India, where he performed alongside other notable names within the music scene and industry; it was also his first headlining Rolling Loud performance.[31]
Hanumankind collaborated with Indian composer Shashwat Sachdev for the soundtrack of the 2025 Hindi film Dhurandhar, on which he was featured on two tracks, "Dhurandhar (Title Track)" alongside Jasmine Sandlas, and "Ez-Ez" alongside Diljit Dosanjh.[32]
Artistry
While living in Houston, Cherukat was exposed to Southern hip hop and listened to artists like Chamillionaire, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, UGK, and DJ Screw. He is also a fan of System of a Down.[12] His musical style is significantly influenced by Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Logic.[12]
Personal life
Discography
Mixtapes
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Monsoon Season[34] |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Kalari[35] |
|
| Surface Level[14] |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND [36] |
AUS [37] |
CAN [38] |
GER [39] |
IRE [40] |
NZ [41] |
SWI [42] |
UK [43] |
US [44] |
WW [45] | ||||
| "Super Mario"[46] | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Daily Dose"[35] | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Kalari | |
| "S.L.A.B"[35] | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Options"[35] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Beer and Biryani"[35] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Genghis"[35] | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Damnson"[35] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Skyline"[35] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Lola's Chant" (with Kalmi)[35] |
2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Third Eye Freeverse (Red Bull 64 Bars)"[35] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Go To Sleep"[35] | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Ayyayyo"[35] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Big Dawgs" (with Kalmi, remixed by ASAP Rocky)[35] |
2024 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 30 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 23 | 9 | Monsoon Season | |
| "Run It Up" (with Kalmi)[35] |
2025 | — | — | — | — | — | —[A] | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Holiday"[35] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Villainous Freestyle"[35][34] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| Tangents (Arshaq Malik, 47K ft. Hanumankind)[51] | 2019 | Joint Custody |
| Pharmaceutical (Parimal Shais ft. Hanumankind)[52] | Kumari Kandam Traps, Vol.1 | |
| 9 (Lojal ft. Hanumankind)[53] | 2020 | Phase |
| Namma Stories (Arivu, SIRI, Hanumankind, NJ, Kartik Shah)[54] | 2021 | Non-album single |
| THAT'S A FACT (Yashraj, Hanumankind)[16] | 2023 | LADKE CONVICT |
| Enemies (KSHMR, Yashraj, Hanumankind)[17] | KARAM | |
| Victory Lap Five (Fred Again, Skepta, PlaqueBoyMax, Denzel Curry, That Mexican OT, Hanumankind, D Double E, LYNY)[55] | 2025 | USB |
| Don't Look Down (Ed Sheeran, Hanumankind, Dhee, Santhosh Narayanan)[56] | Play (The Remixes) | |
| Tequila Dance (DIVINE, Hanumankind)[57][58] | Walking on Water |
Soundtracks
| Year | Film | Song | Performer(s) | Composer(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Popcorn Monkey Tiger | "Maadeva" | Charan Raj, Hanumankind, Sanjith Hegde | Charan Raj | [18] |
| 2023 | Kuttey | "Ek Aur Dhan Te Nan" | Jyoti Nooran, Hanumankind | Vishal Bhardwaj, Gulzar, Hanumankind | |
| 2024 | Aavesham | "The Last Dance" | Hanumankind | Sushin Shyam | [59] |
| Squid Game | "The Game Don't Stop" | Hanumankind | Hanumankind, Kalmi, Parimal Shais | [27] | |
| 2025 | Dhurandhar | "Dhurandhar Title Track" | Hanumankind, Jasmine Sandlas, Shashwat Sachdev | Shashwat Sachdev, Charanjit Ahuja | [60] |
| "Ez-Ez" | Hanumankind, Diljit Dosanjh | Shashwat Sachdev, Raj Ranjodh, Hanumankind | [61] |
Promotional singles
| Year | Song | Performer(s) | Composer(s) | Promoting | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | "Taste the Thunder" | Vishal Dadlani, Hanumankind | Sushin Shyam | Thums Up | [62] |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Por | Student | Tamil | Guest appearance | |
| Rifle Club | Bheera Bare | Malayalam | [24] |
