Hiphop Tamizha () is an Indian musical duo based in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

. The duo consists of Adhithya "Adhi" Venkatapathy and R. Jeeva. Their commercial break-through came with the song "Club le Mabbu le" in 2011. In 2012, Hiphop Tamizha released their debut album '' Hip Hop Tamizhan'', which is India's first Tamil hip hop album. It was a major success with both the general public and critics. While the duo were originally

independent music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...

ians, since 2013 they have contributed primarily to composing for films.

Personal lives

Adhithya "Adhi" Ramachandran Venkatapathy was born on 20 February 1990, and R. Jeeva was born 29 June 1991. Adhi's father works at

Bharathiar University Bharathiar University is a Public university, public State university (India), state university in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Named after Tamil people, Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, the university was established in February 1982 under th ...

while his mother comes from an agricultural background. Adhi's first exposure to

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

came when his neighbour showed him

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's "

Jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and entertai ...

". His interest in hip hop music started developing in the tenth grade. He uploaded rap songs to the internet and got positive responses from people expressing interest in his music, who also encouraged him to start rapping in Tamil. His decision to rap in Tamil rather than English was made, in his words, to avoid looking like a " wannabe". Adhi named his account on the video-sharing site in

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

as "Hiphop Tamizha", with a profile picture of the Tamil poet

Subramania Bharati C. Subramania Bharathi Birth name: C. Subramaniyan, the person's given name: Subramaniyan, father's given name: Chinnaswami. (C. Subramaniyan by the prevalent patronymic initials as prefix naming system in Tamil Nadu and it is Subramaniyan C ...

, to avoid being caught by his parents. Adhi's father had initially opposed his choice to pursue music professionally. He wanted Adhi to pursue higher studies, but gave him a year to do what he wanted, with the only constraint being that Adhi should not expect any help from him. After realising that Adhi was "trying to do some good work", he encouraged his son's musical interests. Adhi then moved to

to "try isluck". Although Hiphop is a duo, Jeeva has seldom made public appearances, thus associating the name ''Hiphop Tamizha'' with Adhi more often. Adhi told ''IndiaGlitz'' that this is due to his shyness, and compared his partner to the unseen lion in the

emblem of India The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government agencies. The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, an ancient sculptur ...

, which includes four lions, with only three visible. Jeeva adopted the moniker Jeeva Beatz sometime after the two met in 2005. Adhi studied at Chavara Vidya Bhavan and

Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

at Bannari Amman Institute of Technology. He holds a state-level rank in Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test and is a graduate in

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

from the Department of Management Studies, University of Madras. As of October 2014, he was doing a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

course at Bharathiar University, which he completed in June 2015. Jeeva is an alumnus of Loyola College, Chennai. On 30 November 2017, Adhi married Latchaya Devareddy, in a private ceremony at

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is refe ...

Career

Origins and early work

Adhi and Jeeva met via Orkut in 2005. They were passionate about music and decided that they should create an independent music group in India, in Tamil. According to ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...

'' and Hiphop Tamizha's

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

page, Adhi had not officially founded Hiphop Tamizha until 15 February 2010. Around the mid 2000s, Adhi released ''Viswaroobam Arambam'', the first Tamil hip hop

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

in India.{{efn, While a 2011 report by ''The Hindu'' claimed that ''Viswaroobam Arambam'' was released in 2006, the official Facebook page of Hiphop Tamizha gives its release year as 2005. It also played a major role in promoting hip hop as a part of the Tamil culture. Adhi and Jeeva remained

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

until they were asked by the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission to compose an election anthem. Hiphop Tamizha's single ''Ezhuvoam Vaa'' was chosen as the official anthem for Tamil Nadu's 2011 state elections, and Adhi performed it at Pachaiyappa's College when

Anna Hazare Kisan Baburao "Anna" Hazare (; born 15 June 1937) is an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish corruption in public life. In addition to organising an ...

came there. Though the song was commercially unsuccessful, Adhi and Jeeva considered it at one point their "best work so far".

Commercial success

Adhi composed the song "Club le Mabbu le" in his first year of college. When we asked how it developed, he recalled, "I grew up watching my mother and aunts just being traditional, and when I saw girls going to bars, I immediately wrote the lyrics of that track. And through my lyrics I am raising the debate over whether we are really changing as a society or are simply aping the West." When Adhi was living in Chennai, he met

Ma Ka Pa Anand Ma Ka Pa Anand is an Indian actor and television presenter who has been working with Star Vijay. He has hosted '' Super Singer, Athu Ithu Ethu'', ''Kings of Dance'', ''KPY Champions'', '' Mrs. Chinnathirai'', ''The Wall'', ''Cinema Kaaram C ...

, then an RJ at Radio Mirchi. Anand allowed Adhi to perform ''Club le Mabbule'' on his radio show with beatboxer Bharadwaj Balaji (also known as Triple B). The recording went

viral Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). Viral may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...

, receiving over two million views within a week of its release on YouTube. Afterwards Rémy Martin, an international brand, was surprised by Adhi's determination and launched ''Hiphop Tamizha'' as an official brand. "Club le Mabbule" later vaulted Hiphop Tamizha further into public view when it was criticised as portraying Tamil women in a negative light. Hiphop Tamizha's debut album '' Hip Hop Tamizhan'' was released on 17 August 2012 at

Sathyam Cinemas SPI Cinemas is an Indian multiplex chain originally owned by the SPI Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The company is often lauded for its premium quality and inexpensive pricing. Its theatres, primarily Sathyam, are often used by ...

in Chennai. Publicised as "India's first Tamil hip hop album", it was launched by Purple Note and produced by Remy Martin, in the latter's first association with an Indian album. The music was composed by Adhi and Jeeva, with lyrics by Adhi. The album was lauded by critics. Naren Weiss, writing for ''Zomba'', called it "nothing short of a masterpiece", while Venkatrangan R of ''Musicperk'' labelled it "A must listen. Not only for the music but for the messages hidden in it."{{Primary source inline, date=December 2021 The album, which included ''Club le Mabbule'', was also a commercial success, becoming the best-selling music album of 2012 on Flipkart. However, Adhi lamented the fact that "Club le Mabbule" was accepted for airplay by radio channels only after its viral success, and that some of his other songs never got airplay even once. In November 2013, Adhi signed an international album with Remy Martin, titled ''International Tamizhan'', slated to feature eight tracks, including two songs by American artists

Sol Sol or SOL may refer to: Astronomy * The Sun Currency * SOL Project, a currency project in France * French sol, or sou * Argentine sol * Bolivian sol, the currency of Bolivia from 1827 to 1864 * Peruvian sol, introduced in 1991 * Peruvian sol ( ...

and Emcee Call. The album was to be released in English,

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

and Tamil. It was initially scheduled for release on 15 August 2014; however, Hiphop Tamizha instead released the album's song "Vaadi Pulla Vaadi" as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

on the same date.{{Cite web , last=Hiphop Tamizha , date=15 August 2014 , title=Vaadi Pulla Vaadi (Official Music Video) , url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0JXXLdDnp4 , access-date=5 October 2014 , via=YouTube{{cbignore In October 2014, Adhi said the album was still "under progress", but confirmed in 2018 that it was altogether dropped because "independent music doesn't make big money" in Chennai.{{Cite news , last=Abraham , first=John , date=18 August 2018 , title=Adhi hip-hops into a revolution with 'Maanavan' , work=

The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...

, url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/music/adhi-hip-hops-into-a-revolution-with-maanavan/articleshow/65440306.cms , url-status=live , access-date=19 August 2018 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902022629/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/music/adhi-hip-hops-into-a-revolution-with-maanavan/articleshow/65440306.cms , archive-date=2 September 2018 In August 2020, Adhi announced a new album titled '' Naa Oru Alien''.

Television and cinema

As musicians and composers

Though Adhi initially expressed no interest in singing or composing for films, he and Jeeva have contributed to numerous cinematic works. Adhi sang his first film song, titled "Thapellam Thappe Illai" (composed by

Vijay Antony Vijay Antony (born 24 July 1975) is an Indian music composer, playback singer, actor, film editor, lyricist, audio engineer, and filmmaker working predominantly in Tamil cinema. He made his debut as music composer in 2005. He is the first India ...

) for ''

Naan Naan ( fa, نان, nān, ur, , ps, نان, ug, نان, hi, नान, bn, নান) is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread which is found in the cuisines mainly of Western Asia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Ma ...

'' in 2012.{{Cite web , last=Kaushik L. M. , date=12 August 2012 , title=Naan Music Review , url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-music-reviews/review-1/aug-12-01/naan-music-review.html , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109111011/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-music-reviews/review-1/aug-12-01/naan-music-review.html , archive-date=9 January 2014 , access-date=5 October 2014 , website=Behindwoods He also sang the title track of '' Ethir Neechal'' (2013) (composed by

Anirudh Ravichander Anirudh Ravichander (born 16 October 1990), also known Mononymous person, mononymously as Anirudh, is an Indian film scorer music composer music producer singer and instrumentalist who primarily works in Tamil films. He is the son of actor Ra ...

) accompanied by Punjabi rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh.{{Cite web , date=14 December 2012 , title=Ethir Neechal Music Review , url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/ethir-neechal/ethir-neechal-songs-review.html , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429004324/http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/ethir-neechal/ethir-neechal-songs-review.html , archive-date=29 April 2014 , access-date=10 May 2013 , website=Behindwoods Also in 2013, Adhi wrote "Sudden Delight", which was composed by

Santhosh Narayanan Santhosh Narayanan is an Indian composer and musician in the Tamil film industry. Early life Santhosh Narayanan was born in Tiruchirappalli, India. He is the younger of two children. He was educated at RSK Higher Secondary School, Tiruchirappa ...

and performed by Rob Mass for ''

Soodhu Kavvum ''Soodhu Kavvum'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language black comedy crime film written and directed by Nalan Kumarasamy. It features Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Ashok Selvan, Ramesh Thilak, Karunakaran and Sanchita Shetty in the lead roles. T ...

''. In May of that year, Adhi again collaborated with

to perform the song "Chennai City Gangsta" along with Hard Kaur for '' Vanakkam Chennai''.{{Cite news , date=24 July 2013 , title=Vanakkam Chennai tracklist , work=

, url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/tamil/news-interviews/Vanakkam-Chennai-tracklist/articleshow/21299153.cms , access-date=7 November 2013 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008152156/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/tamil/news-interviews/Vanakkam-Chennai-tracklist/articleshow/21299153.cms?referral=PM , archive-date=8 October 2014 In July 2013, Hiphop Tamizha composed "Na Na Na (Nice v/s Naughty)", a song used in the promotion of '' The Smurfs 2'' in India. The song, which also features nine contestants from the singing reality show

Indian Idol Junior ''Indian Idol Junior'' is an Indian Hindi-language reality television singing competition and is part of ''Indian Idol''. It began broadcasting on Sony Entertainment Television from 1 June 2013. Karan Wahi and Mandira Bedi were hosts of the sho ...

, was the first song Hiphop Tamizha composed specifically for a film. It did not appear on the soundtrack album. Adhi's third collaboration with Anirudh was for '' Kaththi'' (2014) where he performed the song "Pakkam Vanthu".{{Cite web , date=20 September 2014 , title='Kaththi' Music Review Roundup: Anirudh Strikes Again , url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/kaththi-music-review-round-anirudh-strikes-again-609556 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006100958/http://www.ibtimes.co.in/kaththi-music-review-round-anirudh-strikes-again-609556 , archive-date=6 October 2014 , access-date=5 October 2014 , website=International Business Times Hiphop Tamizha also composed and wrote "Poda" in 2014, a song celebrating the 10th anniversary of the television channel

Sun Music Sun Music ( ta, சன் மியூசிக்) is India's first 24-hour music channel led by the well-known Sun TV Network of India. The channel features Tamil music from Kollywood. Most of the shows in Sun Music requires call-in audience p ...

. Hiphop Tamizha's first Tamil film as music composers was ''

Aambala ''Aambala'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film co-written, co-produced and directed by Sundar C. Produced by Vishal, it features him in the leading role alongside an ensemble cast including Hansika Motwani, Prabhu, Vaibha ...

'' (2015),{{Cite AV media , url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LZcDZBaKrA , title=Hiphop Tamizha reveals the secret behind his name , date=27 December 2014 , last=Galatta , access-date=25 March 2015 , via=YouTube where they wrote all six songs for and performed three: ''Pazhagikalaam'', ''Aye Aye Aye'' and a remix of ''Inbam Pongum Vennila'',{{Cite web , date=24 December 2014 , title=Vishal's 'Aambala' track list , url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/music/Vishals-Aambala-track-list/articleshow/45625610.cms , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201194346/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/music/Vishals-Aambala-track-list/articleshow/45625610.cms , archive-date=1 February 2018 , access-date=28 December 2014 , website=

from '' Veerapandiya Kattabomman'' (1959). They also composed for '' Indru Netru Naalai'', writing two songs and performing one: "iPhone 6 Nee Yendral".{{Cite web , date=12 June 2015 , title=Indru Netru Naalai Songs Review , url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/indru-netru-naalai/indru-netru-naalai-songs-review.html , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614115224/http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/indru-netru-naalai/indru-netru-naalai-songs-review.html , archive-date=14 June 2015 , access-date=13 June 2015 , website=Behindwoods Hiphop Tamizha also composed for ''

Thani Oruvan ''Thani Oruvan'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Mohan Raja and written by Raja and Suresh and Balakrishnan. Produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram, S. Ganesh and S. Suresh under the studio AGS Entertainment, it st ...

'', where they performed two songs: ''Theemai Dhaan Vellum'' and the title track.{{Cite web , date=22 July 2015 , title=Thani Oruvan (aka) Thani Oruvan songs review , url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/thani-oruvan/thani-oruvan-songs-review.html , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904080346/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/thani-oruvan/thani-oruvan-songs-review.html , archive-date=4 September 2015 , access-date=31 August 2015 , website=Behindwoods ''Thani Oruvan'' topped

Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...

's Best of 2015 list in the category "Best Tamil Album of the year". Adhi wrote and co-performed ''Naam Vaazhndhidum'', composed by

Yuvan Shankar Raja Yuvan Shankar Raja or Abdul Haliq (born 31 August 1979) is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer-songwriter. He mainly scores music for Tamil films. Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use of Wes ...

, for ''

Vai Raja Vai ''Vai Raja Vai'' ( Place It King, Place It) is a 2015 Indian Tamil language black comedy crime thriller film written and directed by Aishwarya Dhanush, and produced by AGS Entertainment featuring an ensemble cast starring Gautham Karthik, Priya ...

'' (2015).{{Cite web , last=Nicy V. P. , date=10 December 2014 , title='Vai Raja Vai' Music Review Round-up: Yuvan Shankar Raja Comes up with Chartbusters again , url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/vai-raja-vai-music-review-round-yuvan-shankar-raja-comes-chartbusters-again-616761 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210173931/http://www.ibtimes.co.in/vai-raja-vai-music-review-round-yuvan-shankar-raja-comes-chartbusters-again-616761 , archive-date=10 December 2014 , access-date=10 December 2014 , website=International Business Times Hiphop Tamizha later composed for ''

Aranmanai 2 ''Aranmanai 2'' ()() is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language comedy horror film written and directed by Sundar C. The film stars Sundar himself, Trisha, Hansika Motwani, Siddharth, Poonam Bajwa, Soori, Kovai Sarala, Manobala, Chitra Lakshmanan and R ...

'',{{Cite web , date=27 December 2015 , title=Aranmanai 2 (aka) Aranmanai 2 songs review , url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/aranmanai-2/aranmanai-2-songs-review.html , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229205907/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/aranmanai-2/aranmanai-2-songs-review.html , archive-date=29 December 2015 , access-date=30 December 2015 , website=Behindwoods ''

Kathakali Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...

'',{{Cite web , date=24 December 2015 , title=Kathakali (aka) Kadhakali songs review , url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/kathakali/kathakali-songs-review.html , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226204150/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/kathakali/kathakali-songs-review.html , archive-date=26 December 2015 , access-date=30 December 2015 , website=Behindwoods '' Dhruva'' (the

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

remake of ''Thani Oruvan''), which marked their debut in Telugu cinema; ''

Kaththi Sandai ''Kaththi Sandai'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Suraj (director), Suraj. The film is produced by S. Nanthagopal. The film features Vishal (actor), Vishal and Tamannaah in the lead r ...

''; '' Kavan'', and '' Imaikkaa Nodigal''.

In other roles

In October 2014, Adhi stated that, despite many offers, he had no interest in acting. In 2016, however, he announced that he would be making his cinematic acting debut in ''

Meesaya Murukku ''Meesaya Murukku'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi in his directorial debut and stars as the lead along with newcomer Aathmika as the female lead, while Vivek, RJ ...

'', for which he would also be director and musical composer. The film, released in 2017, was partly biographical of his life. Adhi has also made appearances in the Zee Tamizh talk show '' Simply Kushboo'', and the Sun TV reality show '' Sun Singer''. Hiphop Tamizha later composed the title music for the TV series ''

Nandini Nandini is a female given name. It is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root ''nand'', which means "to rejoice, delight". Literally, ''nandinī'' means a woman who brings joy. The name also specifically refers to a daughter, as a daughter brings ...

''. Hiphop Tamizha also made his second movie as a lead character in ''

Natpe Thunai ''Natpe Thunai'' () is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language sports film directed by D. Parthiban Desingu in his directorial debut, while Sreekanth Vasrp and Devesh Jeyachandran have written the film's story, screenplay and dialogues. Produced by Sunda ...

'' and his third film '' Naan Sirithaal'', was released on 14 February 2020. After ''

'', they are back to direct another movie which is titled as fourth ''

Sivakumarin Sabadham ''Sivakumarin Sabadham'' () is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language musical comedy drama film written and directed by Adhi of Hiphop Tamizha. It is his second film as writer and director after Meesaya Murukku and he co-produced the film with Sathya Jyo ...

'' without also producing in the banner Hiphop Tamizha Entertainment with

Sathya Jyothi Films Sathya Jyothi Films is an Indian film production and distribution company in Tamil Nadu. It was established in 1977 by T. G. Thyagarajan. History Sathya Jyothi Films was founded by T. G. Thyagarajan in the 1970s. Thyagarajan, an MBA graduate ...

. Following that the fifth movie titled ''

Anbarivu ''Anbarivu'' is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language family drama film written and directed by Aswin Raam in his directorial debut and produced by Sathya Jyothi Films. The film stars Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi in his first dual role, Kashmira Pardeshi, an ...

'' pooja has held on 14 December 2020 and the movie is filming around

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...

and Pollachi. This movie will be Adhi's first rural-based film. The shooting for the film will begin in mid-January 2021 after Pongal.

Collaborations

Independent artists who have collaborated with Hiphop Tamizha include Bharadwaj Balaji and B-boy Bravo.{{Cite news , last=John , first=Sarah , date=1 September 2012 , title=Vanakkam to the Ladies , work=Times Neighbourhood , location= Anna Nagar , url=http://www.tamizhanda.org/main/images/img-X11180744-0005.jpg , url-status=dead , access-date=7 October 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140124055702/http://www.tamizhanda.org/main/images/img-X11180744-0005.jpg , archive-date=24 January 2014 The official logo of Hiphop Tamizha is a

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

of Bharati. They have also performed with American rapper Emcee Call on ''All I Wanna Say'', an album that features several samples of Michael Jackson's songs. Beginning in February 2015, Adhi and Jeeva were collaborating with independent Tamil singer Kaushik Krish on his forthcoming single, but the singer's debut song eventually became "Kannala Kannala", composed by Hiphop Tamizha for ''Thani Oruvan'' (2015). Recently he have collaborated with Sangan (Sollisai Selvandhar) in a new single named as "Weightu". Hiphop Tamizha has started a new initiative called "The UnderGround Tribe" to collaborate with new independent artists.

Musical style

Adhi told

Sudhish Kamath Sudhish Kamath is an Indian film critic working with the daily newspaper ''The Hindu'' and also an Independent filmmaker. He started working as a Chief reporter with a tabloid called Metro Ads in 1995. Then, from 1997, he worked for A.M.Plus, ...

that he was inspired by the works of Michael Jackson and

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

. In July 2013, he said that he draws inspiration from

Tamil poetry Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from T ...

, mostly those by Subramania Bharati. Hiphop Tamizha experiment with various elements of Indian music and fuse them with hip hop, creating the "fresh sound" of Tamil hip hop in the process. Adhi has no formal education in music and claims to compose purely on

instinct Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing both innate (inborn) and learned elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a v ...

.{{Cite web , last=Udhav Naig , date=27 November 2014 , title=Will continue to make independent music: rapper Adhi , url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-society/will-continue-to-make-independent-music-rapper-adhi/article6637154.ece , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128043131/http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-society/will-continue-to-make-independent-music-rapper-adhi/article6637154.ece , archive-date=28 November 2014 , access-date=28 November 2014 , website=

Topically, Hiphop Tamizha's songs deal with a wide range of issues. ''Club le Mabbu le'' describes certain nontraditional "failings" of Tamil women, including drinking, smoking, consuming

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

and having live-in relationships. ''Sentamizh Penne'', the exact opposite of ''Club le Mabbu le'', talks about a culturally-rich girl, whose traditions are worthy of respect.{{Cite web , last=Pravin Bala , date=24 October 2012 , title=Album review: Adhi (Hip Hop Tamizha) – Hip Hop Tamizhan , url=http://mytamilchannel.com/index/album-review-adhi-hip-hop-tamizha-hip-hop-tamizhan/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402182334/http://mytamilchannel.com/index/album-review-adhi-hip-hop-tamizha-hip-hop-tamizhan/ , archive-date=2 April 2015 , access-date=12 March 2015 , website=MyTamilChannel.com ''Tamizh Theriyum'' ridicules those who mock the Tamil language or act like they do not speak it. ''Vaadi Pulla Vaadi'' focuses on the conflicts of caste and love, and was inspired by the personal experiences of Adhi's friends. According to him, ''Iraiva'' talks about how love is not the end of life: "Two people might really be in love, but because of things like caste, they might not be able to be together. This, we feel, is because of lack of education and awareness". The song ''Karpom Karpippom'' is dedicated to education, describing it as the main tool required to solve social problems. ''Cheap Popularity'' is Adhi's response to those who criticised him for allegedly seeking popularity through ''Club le Mabbu le''. In 2014, Adhi said that Hiphop Tamizha's aim is to rebuke the belief among contemporary youngsters that conversing in Tamil is "not cool", and that the project was started to enable them to "relate to the concept of being a proud Tamizhan, to give them an identity." Although the songs ''Manithan Tamizhan'' and ''Tamizhanda'' glorify the culture and language of Tamil Nadu and lament their modern-day negligence, Adhi has stated that Hiphop Tamizha does not want to preach that Tamil people should speak their native language or praise it unduly. Rather, they aim to give it a little respect, similar to what other music has done for the English language. He has also said that he wants to change the Indian urban culture of hip-hop being about wearing "baggy pants, 'bling' and big shirts" and eliminate the notion that rap music is about "the money, the women and the gangster-ism."

Notable performances

In December 2010, Hiphop Tamizha performed live at "One Chennai, One Music", (an event organised by Radio One to promote independent music in Chennai), which was one of the band's first major gigs as underground artist. In November 2011, Adhi and Bharadwaj Balaji performed at ''Astra'', the two-day inter-school cultural festival of Bhavan's Rajaji Vidyashram, Kilpauk. September 2012 was one of Hiphop Tamizha's busiest months, with the band singing at

Madras Christian College Madras Christian College (MCC) is a liberal arts and sciences college in Chennai, India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. The college is affiliated to the University of Madras but functions as an autonomous institu ...

's "Deepwoods",

Dr G R Damodaran College of Science Dr G R Damodaran College of Science (GRD College) is an ISO 9001:2015 certified institution in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. History The college was started in 1988. It was granted autonomy by the UGC in 2004. It was re-accredited by NAAC ...

's ''Brand Expo 2012'', Loyola College's ''Ovations'',

Kilpauk Medical College Government Kilpauk Medical College (GKMC), founded in 1960, is a government medical institution in India. There are four hospitals attached to GKMC - Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. They are Government Royapettah Hospital, Govern ...

's ''Pradharshini'', and Alagappa College of Technology's ''Sampradha''. On 4 May 2013, Hiphop Tamizha appeared live at

Madras Music Academy Madras Music Academy is one of the earliest established music academies in South India. Before the concept of infrastructure was introduced to India in the early 1920s, it was a gathering for elite musicians simply called (and is still more ...

in a concert organised by SS International. Adhi performed for the second time at Madras Music Academy in October 2014, this time as part of SS International's nine-day concert ''Navotsavam''. In July 2015, Adhi sang at ''Isai Sangamam'', a musical event organised by the NGO Raindropss. He also performed live at a January 2016 concert named ''Nenje Ezhu'' to raise funds for victims of the

2015 South Indian floods The 2015 South India floods resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon in November–December 2015. They affected the Coromandel Coast region of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. More than 500 ...

. Adhi was an artist at the

9th Vijay Awards The 9th Vijay Awards ceremony honouring the best of the Tamil film industry in 2014 was held on 25 April 2015 at Chennai. The event was hosted by Gopinath and Divyadharshini. Jury R Balki, K. Bhagyaraj, Yugi Sethu, KV Anand and Nadhiya Moidu ...

in April 2015.

Controversies

"Club le Mabbu le" became the subject of immense criticism due to its portrayal and depiction of Tamil women.{{Cite web , date=1 September 2012 , title='Senthamizh Penne' triggers fresh Hiphop kolaveri , url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/senthamizh-penne-triggers-fresh-hiphop-kolaveri/287419-62.html , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231183051/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/senthamizh-penne-triggers-fresh-hiphop-kolaveri/287419-62.html , archive-date=31 December 2014 , access-date=12 April 2013 , website=CNN-IBN{{Cite web , last=Janani Karthik , date=19 December 2015 , title=Crass lyrics, or industry's attitude towards women? , url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/Crass-lyrics-or-industrys-attitude-towards-women/articleshow/50232871.cms , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221051649/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/Crass-lyrics-or-industrys-attitude-towards-women/articleshow/50232871.cms , archive-date=21 December 2015 , access-date=23 December 2015 , website=

Rapper Sofia Ashraf claimed that the song was not only disrespectful to women, but also an insult to rap music. In an interview with ''The Hindu'', Adhi said, "Hip hop is about self expression and opinions so such controversies are only natural. The song was intended as a fun number and most people like it because the lyrics are witty. We also {{sic, nolink=y, sings about social causes like education and individual identity".{{Cite news , last=Zeenab Aneez , date=30 August 2012 , title=Trouble in the club , work=

, url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/trouble-in-the-club/article3839957.ece , url-status=live , access-date=15 April 2013 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214064057/http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/trouble-in-the-club/article3839957.ece , archive-date=14 December 2013 In late August 2012, Adhi was reportedly "apologetic to whoever may be offended by the track." In December 2015, Janani Karthik of ''The Times of India'' named the song as one of several Tamil songs "that have taken crass to an all-low level". In 2016, Adhi released "Takkaru Takkaru", a music video that glorifies the Tamil sport

jallikattu (or ), also known as and , is a traditional event in which a bull ('' Bos indicus''), such as the Pulikulam or Kangayam breeds, is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's b ...

, with the intention of campaigning to have jallikattu legalised (claiming that the sport does not encourage animal cruelty).

PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...

India's associate manager of campaigns Bhuvaneshwari Gupta described the video as factually inaccurate, adding that it actually showed many scenes of bulls being cruelly treated, and concluded, "Hip Hop Tamizha is better off sticking to just making music, because factual accuracy is not their strong point. Respecting bulls is true Tamil culture, not inflicting pain on them and making them suffer." Adhi decried these comments, stating that he would not believe in an organisation run by "foreigners" telling him that jallikattu is harmful to bulls. In January 2017, Adhi took part in the protests against the ban on jallikattu.

Other works

In November 2013, Hiphop Tamizha launched "Tamizhanda Clothing", a collaboration between the duo and a firm named Difference of Opinion.{{Primary source inline, date=December 2021 Adhi later launched his second business venture, "Madrasi Mafia", a music label to manage independent music artists.{{Cite news , last=Ramanjuam , first=Srinivasa , date=23 December 2014 , title=Hiphop Tamizha on an overdrive , work=

, url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/hiphop-tamizha-on-an-overdrive/article6719394.ece , url-status=live , access-date=24 December 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120124700/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/hiphop-tamizha-on-an-overdrive/article6719394.ece , archive-date=20 January 2015 In July 2015, Adhi conducted a seminar on brand management, titled "Face to Face: Hiphop Tamizhan" at Dr G R Damodaran College of Science, Coimbatore.{{Primary source inline, date=December 2021

Filmography

The films mentioned here include performance only by Adhi and not by Jeeva.

Films

{, class="wikitable" , +Key , style="background:#FFFFCC;", {{dagger, alt=Flims that have not yet been released , Denotes films that have not yet been released *''All films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.'' {, class="wikitable sortable" , - ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes , - , 2017 , , ''

'', , Aadhithya Rama Chandran (Aadhi) , , Also director and writer , - , 2019 , , ''

'', , Prabha Karan (Prabha) , , Also creative and casting director , - , 2020 , , '' Naan Sirithal'', , Gandhi , , , - , 2021 , , ''

'', , Siva Kumar , , Also director and producer , - , 2022, , ''

'', , Anbazhagan (Anbu) and Arivazhagan (Arivu) , , Also story; Released on

Disney+ Hotstar The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

, - , 2023 , style="background:#FFFFCC;"" , ''Veeran'' {{dagger, alt=alt=Films that have not yet been released, , {{TBA, , Filming , - , {{TBA , style="background:#FFFFCC;"" , ''HHT7'' {{dagger, alt=alt=Films that have not yet been released, , Kanagavel , , Filming

Documentary Web Series

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="width:100%;" , - ! scope="col" , Year ! scope="col" , Title ! scope="col" , Role ! scope="col" , Notes , - , style="text-align:center;" , 2019 ! scope="row" , ''

Tamizhi Tamil-Brahmi, also known as Tamizhi or Damili, was a variant of the Brahmi script in southern India. It was used to write inscriptions in the early form of Old Tamil.Richard Salomon (1998) ''Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscription ...

'' , Narrator(only voice) , Also producer , - , style="text-align:center;" , 2021 ! scope="row" , ''Thee Veeran'' , ,

Discography

{{Main, Hiphop Tamizha discography

Awards

{, class="wikitable" , + !Year !Award !Category !Result !Ref. , - , rowspan="2" , 2013 , BIG FM Awards Night , Internet sensation of the year , {{Won , style="text-align:center;" , {{Cite web , date=20 February 2020 , title=Happy Birthday, Adhi: Five fun facts you didn't know about musician Hiphop Tamizha Adhi , url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/happy-birthday-adhi-five-fun-facts-you-didnt-know-about-musician-hiphop-tamizha-adhi/photostory/74220118.cms , access-date=7 January 2022 , website=

, language=en , - , Anna University's annual event

Techofes Techofes is an annual intercollegiate culture festival at the College of Engineering, Guindy in Chennai, India. The tradition began in 1948. It is a three-day event usually held in mid-February. Past editions *Techofes '06 took place starting ...

, Independent Artist of the Year , {{Won , style="text-align:center;" , , - , 2015 , Edison Awards , The Rising Star of 2014 Male , {{Won , style="text-align:center;", , - , rowspan="2", 2016 ,

SIIMA Awards South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to appreci ...

, Best Music Director –

, {{Nom , style="text-align:center;", , - , Mirchi Music Awards South , Upcoming Music Composer of the year -

For "Kadhal Cricket" and "Kannala Kannala" , {{Nom , style="text-align:center;", , - , 2017 , Desi Awards , Digital Pride of the year , {{Won , style="text-align:center;", , - , rowspan="5" , 2018 , City Cine Awards , Favourite Debutant , {{Won , style="text-align:center;", , - , rowspan="3",

, Best Debut Actor –

, {{Nom , rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" , , - , Best Music Director –

, {{Nom , - , Best Male Playback Singer - Kavan For"Oxygen" (Along with Sudarshan Ashok) , {{Nom , - , Behinwoods Gold Medals , Best Entertainer –

, {{Won , style="text-align:center;",
, - , 2019 , Behindwoods Gold Mic Awards , The Icon of Independent Music , {{Won , style="text-align:center;", , - , 2020 , Blacksheep Digital awards , Epitome of Tamil pride –

, {{Won , style="text-align:center;", {{Cite web , last=Black Sheep , date=24 February 2020 , title=தமிழிடம் ஆசிர்வாதம் வாங்கிய Hiphop Tamizha {{! Blacksheep Digital awards 2020{{! Blacksheep , url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf4hdMpAgTU , archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/tf4hdMpAgTU , archive-date=8 January 2022 , access-date=7 January 2022 , via=YouTube{{cbignore

Notes

{{notelist

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{Cite news , last=Kamath , first=Sudhish , author-link=Sudhish Kamath , date=16 August 2012 , title=Namma ooru hip hopper , work=

, url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/namma-ooru-hip-hopper/article3779711.ece , url-status=live , access-date=1 April 2013 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403040620/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/namma-ooru-hip-hopper/article3779711.ece , archive-date=3 April 2013 {{Cite web , last=R , first=Venkatrangan , date=30 August 2012 , title=Hip Hop Tamizhan – Hip Hop Tamizha , url=http://www.musicperk.com/hip-hop-tamizhan-hip-hop-tamizha/ , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216100622/http://www.musicperk.com/hip-hop-tamizhan-hip-hop-tamizha/ , archive-date=16 February 2013 , access-date=1 April 2013 , website=Musicperk {{Cite news , last=Raju , first=Akshaya , date=16 October 2014 , title=English Pesnalum Tamizhan Da – A Hip Hop Tamizha Exclusive , work=Guindy Times , url=http://www.guindytimes.com/articles/english-pesnalum-tamizhan-da-a-hip-hop-tamizha-exclusive , access-date=28 November 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128051344/http://www.guindytimes.com/articles/english-pesnalum-tamizhan-da-a-hip-hop-tamizha-exclusive , archive-date=28 November 2014 {{Cite news , date=7 December 2011 , title=Make way for desi boys! , work=

, url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/make-way-for-desi-boys/article2694601.ece , access-date=15 April 2013 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614084043/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/make-way-for-desi-boys/article2694601.ece , archive-date=14 June 2013 {{Cite news , date=11 May 2014 , title=Speaking of the Mother Tongue , work=

Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded by Rajagopal Mudaliar in the 1930s & currently owned by Samagrah Commercial Pvt Limited. It is published in Hyderabad, Telangana, by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited ( ...

, url=http://oi60.tinypic.com/2urxspk.jpg , url-status=dead , access-date=3 October 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006165459/http://oi60.tinypic.com/2urxspk.jpg , archive-date=6 October 2014 {{Cite news , last=Prince Frederick , date=9 February 2011 , title=Fascinating fusion , work=

, url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/fascinating-fusion/article1171365.ece , url-status=live , access-date=5 October 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701202901/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/fascinating-fusion/article1171365.ece , archive-date=1 July 2014 {{Cite news , date=13 August 2012 , title=Hiphop to make Tamilians proud , work=

The New Indian Express ''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naid ...

, url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article588077.ece , url-status=live , access-date=7 October 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006212518/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article588077.ece , archive-date=6 October 2014 {{Cite news , last=Naig , first=Udhav , date=28 November 2013 , title=The big leap , work=

, url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-big-leap/article5401124.ece , access-date=7 October 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210012525/http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-big-leap/article5401124.ece , archive-date=10 December 2013 {{Cite news , last=Sudhish , first=Kamath , author-link=Sudhish Kamath , date=17 August 2012 , title=Hip Hop, in Tamizhan style , work=

, url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/article3782698.ece , url-status=live , access-date=10 May 2013 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610034958/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/article3782698.ece , archive-date=10 June 2013 {{Cite news , last=Ganesh , first=Prashanti , date=30 October 2011 , title=Cadence of a new culture , work=

, url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/article253040.ece , url-status=live , access-date=14 January 2015 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114172741/http://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/article253040.ece , archive-date=14 January 2015

External links

{{Commons *{{IMDb name, 5657066 {{Authority control Hip hop duos Indian electrical engineers Indian hip hop groups Indian male composers Indian musical duos Indian rappers Indian YouTubers Living people People from Erode district Tamil male actors Tamil musicians University of Madras alumni Year of birth missing (living people)