Arpan Kumar Chandel, professionally known as King, is an Indian singer songwriter, rapper and music producer.[1][2][3] Known for his rap tracks and pop songs with lyrics that deal with love and heartbreak, he is known to blend Indian melodies with international influences.[4][5][6]
King | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Arpan Kumar Chandel |
| Born | Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Genres | Rap, Indie, Pop, Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter, Rapper |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2015-Present |
YouTube information | |
| Channels | King |
| Years active | 2015–Present |
| Subscribers | 6.7 million |
| Total views | 1.9 billion |
Last updated: 25 August 2024 | |
Many of his tracks contains inspiration from 1900s and early 2000s musical dynamics.[7][8] He was among the finalists in MTV Hustle 2019. "Ghumshudaa" (2019), "Tu Aake Dekhle" (2020), "Oops" (2022) and "Maan Meri Jaan" (2022) are some of his best known works.[9][10] "Maan Meri Jaan" became the most streamed song of 2023 on Spotify India, Apple Music India and other music streaming platforms.[11][12]
In 2024, King became the first Indian pop artist to walk on the red carpet at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.[13][14] He featured in the Forbes India 30 Under 30 List of 2024.[15] He is signed on by Warner Music India.[16]
Early life
editArpan was born in 1997 in Uttar Pradesh, India.[17] He did his schooling at a government school and later attended New Delhi's Vinay Marg Navyug Secondary School.[18]
For higher studies, he got admission in Dayal Singh College to pursue Bachelor of Arts via the sports quota. During the college, for four years, he played football in the national under-20 team.[19] Despite his good performance in sports, due to the lack of interest in class, he dropped out out of college in order to pursue a career in rapping.[18]
After college, he joined a govt. job and did the job for half a decade. But he was always attracted towards making music and worked towards his dream by making songs while still at his job.[18]
Career
editKing posted his rap videos on various social media profiles while he was still in school. He started his YouTube channel 'King Rocco' in 2012 and uploaded his first 'Boombass' video in 2015.[citation needed] In an interview with NME, he said that he used to listen to the Backstreet Boys and Vengaboys. While growing up he used to listen to Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Lil Wayne and other artists.[19]
In 2019 he began his professional career by competing in the maiden season of the rap reality show 'MTV Hustle' judged by Raftaar, Raja Kumari and Nucleya. He positioned himself among the top five finalists.[citation needed] In 2020, he released his first album The Carnival. "Tu Aake Dekhle" from it became a sleeper hit. It turned out to be the first big hit track in his career and earned him recognition.[20]
In 2021, he released his second album The Gorilla Bounce. His 2022 album "The Champagne Talk" proved to be the breakthrough album for him. "Oops" and "Maan Meri Jaan" became smash hits.[21] The later became the most streamed song on Spotify India in 2023.[22] He released multiple versions of "Maan Meri Jaan" with artists from different language backgrounds including a Hindi-English version "Afterlife" in collab with Nick Jonas.[23][24]
In an interview with Pinkvilla, he cited that the initial songs of his career were inspired from his own life.[25] He collaborated with many artists including Gucci Mane and Julia Michaels in his 2023 album New Life.[26] "Crown", "Good Trip" and "Sarkaare" received critical acclaim.[27] "Good Trip" was featured on Grammy's Recording Academy.[28][29]
He collaborated with a dozen MCs including MC Stan, Ikka and Raftaar in his 2024 LP Monopoly Moves. With Jason Derulo, he released "Bumpa" in 2024.[30] He was part of the Brut squad at Cannes 2024.[31] He has performed live shows across the country[32][33][34][35][36] and at international venues including UK, USA, Canada, Dubai, Bangladesh, Abu Dhabi and others.[37][38][39][40][41]
Albums (LPs)
edit| Year | Album | Track | Co-artist(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Circumstances | I'm Back | - | [2] |
| Circumstances | ||||
| Clearly by Now | ||||
| She Know | ||||
| That's My Word | ||||
| Beat | ||||
| Gastronamics | ||||
| Red Dirt State | ||||
| Skit | ||||
| Snitches N Cops | ||||
| The Division | ||||
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Maahaul | - | [42] |
| Fantasy | ||||
| Umar 73 | ||||
| Akeli Awara Azad | ||||
| Ghumshudaa | ||||
| I Know You | ||||
| Going Bas | ||||
| Outta My Mind | Nateboi | |||
| 2020 | The Carnival | She Don't Give A | - | [43] |
| Thoda Samjha Karo | ||||
| Dracula | ||||
| 90s | ||||
| MAFIIA | ||||
| "TalLet The Eyes Talk | ||||
| IICONIC | ||||
| Tu Aake Dekhle | ||||
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | PICASSO | [44] | |
| BLANKO | ||||
| SALOOT | ||||
| Godfather | ||||
| Casanova | Rahul Sathu | |||
| Desi Dan Bilzerian | - | |||
| Koo Koo | Aesap, Jaz | |||
| Shaamein | Harjas Harjaayi | |||
| Main Bas Kehti Nahi | - | |||
| ERA | ||||
| Tera Hua Na Main Kabhi | HIGHBORN | |||
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | Na Ja Tu | - | [45][46] |
| OOPS | ||||
| Broken Dreams | ||||
| Maan Meri Jaan | ||||
| Dejalo | ||||
| Pablo | ||||
| Champagne Talk | ||||
| Me & Me | ||||
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Aafat | [47][48] | |
| Runaway | Julia Michaels | |||
| Tu Jaana Na Piya | - | |||
| Good Trip | ||||
| Sarkaare | ||||
| Tum Saath Rehnaa | ||||
| Legends | ||||
| We Are the Ones | Gucci Mane | |||
| High Hukku | Nikhita Gandhi | |||
| No Loss | - | |||
| CROWN | Natania | |||
| Legends (B Side) | - | |||
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | GOAT SHIT | Karma | [49][50] |
| STILL THE SAME | Abhijay Sharma | |||
| WAY BIGGER | - | |||
| BAWE MAIN CHECK | Raga | |||
| MISFIT | - | |||
| KODAK | Seedhe Maut | |||
| SAZA | MC Heam | |||
| PYAAR HUMARA | - | |||
| F*CK WHAT THEY SAY | MC Stan | |||
| WARCRY | Raftaar | |||
| MASHINEY | Ikka | |||
| SUPREME LEADER | Talha Yunus | |||
| SUITS & STREETS | Yashraj, Gravity | |||
| CAN'T AFFORD | Sikander Kahlon | |||
| TERE HO KE | Bella | |||
| DELULU DANCE | - |
EPs
edit| Year | Album | Track | Co-artist(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Talismann | Dur Kyun | - | |
| FLEX | ||||
| Main Ho Gaya Tera | ||||
| Hennessy | ||||
| Talismann | ||||
| 2022 | Khwabeeda | Baazi | [51] | |
| Ektarfa | ||||
| Sinner | ||||
| 2023 | Shayad Woh Sune | Laapata | [52] | |
| Hum Tumse | ||||
| Teri Ho Na Saki |
Singles and collabs
edit| Year | Track | Co-artist(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Boombass | - | [17] |
| 2016 | Zinnda | ||
| 2017 | Hitman | ||
| Promise | |||
| 2018 | Chorus | ||
| Hauley | |||
| Taaliyaan | |||
| 2020 | Jaane De Yaara | Rahul Sathu | [53] |
| 2021 | Ishq Samundar | Arjun Kanungo | [54] |
| Dhoondein Sitare | Aastha Gill | [55] | |
| 2022 | Ilzaam | Arjun Kanungo | [56] |
| OOPS (feat. Masked Wolf) | Masked Wolf | [57] | |
| Naya Nazariya | - | [58] | |
| 2023 | Beqadar Piya | Sunidhi Chauhan, Salim Sulaiman | |
| Maan Meri Jaan (African Version) | Rayvanny | [59] | |
| Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife) | Nick Jonas | [60][61] | |
| Sona Re | - | [62] | |
| 2024 | Rang Barse x Yaaron Wali Baat | Karan Kanchan, Shiv-Hari | [63] |
| Aawara | KSHMR, Zaeden | [64][65] | |
| Bumpa | Jason Derulo | [66][67] |
Film songs
edit| Year | Song | Film | Composer | Lyricist | Co-artist(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sahi Galat | Drishyam 2 | Devi Sri Prasad | Amitabh Bhattacharya | - | [68] |
| 2023 | Mere Sawaal Ka | Shehzada | Pritam | Shloke Lal | [69] | |
| Baap Aa Gaya Hai | Rana Naidu | Karan Kanchan | King, Roll Rida | Roll Rida | [70] |
References
edit- ^ "Arpan Chandel (King)". Forbes. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ a b Sabharwal, Punita (9 February 2024). "Reign of the 'King': Arpan Kumar Chandel". Entrepreneur India. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
King dropped his first-ever music album 'Circumstances' in 2018 and ever since there has been no looking back for him.
- ^ Madan, Ayush (6 June 2024). "Breakout Artist King Makes His Mark in Southeast Asia". Masala Magazine Thailand. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ Levine, Nick (28 October 2023). "King: "I want to show that Indian sounds can blend with any sound in the world"". NME. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Kappal, Bhanuj (3 July 2023). "GQ Hype: Hail to the King". GQ India. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
With hit after chart-busting hit and stellar collabs, King has ascended to music royalty.
- ^ Plunge, Sound (12 July 2024). "Indian Rapper KING Unveils 'Monopoly Moves' Album with Nationwide Listening Party Tour". Plunge Daily. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Hirwani, Peony (3 April 2024). "COVER STORY: They Don't Call Him King for No Reason". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Birthday Special: King's journey to global stardom". Entertainment Times. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Ahead Of Vh1 Supersonic 2024, A Look At Singer-Rapper King's Best Tracks From 'Maan Meri Jaan' To 'Tu Aake Dekhle'". Outlook India. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Singer-Rapper King: I never sit with people I have to pretend with". Hindustan Times. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
Singer-rapper King, known for songs such as Maan Meri Jaan and Tu Aake Dekh Le, has been on an India tour.
- ^ Hindu Bureau, The (30 November 2023). "Spotify Wrapped India 2023: Arijit Singh takes top spot for fourth consecutive year; 'Maan Meri Jaan' most-streamed song". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Dubey, Shilpa (15 March 2024). "The Men We Love: KING". Femina. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Rapper King becomes first Indian pop star to walk the Cannes red carpet". Radio Mirchi. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Karki, Manisha (18 May 2024). "Singer King Becomes First Ever Indian Pop Artist To Walk Cannes Red Carpet, Says 'Felt Like A Turning Point'". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Forbes India 30 Under 30 2023: Meet our young achievers and gamechangers". Forbes India. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Warner Music India Signs Indian Breakout Artist King". PR Newswire. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ a b "King". Apple Music. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
Also known as King Rocco, the man born Arpan Kumar in 1997 made his first waves in India's hip-hop community with a self released pair of confrontational early singles, "Zinnda" and "Hitman".
- ^ a b c "Maan Meri Jaan Fame King's Journey From A Delhi Government School To His Collaboration With Nick Jonas Is Truly Inspiring". Koimoi. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ a b Levine, Nick (28 October 2023). "I used to listen to Backstreet Boys and Vengaboys". NME. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "King's 'Kodak' song out now". ANI. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
King rose to fame after his superhit song Tu Aake Dekhle.
- ^ Javaid, Arfa (12 December 2023). "Kesariya, Maan Meri Jaan make it to Google's top 'Hum to Search' songs in 2023, check others on the list". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Mukherjee, Anindita (29 December 2023). "Arijit Singh tops most-streamed artist on Spotify Wrapped 2023. See full list". India Today. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
The most-streamed song of 2023 on the platform is 'Maan Meri Jaan' by King and Saurabh Lokhande.
- ^ "Nick Jonas croons in Hindi, drops 'Maan Meri Jaan' song video with King". The Indian Express. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Sharma, Devansh (18 November 2023). "King interview: 'Maan Meri Jaan Afterlife with Nick Jonas opened my music to the whole world'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Batra, Gautam (20 February 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: King talks about whether his songs are inspired by his personal life". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ MR Mishra, Vinay (23 October 2023). "King on collaborating with Gucci Mane: A phenomenal moment for me (Exclusive)". Times of India. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Chakraborty, Rohini (29 August 2023). "Rapper KING drops Crown and levitates in the video to the new track". t2 Online. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Mariah, D. (7 December 2023). "Indian music garners global acclaim: Grammy's Recording Academy features King's song 'Good Trip'". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: King talks about whether his songs are inspired by his personal life". Times of India. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Singer King collaborates with Jason Derulo for his next party song 'Bumpa'". India Today. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Rapper King mocks his own accent after video of him at Cannes goes viral: 'Jab aati nahi to accent hi nikalta hai'". The Indian Express. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
Rapper King was a part of the Brut Squad at Cannes 2024.
- ^ Sharma, Riya (3 August 2024). "King makes Delhi groove to his new album Monopoly Moves at fiery concert". DNA India. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Saxena, Deep (16 December 2023). "Singer-rapper King rules hearts of music lovers in Lucknow". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Katira, Kirtika (4 December 2023). "King lights up Gurugram's Backyard Sports Club with his electrifying performance". WION. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Mallick, Gyanisha (4 December 2023). "King's Delhi Concert with his popular tracks keep the night young and energetic". India Today. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Holi in Pune: 'Maan Meri Jaan' Rapper King to perform in city". Free Press Journal. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Tagat, Anurag (14 September 2023). "KING Announces 11-City India Tour Ahead of 'New Life' Album Launch". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "King to perform in Bangladesh". ANI. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Viral: Nick Jonas Sings Maan Meri Jaan With King At Lollapalooza Music Festival". NDTV. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Fernandes, Shefali (1 September 2024). "Musician King Wraps Up His Monopoly Moves Tour With Spectacular Finale In Mumbai, Joined by MC Stan & Yashraj". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "'Maan Meri Jaan' Singer-Rapper King To Perform At Wireless Festival Alongside Global Hip-Hop Stars". ABP Live. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Indian rapper 'King' perform live at the Calcutta Boating Club". www.telegraphindia.com. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
Famous for chartbusters like 'Tu aake dekhle', 'Maan meri jaan' and 'Ghumshudaa', King made his fans dance to his beats
- ^ Shah, Masumi (20 August 2024). "Rap music is a huge ecosystem in India now: King". Times of India. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
From his early days at MTV Hustle to producing hits like Maan Meri Jaan and Tu Aake Dekhle and coming up with albums like The Carnival to his latest Monopoly Moves, King has come a long way.
- ^ Singh Sisodia, Upendra (25 May 2021). "Listen To King Rocco's New Album, "The Gorilla Bounce"". Siachen Studios. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Rapper King Chuffed With The Response To His Album 'Champagne Talk'". Outlook India. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Tagat, Anurag (29 November 2023). "Spotify Wrapped: KING, Sidhu Moose Wala and Arijit Singh Dominate 2023 Charts". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
KING's 2022 hit "Maan Meri Jaan" has the highest streams in India on Spotify (over 275 million plays).
- ^ Ray, Sanjana (14 December 2023). "King's New Life, Ankur Tewari's Akela: Top 10 Indian albums of 2023". GQ India. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "King To Drop His New Album 'New Life': 'Sometimes Being Late, Is Being Right On Time'". Outlook India. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ News Network, Bollywood Hungama (11 July 2024). "KING set to embark on Monopoly Moves Album Listening Party Tour across 8 Indian cities". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "King on highly anticipated album "Monopoly Moves" for bold new track "F*ck What They Say"". Urban Asian. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "King's cinematic EP 'Khwabeeda' to feature a collection of short stories". Times of India. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Vaigankar, Shukrta (15 July 2023). "Rapper King's latest track 'Teri Ho Na Saki' from his extended playlist 'Shayad Woh Sune' is out now!". Business UpTurn. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "KING's New Track Jaane De Yaara Brings The Heat". Urban Asian. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Arjun Kanungo releases 3 tracks from debut studio album 'Industry'". Times of India. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
The tracks include the official Indian rendition of Vaultboy's number one international hit 'Everything Sucks', 'Foto' featuring Rashmeet Kaur and 'Ishq Samundar' featuring KING.
- ^ Murthy, Neeraja (28 December 2021). "'Dhoondein Sitaare' will resonate with everyone, say Aastha Gill and King". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Watch New Hindi Trending Song Music Video - 'Ilzaam' Sung By Arjun Kanungo, King". Times of India. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Warner Music India Signs Indian Breakout Artist King". PR Newswire. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
He even released a remix for his groovy track "OOPS," featuring Masked Wolf of the viral chartbuster "Astronaut in the Ocean" fame.
- ^ "Popular Hindi Video Song 'Naya Nazariya' Sung By King". Times of India. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Milimo, Dennis (1 March 2023). "Rayvanny teams up with India's King for a new tune 'Maan Meri Jaan'". Classic FM. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Nick Jonas, King Collab Track Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife) Out, Fans Shower Love". ABP Live. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Banerjee, Diya. "Hip hop artist, 'King' collabs with Nick Jonas for 'Maan Meri Jaan' (Afterlife)". Radio Mirchi. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Tagat, Anurag (29 October 2023). "KKING Flexes a Diverse Catalog at 'New Life' Tour Kickoff in Bengaluru". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
Whether it was moshpits or sing-alongs, KING balanced it all with songs across his catalog, traversing synthwave, jazz, rock, tropical house vibes and a tip of the hat to Bollywood/Indipop with his version of "O Mere Sona Re Sona" from 1957's Teesri Manzil
- ^ "Get ready to groove as The House of McDowell's Soda showers festive cheer with classic remix of Rang Barse". Radio and Music. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "American DJ KSHMR collaborates with Indian pop stars King & Zaeden on new track 'Aawara'". CNBC TV18. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Singer Zaeden shares his experience of working with American musician KSHMR". Radio Mirchi. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "King joins force with global pop star Jason Derulo for a summer anthem Bumpa". Hindustan Times. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Jason Derulo says King and he co-wrote 'Bumpa', 'Blending our languages and styles'". Indulge Express. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "King lent his voice to the 'Mere Sawaal Ka' track from the Kartik Aryan and Kriti Sanon film 'Shehzada'". Koimoi. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "Drishyam 2: King On His Bollywood Debut With Rap Song 'Sahi Galat', "I Have Always Believed In Hard Work…"". Koimoi. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Rana Naidu New Song: 'Baap Aa Gaya' By King And RollRida Shows The World Of 'Fixer' Rana Daggubati". ABP Live. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.