From Kerala to the world: The meteoric rise of Hanumankind
SOORAJ Cherukat (born 17 October 1992), known professionally as Hanumankind, is a rapper, singer, songwriter and actor from Kerala.
He released his first single "Daily Dose" from his debut EP Kalari in 2019. He received mainstream popularity in India and internationally with his track "Big Dawgs", which features the Hyderabad-based artiste and producer Kalmi and American rapper ASAP Rocky on its remix. He acted in the 2024 Malayalam film, Rifle Club, directed by Aashiq Abu.
Early life and education
Sooraj Cherukat was born in 1992 at Kondotty, Malappuram.
His father works for a leading oil company; as a result, he moved around a lot. 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.
He attended Houston Community College in 2011. In 2012, he returned to India, enrolling at PSG College in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, to pursue a degree in business administration. He worked at Goldman Sachs in 2014 and also as a personal trainer.
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.
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".
Cherukat released his sophomore EP, Surface Level, in 2020, which was succeeded by the release of some singles, such as "DAMNSON", "Genghis", "Go To Sleep", as well as collaborations, like "THAT'S A FACT" and "Enemies" with Yashraj.
He collaborated with Charan Raj and Sanjith Hegde for the song "Maadeva" featuring on the Kannada movie Popcorn Monkey Tiger.
His song "The Last Dance" is featured on the official soundtrack for the Malayalam-language film Aavesham.
He was featured in Rolling Stone India's first edition of the "Future of Music" list in March 2024. He gained widespread recognition with the release of the single and its music video "Big Dawgs," featuring Kalmi, in July 2024.
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.
Hanumankind performing in 2024.
He also acted in the 2024 Malayalam film, Rifle Club, directed by Aashiq Abu.
In 2025, he released his song "Run It Up," which features chenda drums in its instrumental, and performed the song at Netflix's 2025 Tudum event.
He performed the single "Holiday" on the Colors Show and headlined the "OTW Tour" in support of his debut mixtape, Monsoon Season, in the summer of 2025.
Monsoon Season was 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.
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.
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.
Artistry
While living in Houston, Cherukat was exposed to Southern hip hop and listened to artistes like Chamillionaire, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, UGK, and DJ Screw. He is also a fan of System of a Down. His musical style is significantly influenced by Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Logic.
Personal life
As of July 2025, Cherukat lives in Bengaluru.
Cherukat is not religious. He tore his ACL during a July 2025 performance in London, leading him to cancel his 2025 US.[11][33]
