Hanumankind

Biography

Sooraj Cherukat (born October 17, 1992), known professionally as Hanumankind, is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor from Kerala, India. He released his first single "Daily Dose" from his debut EP Kalari×Kalari27 December 2019 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Wildshit3:142Southside3:303Bottle of MH5:404Daily Dose3:00 in 2019. He received mainstream popularity in India and internationally with his track "Big Dawgs×Big Dawgs9 July 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Big Dawgs3:10", 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.

Early life and education

Sooraj Cherukat was born in Malappuram, Kondotty, Kerala, India. His father worked in the oil industry and the family moved frequently. As a child, Cherukat lived in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt, Qatar, and Italy before settling in Houston, Texas, United States, 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.

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×Kalari27 December 2019 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Wildshit3:142Southside3:303Bottle of MH5:404Daily Dose3:00, 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×Surface Level2 October 2020 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1No Hook2Cowboy Samurai3Catharsis4Rest in Power, in 2020, which was succeeded by the release of some singles, such as "DAMNSON×DAMNSON27 August 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1DAMNSON2:31", "Go To Sleep×Go to Sleep20 January 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Go to Sleep3:21", 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 2021 single, "Genghis×Genghis5 March 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Genghis3:00", focuses on themes of police brutality and social commentary.

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.

He was featured in Rolling Stone India's first edition of the "Future of Music" list in March 2024. He gained widespread recognition both with the release of the single and its music video "Big Dawgs×Big Dawgs9 July 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Big Dawgs3:10", 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, India.He also acted in the 2024 Malayalam film, Rifle Club, directed by Aashiq Abu. In 2025, he released his song "Run It Up×Run It Up6 March 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Run It Up2:54", 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×Monsoon Season25 July 2025 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Reckless2:322Big Dawgs3:103Goons3:084Run It Up2:535Someone Told Me5:096Cause5:30729.11.23.0:588Monsoon Season2:529Holiday3:0310Villainous Freestyle2:3411Sicko4:0512Big Dawgs (remix)3:59, in the summer of 2025. On July 17, 2025, before his debut mixtape release, Cherukat was featured on "Victory Lap Three" by Skepta, Fred Again, and PlaqueBoyMax. 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. 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 Sudhir Yaduvanshi, and "Ez-Ez" alongside Diljit Dosanjh.
In April 2026, it was announced that Hanumankind would contribute to the soundtrack of the second season of the Netflix animated series Devil May Cry, entitled "See U in Hell" alongside Papa Roach, which released on May 7. In the same month, he was featured in GQ India's list of "Most Influential Young Indians of 2026". During the 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protests, he joined the Sansad Chalo March to show his solidarity with the protestors and their cause.

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. His musical style is significantly influenced by Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Logic.

Personal life

As of July 2025, Cherukat lives in Bengaluru.