Tsumyoki

Biography

Nathan Joseph Mendes (born 2 June 2001), known professionally as Tsumyoki or simply Yoki, is an Indian rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He gained popularity from his single track release, "White Tee" (2019), and received further media attention through his album Daboij (2021), the EP Way Too Messy (2021), featuring fellow Goan rapper Kidd Mange, and the single "Pink Blue" (2022), featuring Bharg. According to Tsumyoki, his stage name alludes to ideas of "vision, productivity, and a positive mindset".
Tsumyoki is one of the leading artists from Goa and is credited for revolutionizing the English genre of Hip hop music in the Indian coastal state of Goa. He is the first Goan music artist and the youngest member at age 19, to be signed by DIVINE's record label, Gully Gang Records in 2021. He was also featured in Goan Insider's 50 Most Influential People of 2021 and has been described by ItsGoa magazine as Goa's best rapper.

Early life

Nathan Joseph Mendes was born on 2 June 2001 in Margao, Goa, to Gianna and Sanjeev Mendes. He has an elder sister, Sneha, a filmmaker based in New York City, U.S. He completed his Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) from The King's School in São José de Areal, Goa. He later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Xavier's College, Mapusa.
Tsumyoki's maternal grandfather, Joe, was also a musician and died in 2018. He was raised in a family influenced by Portuguese culture, as Goa was formerly a Portuguese territory. During his childhood, he was exposed to a diverse range of musical traditions, including Afrobeats and music from Portugal and Brazil.

2018–2019: Early career

Tsumyoki started his career in music in his late teenage years, beginning at age 17. His primary aim was to explore various music genres beyond just rap. He credits his mother and family for supporting him throughout his musical career and considers artists like XXXTentacion, Juice WRLD, Drake, Eminem, Post Malone, Ski Mask the Slump God and Michael Jackson as his role models. During an interview, Tsumyoki shared how he commenced his career with ₹8,000 (equivalent to ₹12,000 or US$120 in 2026), struggling to afford essential technical equipment. He had to depend on his mother as he needed more money to start his musical career with proper equipment. He then performed for her to convince her to pay for his equipment.

Tsumyoki first began pursuing music as a hobby in 11th grade. He discussed the difficulties he encountered when trying to establish himself in the rap scene with The Navhind Times, recounting instances of waiting outside clubs with a USB flash drive containing his music in the hopes of catching the attention of popular artists. In addition, he notes the lack of widespread backing for indigenous musicians in Goa who crafted their own music, requiring him to work towards gaining visibility.

2019–2020: Rise to success

Tsumyoki's breakthrough came from his single track release, "White Tee", in 2019. The idea behind the track was a hook, "White Tee, Bish get off”, he had in mind. The music video was mainly shot in Fatorda and other locations, featuring participation from several of his supporters. Tsumyoki further stated in an interview that, "White Tee signifies a mindset, for example, if you're wearing something white, you ought to not get dirty. Similarly, it means you don't need people's negativity affecting your perspective".
At the age of 18, Tsumyoki started performing at clubs and judged several college events. One of his first two gigs was with DJ Skeletron. Tsumyoki and the latter collaborated in the single track "Go Hard" which was released on 4 August 2019. Following this, a gastropub in Candolim offered him his first show. In October 2019, Tsumyoki scheduled the release of the music video for "Save Me" but the project was subsequently postponed. His music is influenced by American culture, and he has sought to incorporate more elements of Indian culture into his work.
In November 2020, Tsumyoki produced "Ketta", a single by Bongisio, a Merces based music artist. The single was mastered and recorded by 2jaym. Before Tsumyoki embarked on his music career, he lacked any Goan rappers to serve as influences since there were no popular artists in that category during that period. He has collaborated with local music artists, producers and influencers like JD, 2Jaym, Elttwo, ZaDaRapper and ZB Memes.

2021–present: Way Too Messy, A Message from the Moon and other work

On 4 September 2021, Tsumyoki released his 15-minute maiden EP, Way Too Messy, it included five tracks with themes of cancel culture, ambition and self discovery. The inspiration behind it was when he and Kidd Mange, were invited to the Gully Gang camp, wherein they were involved in making music. The decision to produce the EP was made at that juncture, and it was well-received by the Gully Gang team. Within two days, three songs were finalized, and the remaining two were subsequently incorporated.
Tsumyoki participated in the 2021 Goa Rap Cypher, where he played a role in both production and performance. Together with nine local artists, they used this platform to raise awareness about significant challenges such as the Mollem situation affecting the region of Goa.

In 2022, Tsumyoki released the upbeat single "Pink Blue" featuring Bharg, which became a hit and has amassed 9 million streams on Spotify as of January 2026.
On 2 June 2023, Tsumyoki released his third studio album, A Message from the Moon, which toggles between the soft pop, afropop, and trap sounds. In the same year, in September, he released the deluxe version of the album which featured four new tracks, featuring Bharg, rappers Calm, Yashraj, and Connor Price, including a remix of "Pink Blue", which featured Price.
In May 2024, Tsumyoki released the single, "WHAT CAN I SAY", featuring Indian rapper and YouTuber Arpit Bala, as the lead single from his EP HOUSEPHULL, which was released the following month.
In April 2025, Tsumyoki was included in the second edition of Rolling Stone India's "Future of Music" list. In August 2025, he released the single "Don't Even Text", featuring Indian indie singer Gini, which blended his indie rap sound with sleek melodies, and became a hit. He performed the single alongside Gini at the 2025 YouTube Fanfest. Tsumyoki also contributed background vocals for the trailer of the 2025 Hindi film Dhurandhar. He released the single, "MIA" with Nigerian singer Muyeez, in July 2026. The song was included in his EP, Afro Yoki, which released in the following month, featuring Afrobeat and Goan influences.

Goa Trap Culture

Tsumyoki is one of the founding members of the boy band Goa Trap Culture (GTC) or the GTC crew. As of February 2021, the band includes local Goan music artists Elttwo, 2jaym, and Kidd Mange. They are best known for their 2021 studio album Daboij, which features a mix of genres such as pop, rock, indie, R&B/soul, hip-hop, rap, and trap music. The album also features guest artists including Vash and Yelhomie, and production from CapsCtrl on some of the beats.
Some of the popular tracks from the album were "Jackets" and "Flex Bomb" which were particularly favored by the GTC crew. These tracks showcased the influence of diverse music genres such as emo and hip-hop. In an interview with Goan Insider, the crew expressed that the album's title was derived from the camaraderie that united them. The initial work on the album began before the COVID-19 pandemic and took about a year to complete.
The band also mentioned that XXXTentacion, Tyler, the Creator, MF Doom, Anson Seabra, J. Cole, Juice Wrld, Lauv and Nucleya were some of their inspirations for each of their tracks. Nucleya advised them on their vocal approach. One of the singles featured on the album, "Sorpotel", is a reinterpretation with Goan influences. It was originally composed by Tsumyoki's grandfather, Joe, who died without receiving credit for his work. As of 2021, the GTC crew plans to collaborate with Oliver Tree, Ritviz, and Divine in the near future.