Vighnesh Shivanand (known as Brodha V), is an Indian hip-hop artist and music producer. Born in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India, on March 23, 1990, Brodha V started rapping at the age of 18, earning recognition through online rap battles, drawing inspiration from early 90s East Coast rappers such as Eminem, Nas, Jay-Z, and Wu-Tang Clan. Rising quickly to prominence in the Indian music scene with the release of his mixtape Deathpunch, Brodha V released his debut studio single “Aathma Raama” incorporating a blend of hip-hop, Hindustani classical, Carnatic classical, and Indian folk into a unique style inspired by his personal experiences. Over the next several years, he released over 20 singles including “Aigiri Nandini” (2014) “Round Round” (featuring Benny Dayal) (2016) and “Shook Ones Freestyle” (2018). Gaining a reputation for his political and social overtones, Brodha V performed his rendition of the Gandhian Bhajan "Vaishnava Jana To" (2019) in the finale of Indian rap reality TV show "MTV Hustle", where he also appeared as a guest judge, to considerable acclaim. Recording new music while simultaneously collaborating with and mentoring upcoming rap artists, Brodha V released several tracks over the next few years including “Flex” (2020), “Booyah For Your City” (2021) (featuring Ikka, Cizzy, StreetViolater and Kidshot), “Bujjima” (2022) and “Forever” (2022) featuring KR$NA. Continuing to push the boundaries of Indian hip-hop, Brodha V released catchy rap track “Basti Bounce” in January, 2023, appearing with popular comedy sketch duo Jordindian in the music video which surpassed over 5 million views in under a month.
