Template:Infobox musical artist
Arivarasu Kalainesan, more commonly known as Arivu, is an Indian rapper, singer, songwriter and composer. He is best known for his Tamil independent singles, including "Template:Lang", and for his work on film numbers like "Vaathi Raid" from Master (2021), "Single Pasanga" from Template:Lang (2019), "Neeye Oli" from Template:Lang (2021), "Golden Sparrow" from Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam and "Thalapathy Kacheri" from Jana Nayagan (2026).
Early life
Arivu was born in Arakkonam, a town in Tamil Nadu, India, into a family rooted in education and social service.[1] His early exposure to Tamil folk music, Ambedkarite songs, and Arivoli Iyakkam (literacy awareness campaign) songs played a vital role in shaping his musical and ideological outlook. Starting from his teenage years, Arivu developed a deep understanding of socio-political issues, which became one of the central themes in his music. At the age of 18, Arivu released his debut poetry collection titled "Kuninthi Varaverkum Kudisaigal" which dealt with a range of topics spanning from love to socio-political issues.
Career
Casteless Collective (2017–)
Arivu gained widespread recognition through his association with The Casteless Collective, a Chennai-based band that uses music to address caste oppression, inequality, and social reform. Formed by film director Pa. Ranjith in 2017, the collective consists of artists who challenge caste discrimination through a mix of Tamil folk traditions, rock, and rap.In 2017, Arivu auditioned and became a part of The Casteless Collective. Arivu rose to prominence as a songwriter and rapper through his work with the group, including "Jaibhim Anthem" and "Quota Song".[2] Arivu's contributions to The Casteless Collective include songwriting and rapping, where he combines Tamil folklore with modern hip-hop beats to communicate powerful messages. As the prime songwriter for the band, Arivu gained recognition for his powerful lyricism and his ability to draw on multiple storytelling traditions to create a "potent fusion".[3]
Therukural: Debut Album (2019)
In 2019, Arivu's debut album Template:Lang (Tamil: Voice of the Street) was released. Songs such as "Anti-Indian" and "Kalla Mouni" were written to highlight political issues in India and "speak truth to power".[4] Therukural received positive reviews and was featured in Rolling Stone India as one of the top ten Indian albums in 2019.[5][6] "Anti-Indian" was described as a "politically conscious hip-hop song" by Rolling Stone India.[7] His music has won him praise "from commoners and musicians alike"[8] and he has been described as top of the list of people who can to "use the power of music to move the public".[9]
In August 2021, Rolling Stone India called Arivu "the voice of socio-political hip-hop, smashing records and defying social norms", and featured him in its digital cover.[10]
Breakthrough with Enjoy Enjaami (2021)
In 2021, Arivu achieved a career milestone with the release of Enjoy Enjaami, a Tamil single produced by the music label Maajja.[11] Enjoy Enjaami broke the glass ceiling for Tamil independent music by garnering more than 500 million views in YouTube (as of November 2024). Collaborating with singer Dhee, Arivu wrote and performed verses that tell the story of Tamil landless laborers, colonial exploitation, and the community's connection with nature. The song's unique blend of traditional and contemporary elements, combined with Arivu's poignant verses, made it a viral hit on streaming platforms, with half a billion views globally. The success of Enjoy Enjaami brought Tamil independent music to the forefront and earned Arivu recognition as a dynamic new artist on the international stage. His contribution of fusing the traditional genre of Oppari with modern rap in his writing and delivery is seen as one of his authentic trademarks.
In Enjoy Enjaami, Arivu explores the complex history of his grandmother Valliyamma, an immigrant tea-plantation labourer from Sri Lanka. According to the lyricist, Arivu, the song was written as a celebration of his roots, harkening back to a time when humanity was a fledgling civilization, living in harmony with the turns of the earth and the many lives that shared it with them. Later, for the occasion of World Music Day, Enjoy Enjaami was remixed by DJ Snake for Spotify Singles.
Arivu and The Template:Lang Band (2022–)
Arivu also leads the 10-piece band Template:Lang, founded in 2022. The band draws on modern Western musical elements such as rapping and beatboxing, as well as traditional Indian music traditions such as oppari and gaana.[10] Template:Lang is a colloquial term in Tamil for 50 paisa.[9]
Coke Studio Tamil Season 1: Curator
In 2023, Arivu is offered the opportunity to be the curator for the Coke Studio Tamil season 1 along with Sean Roland. He wrote and performed the single Sagavasi along with Khatija Rahman, which became the most listened-to song of the season with 23 million views on YouTube. Arivu's Ambassa band's debut song, Tamizh Vazhthu, was premiered on Coke Studio Tamil Season 2.[12]
Discography
- All works is in Tamil, unless specified otherwise.
Albums
- Therukural (2019)[6]
- Valliamma Peraandi – Vol. 01 (2024)[13]
Singles
| Year | Title | Composer | Songwriter | Peak chart
positions |
Template:Refh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UKAsian[14] | |||||
| 2020 | "Monkeys with 5G" | Arivu | Arivu | [15] | |
| 2021 | "Don't Touch Me" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Template:N/a | [16] | |
| 2021 | "Enjoy Enjaami" | Santhosh Narayanan, Arivu | 5 | [17] | |
| 2022 | "Candy" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | [18][19] | ||
| 2024 | "TVK Ideology Song" | Arivu | Template:N/a | [20] |
Films
Television
| Year | TV series | Credited as | Song(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyricist | Singer | ||||
| 2021 | The Family Man | Template:N | Template:Y | "Maaveerarukku Maranamila" | Season 2; composed by Sachin–Jigar |
| 2024 | Bigg Boss Season 8 | Template:Y | "BB Anthem" | ||
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Template:Refh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Lyricist – Tamil | "Neeye Oli" | [21] |
| Edison Awards 2022 | Best Tamil Rapper of the Year | Template:N/a | [22] | |
| News18 Magudam Awards 2022 | Arts and Culture | Template:N/a | [23] | |
| 2023 | Vikatan Nambikkai Awards | Top Ten Youth | Template:N/a | [24] |
References
- ↑ In Conversation With Anti-Caste Artiste Arivu: Rapping For Equality, Sree, Ardra K.. Feminism in India(2020-09-07). Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ↑ The Casteless Collective Is Breaking Caste Boundaries With Its Music. Vice(2019-06-24). Retrieved 2024-05-04.
- ↑ Ground Zero | How Chennai's Casteless Collective uses music to talk about social and political issues. The Hindu(2019-03-15). Retrieved 2024-05-04.
- ↑ Speaking truth to power with Arivu and ofRO. The Hindu(2019-08-02). Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ↑ 10 Best Indian Albums of 2019, Xalxo, Anurag Tagat David Britto and Jessica. Rolling Stone India(2019-12-31). Retrieved 2024-05-05.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 'Therukural' by Arivu-ofRO is a brilliant Tamil hiphop album, Shekar, Anjana. The NEWS Minute(27 June 2019). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ↑ 5 New Politically Conscious Hip-Hop Songs Out This Election Season, Tagat, Anurag. Rolling Stone India(2019-04-24). Retrieved 2024-05-05.
- ↑ Rapping truth to power: Arivu pulls no punches in his album 'Therukural', Seetharaman, G.(21 July 2019).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Arivu's New Band 'Ambassa' Explores The Rich Heritage & Lore Of Tamil Culture, Sunil, Samyukhtha. Homegrown(2022-05-24). Retrieved 2024-05-04.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Arivu, the massively popular and groundbreaking Indian rapper, will play an intimate outdoor show at UCSC's Quarry Amphitheater, presented by the Center For South Asian Studies, White, Dan. UCSC Newscenter(15 September 2023). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ↑ How Arivu of 'Enjoy Enjaami' fame is influencing lives of people around him, Subramanian, Lakshmi. The Week(23 May 2021). Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ↑ Template:Cite AV media
- ↑ Spotify. open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ↑ Singles on UK Asian Music Chart:
- "Enjoy Enjaami": Asian Music Chart Top 40: 26 March 2021. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ↑ Arivu and Madan Gowri's 'Monkeys with 5G' talks of modern discrimination. The news minute(13 May 2020). Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- ↑ Yuvan's independent single with Arivu and Yunohoo to be released on June 26. The Times of India(21 June 2021). Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ↑ Dhee ft. Arivu – Enjoy Enjaami (Prod. Santhosh Narayanan)(6 March 2021).
- ↑ Yuvan Shankar Raja and Dhvani Bhanushali's new Hindi track 'Candy' released. The Times of India(3 March 2022). Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ↑ Template:Cite AV media
- ↑ Template:Cite AV media
- ↑ Winners Of The Filmfare Awards South 2022 – Tamil. filmfare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
- ↑ Edison Awards 2022.
- ↑ Template:Cite AV media
- ↑ Template:Cite AV media