Indian-origin singer-songwriter and rapper Raja Kumari has won the American Music Awards (AMA) for Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 at the 51st AMA held in Los Angeles.
She was nominated in the Favourite Soundtrack category, becoming the first Indian-origin musician to be nominated for an AMA.
‘Renegade (We Never Run)’ from ‘Arcane League of Legends’, a collaboration between Kumari, UK hip-hop artist Stefflon Don and Dominican-Brazilian artist Jarina de Marco, was nominated under the Favourite Soundtrack category.
Kumari said, “Honestly, I’ve felt like an underdog in a lot of situations and all eyes on the underdog which is a lyric from City Slums. I’ve always had to believe in myself, and this win just confirms that belief and encourages me further. I’m so excited to bring this home for India.”
“Stefflon (Don) and I kind of share the Sidhu (Moose Wala) connection. She has a song with Sidhu, too. And when I was meeting Sidhu during the time that we were collaborating, he had played me the song. So, I’ve always had this soft spot in my heart for her because we both kind of share this gentle giant,” she added.
She said she was approached for the song because the character in the film is Indian.
She added, “I put a lot of Indian flavour into the song. I included a thal and really showcased my culture. So, for this to win, it just means that the times are changing and that people genuinely love our music. I can’t wait to show the world what I have planned next.”
“They (Arcane team) had heard about me as being representative of our culture and being able to make aggressive music as a woman,” Kumari stated.
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She said the song actually went top 10 in the world on the ‘Viral 50’ charts on Spotify. The rapper said, “It was something that kind of came out of nowhere. I just did a song for a film. I didn’t have many expectations for it. It ended up really impacting people.”
