Hanumankind Makes Indian Hip-Hop History at Coachella Debut
Hanumankind performs at the Mojave Tent during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 12, 2025 in Indio, California. Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Coachella
Indian hip-hop star Hanumankind took over the Mojave stage at Coachella festival on Apr. 12, 2025, delivering a power-packed performance featuring chenda drummers, Houston hip-hop artist Maxo Kream and hits like “Big Dawgs,” “Run It Up” and “Go To Sleep.”
Taking the stage at around 8:25 pm PST (around 9 am IST), the rapper made a dramatic entrance, following a thunderous performance by a group of chenda players. HMK was also accompanied by drummer Sange Wangchuk and guitarist Krishna M. Sujith and kicked into a thundering new song and spoke to the audience about how it was his first time performing a full set in the U.S.
Later on, the rapper revealed that he was recovering from a fever. “That fever’s hitting me hard,” he said at one point. Running through songs like “Go To Sleep,” “Rush Hour” and more. Among the newer material, the rapper called on Houston artist Maxo Kream for an unreleased song. At another point, he said, “I couldn’t come this far and not bring you a gift from India.” With the visuals and stage decor inspired by The Art of War and Hanumankind’s roots (designed by New Delhi artist Aaquib Wani), Hanumankind called back chenda drummers on stage for a drum-driven, raw version of “Run It Up” and kicked right into the studio version of his 2025 single.
Flexing and dancing around on stage, there was a roar for one more song. The artist obliged, closing his set with his international breakout track”Big Dawgs.” He bowed out and said, “It’s an honor to perform for every single fucking one of you. You guys have been an incredible audience, till next time all right.”
Hanumankind’s Coachella set comes on the back of growing Indian and South Asian representation at one of the biggest festivals in the world. In 2023, Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh performed, as did Pakistani-American pop artist Ali Sethi. Last year, R&B/pop artist Sid Sriram and Punjabi-Canadian hitmaker AP Dhillon took over as well. In addition to Hanumankind, electronic act Indo Warehouse are also performing across two weekends at Coachella, bringing dance, dhol drummers and collaborators during their set.
The first Indian hip-hop artist to perform at the festival, Hanumankind returns to Coachella for a second time on Apr. 19, 2025.
Read Hanumankind’s September 2024 Rolling Stone India cover story here.
