Arpan Kumar Chandel, professionally known as King, is an Indian singer-songwriter, rapper, and music producer. In 2019, he rose to fame as a finalist on the MTV India reality show MTV Hustle.[1]
He is best known for his singles "Ghumshudaa" (2019), "Tu Aake Dekhle" (2020), "Oops" (2022), and "Maan Meri Jaan" (2022).[2] "Maan Meri Jaan" achieved substantial commercial success, becoming the most streamed song of 2023 on Spotify India, and other music streaming platforms.[3]
Arpan played for the national under -20 team for four years during his time in college. Despite his athletic achievements, he eventually dropped out to focus on his passion for rapping.[6]
King began sharing his music online through his YouTube channel, "King Rocco," which he launched in 2012. He continued to upload his music to various social media platforms while in school.[7] In an interview with NME, he cited early musical influences including pop groups like the Backstreet Boys and Vengaboys.[8]
Career
His professional career began in 2019 with his participation in the inaugural season of the rap reality show MTV Hustle, where he was judged by Raftaar, Raja Kumari, and Nucleya. He rose to fame as a finalist on the MTV India reality show MTV Hustle in 2019.[9]
Following MTV Hustle, King released his debut album, The Carnival, in 2020. The album featured the sleeper hit "Tu Aake Dekhle," which became his first breakthrough and garnered significant attention, becoming one of his signature tracks and a chart-topping hit.[10][11] He followed this with his second album, The Gorilla Bounce, in 2021.[12]
In 2022, King made his major-label debut with his Khwabeeda EP, which featured tracks like “Baazi”, “Ektarfa”, and “Sinner” and was his first release with Warner Music India.[13] Later that year, he released his album, "Champagne Talk" which consisted of singles like “Pablo”, "Oops" and "Maan Meri Jaan," which went on to become the most streamed song on Spotify, Apple Music, and Shazam in India in 2023.[14][15] He subsequently released multiple versions of "Maan Meri Jaan" featuring artists from different language backgrounds, including a Hindi-English version titled "Afterlife" with Nick Jonas.[16] “Maan Meri Jaan” was also featured in Spotify’s Top 50 Viral Charts in 2023.[17]
In April 2023, King partnered with Indian entrepreneur Raj Shamani and his company, House of X, to launch his debut perfume brand, Blanko.[18][19]
In 2023, King released a three-track EP titled Shayad Woh Sune, which included songs such as "Laapata" and "Teri Ho Na Saki."[20] Following the EP's release, he launched his fourth studio album, New Life, featuring collaborations with international artists Gucci Mane and Julia Michaels.[21] Tracks such as "Crown," "Good Trip," and "Sarkaare" from the album garnered critical acclaim, with "Good Trip" being featured in the Grammy Recording Academy’s Global Spin series.[22][23] Additionally, his song "We Are The Ones" was included in the official soundtrack for EA SPORTS FC 24.[24] He performed a 9-city tour across India in support of his album New Life. The tour included performances in Bengaluru, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Goa, among other cities.[25]
In the same year, Sony India appointed King as the brand ambassador for its audio product category.[26] He was also shortlisted as one of GQ India’s 35 Most Influential Young Indians and performed at the closing ceremony of the Indian Premier League Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.[27][28]
In 2024, King released his fifth studio album, Monopoly Moves, featuring collaborations with Indian rappers like MC Stan, Ikka, and Raftaar.[29] He also released the single "Bumpa" with Jason Derulo in the same year,[30] as well as his long-awaited collaboration “Aawara” with American producer KSHMR and Indian singer Zaeden.[31] King partnered with Red Bull to release “Shining Star,” which served as the official anthem for the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2024.[32]
That year, King attended the 77th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Brut India delegation, becoming the first Indian pop artist to walk the red carpet at the event.[33] He was later featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in the Entertainment & Sports category.[34] In April 2024, he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone India as part of their Future of Music ‘24 list.[35]
^Shah, Masumi (20 August 2024). "Rap music is a huge ecosystem in India now: King". Times of India. Retrieved 22 August 2024. From his early days at MTV Hustle to producing hits like Maan Meri Jaan and Tu Aake Dekhle and coming up with albums like The Carnival to his latest Monopoly Moves, King has come a long way.
^"King". Apple Music. Retrieved 26 August 2024. Also known as King Rocco, the man born Arpan Kumar in 1997 made his first waves in India's hip-hop community with a self released pair of confrontational early singles, "Zinnda" and "Hitman".
^"Warner Music India Signs Indian Breakout Artist King". PR Newswire. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2024. He even released a remix for his groovy track "OOPS," featuring Masked Wolf of the viral chartbuster "Astronaut in the Ocean" fame.
^Tagat, Anurag (29 October 2023). "KKING Flexes a Diverse Catalog at 'New Life' Tour Kickoff in Bengaluru". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 26 August 2024. Whether it was moshpits or sing-alongs, KING balanced it all with songs across his catalog, traversing synthwave, jazz, rock, tropical house vibes and a tip of the hat to Bollywood/Indipop with his version of "O Mere Sona Re Sona" from 1957's Teesri Manzil
