The last couple of years have been big for Raj Mahal. In 2020, he released his 11-track EP RAW DAWG, which was a no-holds-barred look into his life, as well as a chance to flex his creative muscle. He's continued that momentum into 2021, featuring on EAST AV3's track Olympics, which was a timely reminder of Raj's energy on the mic.

To keep the good times going, he's just released a new track with Sydney-based, Brooklyn-born MC Danté Knows, and it's an aspirational track that serves as self-motivation for the pair. Speaking about the track, Raj says, “Racks is just us talking shit and having fun. We made it during the first lockdown so we definitely didn’t have any racks but it was just the mentality we had once the track was being made. Kind of like having foresight for what’s to come in our future."

To celebrate the release of Racks, as well as the full-length project, Disturbed, that Raj has in the works with producer Domba (who also worked on Racks), we're introducing you to the world of Raj, and what makes him tick.

Who is Raj Mahal?

Born in Boston, Raj Mahal's family has always been involved in rap. Speaking to DJ Booth, he explains, "I was always a big music fan. My uncles used to rap in Boston, in the underground scene. Everything they did, I wanted to do, so eventually, I made my first track. I gave up everything to try and pursue this full-time."

He moved to Australia after meeting his producer, Domba, and becoming friends with him through a mutual mate. He made the move to Australia in 2016, before deciding to stay in late 2017. As he puts it, "The more I got my feet wet and more established within the scene, I said, “My life’s here,” and [I’m not] getting into whatever nonsense everyone’s getting into [back in Boston]."

What does Raj Mahal's music sound like?

Raj's music mixes elements of hip-hop, rap, punk and electronic together, and it's always been slightly off-kilter. He listens to experimental hip-hop acts like Death Grips and Ho99o9, and it's not hard to hear their influences in his music - especially on RAW DAWG.

However, growing up he was also listening to a lot of southern hip-hop, and he told Acclaim, "I look up to my uncles a lot. And growing up they played a lot of Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, Three 6 Mafia, all those dudes from the south. It was the music I was listening to in my teens and even my childhood, and it only felt right to pay homage to the artists who got me into rap in the first place." He also says his favourite Gucci Mane track is Smoke, which Gucci features on alongside DJ Drama, Willie Da Kid and Lonnie Mac.

Speaking about moving to Australia, he told Life Without Andy that the first Australian hip-hop track he ever heard was by one of Melbourne's most iconic rappers. He says the track was "Take You To The Movies by Bangs. We used to play that shit at work all the time at work back in Boston." Game recognises game.

Given his background in writing (Raj majored at College in Journalism and English), Raj has always mixed the energy of his music with bars that are worth repeat listens. As he explains to Acclaim, "I’ve always been fascinated with words. The intellectual side of music is important because I need to feel what you’re saying. If what you’re saying doesn’t have substance, it’s not going to resonate.



"There are people out there who are actually listening to what you’re saying, and you have no idea how much you can affect [their] life positively by saying something with substance. It can get them out of [their] struggle—your words can go miles. It’s very important and I feel as if people need to put more emphasis on it."

READ MORE: INTERVIEW: Aussie Rappers EAST AV3 And Raj Mahal On Their Huge New Track 'Olympics'

What's next for Raj Mahal?

Raj has a string of releases in the pipeline, which is set to culminate in a full-length project, Disturbed, alongside Domba. He says it's set to "capture a very experimental sound and push us into a different realm of artistry." Stay tuned for new music from Raj and his collaborators, because there are many more ear-thumpers on the way.