Vighnesh Shivanand (born 27 March 1990), better known by his stage name Brodha V, is an Indian hip-hop artist, lyricist, rapper and music producer. Born in Kanchipuram, the Tamil Nadu-based artist started rapping at the age of 18 and took part in online rap battles on Orkut. As an independent artist, Brodha V released a mixtape called Deathpunch which had a limited release and which garnered him some attention from the hip hop fraternity and the independent music circuit in South India.
Storypick called him "one of the best rappers in the country", and he was featured in ScoopWhoop's list of top ten Indian hip-hop artists who deserve more recognition. Rolling Stone India considers him part of "hip-hop's elite". The popularity he garnered led him to be signed by Sony Music India in 2013 and he released his single "Aigiri Nandini" under their banner. He has also collaborated with other artists in the Indian film industry such as KR$NA, Raghu Dixit, Vishal Dadlani, Benny Dayal, Raftaar and Anirudh Ravichander.
Career
Brodha V's initial recognition came from active participation in "text battles" on Orkut, a social media network operated by Google. In 2008, Speed Ice and D'Brassic, two Delhi-based rappers, started a forum on Orkut called Insignia Rap Combat which helped found an online space for hip-hop artists to write rap battles. After using "Battle Communities" on Orkut to gain recognition and develop a personal style, Brodha V moved on to composing his own songs.
In 2008, he founded Machas With Attitude (MWA) with Smokey the Ghost and Big Nikk. They collaborated with Raghu Dixit and performed the rap portions in the song "Dheaon Dheaon" from the movie Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge. In 2013, the trio won the Radio City Freedom Award and met Vishal Dadlani, who offered to have them work on the film Chennai Express. This collaboration led them to compose the track "Ready Steady Po" for the film, which brought them further recognition in the music industry. The trio disbanded in 2013 to pursue independent careers.
As a solo artist, Brodha V released his first mix tape, Death Punch, in 2011 for a limited audience. In 2012 his next single, "On My Own", was praised for its lyrical complexity and innate Indian quality. Gaining recognition, he released the singles "Aathma Raama" and "After Party" in 2012 and 2013 respectively. In 2013, Brodha V signed with Sony Music India. He next released his single "Aigiri Nandini". In 2015 he walked out on his contract with Sony Music, citing creative differences.
As a solo artist, Brodha V has worked with Anirudh Ravichander ("Why This Kolaveri Di" music director) for the song "Shake That," used in the score for Kaaki Sattai. Brodha V produced music for and rapped in "Anu Aunty – The Engineering Anthem", along with author, film maker and entrepreneur Varun Agarwal and stand-up comedians Sanjay Manaktala and Sumukhi Suresh, which parodied Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" and went viral on social media. With the intention of promoting hip-hop in India, Brodha V organized the first Indian rap cypher in Bangalore in 2014. Subsequent versions of the event were organized in Delhi and Mumbai. A rapper who changed the face of the Indian music scene, Brodha V has also been the inspiration for several prominent rappers to take up rap as a career, including DIVINE. In 2015 he collaborated with singer Benny Dayal to release the single "Round Round", which was listed as a top 10 track on Saavn. He has also produced music for jingles and anthems.