Born Kalaivani Nagaraj, the award-winning Singaporean-Indian rapper Lady Kash — armed with charismatic vocal delivery, a gift for songwriting and an electric stage presence — unsurprisingly reflects a raw, unwavering honesty in her artistic endeavours.
As Oscar & Grammy winning composer A. R. Rahman puts it, “She is a mini dynamite”. Embodying a label-less personality, the trailblazer resiliently broke barriers and redefined what had historically been regarded a male-dominated genre when she embarked on a musical journey professionally in 2007.
Often utilizing elements of her (Indian) heritage in her songs, she renders a distinct and signature style that includes a blend of English and her mother tongue Tamizh. Confidently telling it like it is, the wordsmith takes a focus on lyricism and approaches her sound with an amorphous vibe. Lady Kash’s fluidity and straight forward appeal similarly present themselves in all she undertakes. Her music comes from a place of authenticity, rather than a desire to be popular or trending.
Photographer: -
Ethnicity: Singaporean-Indian
Location: Singapore
Instagram: @ladykashonline
Website:
GET TO KNOW - completed April 2025
3 words to describe you:
Tunnel-Visioned, Unwavering, Unapologetic
Describe your sound:
Often weaving elements of my (Indian) heritage, my music renders a distinct and signature style that includes a seamless blend of the English language and my mother tongue Tamizh. Lyricism takes centre stage while I approach my sound with an amorphous vibe, from a place of authenticity rather than a desire to be popular or trending.
Describe the moment you knew that you wanted to pursue music:
I was always drawn to every aspect of the music industry beyond just the forefront even at a young-age, always wondering what it would be like to be a part of such a culturally impactful and dynamic vocational landscape.
How does your heritage impact your art?
Understanding the depth of my heritage enables me to embrace the strength of identity and translate that confidence and grounding sense into the art that I create.
What moment are you most proud of in your music journey so far?
I am most proud of having put together my latest project – Villupaattu (The Live Orchestral Version).
Your next music goal:
I am working towards attaining a top level award such as the Grammys for the sole reason that the credibiltiy that comes with it will allow me to make positive changes for independent artists globally on the scale that it desperately needs and deserves.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who and why?
Kendrick Lamar, Ryan Leslie, Rick Rubin, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot and Pharell Williams.
It is because of the honesty that they bring to their music and the fact that the art remains outside of the box and solely as a product of who they are and what they feel.
Lyrics you live by:
The lyrics I live by are my own. But I do have favorite lyrics:
"Power and the money, money and the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybody's runnin', but half of them ain't lookin'
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me?"
(Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise)
3 songs you're listening to right now:
Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us
Asiwaju - Ruger
I Am Light - India Arie
Your community shout out:
LAYA (@itslayaland) - Because LAYA comes from one of the most oppressive societies in the world and despite that is working sincerely towards unlocking the unapologetic version of her self and artistry so that it may heal and inspire many other youths and females to have the courage to do the same.
Anything else you'd like to share:
As the world’s first English-Tamil female rapper, my journey has been one of quiet perseverance. Eighteen years ago, I stepped into a space that did not exist — rapping bilingually in English and Tamil when there were few maps to follow. As a Singaporean-Indian, crossing borders to carry my roots forward became my quiet rebellion. In 2023, my track "Two Cents" became the first English-Tamil rap to echo in Hollywood, through Netflix’s Never Have I Ever — a powerful step for my independent label.
In 2018, I created Villupaattu — a tribute to an ancient South Indian storytelling art form which is considered to be the Eastern seed of rap, where stories were sung with a warriors bow as their rhythm. In the echoes of history, I found Poongani — the first solo female artist to have practiced the artform — and honored her voice.
Today, Villupaattu (The Live Orchestral Version) rises again — folk, rap, and orchestra woven together without a single hip-hop beat. Villupaattu, Poongani, and I — all bound by the spirit of trailblazing. May the world hear the heart behind the song.
