Goa-born artist Tsumyoki is among the most exciting voices in Indian independent music, blending hip-hop, pop, R&B, dancehall and global influences into a sound rooted in his Goan identity. Signed to EMPIRE in partnership with Gully Gang Entertainment, he has amassed 150M+ streams across platforms with breakout records including "Don't Even Text," "Pink Blue" and "Ek Do Ek." His work has earned editorial support across major streaming platforms, with “Don't Even Text” peaking at #3 on Spotify India's Viral Chart, while Rolling Stone Italy named him among its Future 25 artists to watch.

An MTV EMA Best Indian Act winner, Tsumyoki has collaborated with artists including DIVINE, Nucleya, Jay Sean and Gini, while partnering with global brands such as Adidas, Crocs, Lenskart and Jack & Jones. 
Photographer: 

Heritage: Indian (Goan - Mumbaikar)
Location: Goa (India)

Connect: Instagram

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3 words to describe you:
Feels like a question for my friends to answer, not me. But if I had to, the three words are: "I am Tsumyoki." I don't really like describing myself. You can just go off people's perceptions.

Describe your sound:
Good.

Tell us about you early music memories and the moment you knew you wanted to pursue music:
I wrote my first song in sixth grade and then didn't touch it again for years. I used to sing a lot as a kid, but then I fell in with a group where trying at art was seen as lame, so I'd tell myself I didn't want to sing either. The SoundCloud era pulled me back in. By the time I was 17 I knew I wanted to become the greatest musician of all time, and I'd only actually gotten into music about a month before that. I knew nothing about it.

I'm a talented entertainer, but I was never a talented musician. My real talent is being on stage when I perform. I didn't know anything about making music, so I had to put every ounce of hard work into getting good at it. That creates crazy imposter syndrome, because you look at naturally talented people and think, I had to work for this, I didn't just have it.

How does your heritage impact your art?
Where I come from, my family is such a mix, so many different languages spoken, that I grew up surrounded by all these different music cultures. I think that's what gave me the urge to try everything. But honestly, more than heritage itself, what shaped me most was my family and the education in art they put me through.

What moment are you most proud of in your music journey so far?
Probably winning an MTV EMA. But it wasn't the winning itself, it was telling my mom. I'd never seen her cry that fast in my life, and that moment meant more than the award. Though I'm proud of the award too, of course.

Your next music goal:
I don't really keep goals in music. If anything, my next goal is just to make something people feel. I used to set goals, then I realised how boring it is to plan everything out, so now I just go with the flow.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who and why?
I'd want to collaborate with Karan Aujla. There's a lot I feel I could learn from getting in the studio with him, and I can see myself adhering to his sound. I'd obviously love to work with someone like Young Thug too, but I don't naturally see myself fitting that sound the same way. Then again, you never know what can happen once you're in the studio.

A song that has shaped you:
I don't think I can pick just one song or one artist, because that does an injustice to all the other music. I'm a culmination of hundreds of songs. But if I had to name one that stands out, it's "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley, mostly because it's my go-to karaoke track and my warm-up song before I go into the studio. Whether it actually shaped me is a different question, but it's the song I've sung the most in my life outside of my own.

3 songs you're listening to right now:
Impulsive - thekidszn
SOCKERKOLA - Jalda
Group Chat - Famous Pluto and Muyeez. 

Anything else you'd like to share:
'MIA' comes out 10th July, AFRO YOKI OTW, dropping on 7th August.