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King: The Rapper-Singer's Breakout

Arpan Kumar Chandel, known professionally as King (or King Rocco), is one of the defining figures of Indian hip-hop's mainstream moment. Born on 10 October 1995 in Uttar Pradesh, he went from uploading songs on YouTube to having the most-streamed song of 2023 on Spotify India — and a collaboration with Nick Jonas.

Early Life

Arpan was born in Uttar Pradesh and attended a government school before enrolling at Vinay Marg Navyug Secondary School in New Delhi. He later gained admission to Dyal Singh College through the sports quota to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree, and played football for the national under-20 team for four years. Despite his athletic achievements, he eventually dropped out to focus on his passion for music. His early musical influences included pop groups like the Backstreet Boys and Vengaboys.

Starting Online

King began sharing his music online through his YouTube channel, "King Rocco", which he launched in 2012. He kept uploading his music to various social media platforms while still in school, building an audience long before the industry noticed him. During his struggling days, he worked a part-time job and used his salary to buy musical instruments — first a guitar, then FL Studio and other production software.

MTV Hustle

In 2019, King rose to fame as a finalist on the MTV India reality show MTV Hustle, a search for the best rap and hip-hop artist in India. The show gave him the national platform his years of uploads had been building toward. He later returned as a squad boss on the show's second season.

The Hits

King is best known for his singles "Ghumshudaa" (2019), "Tu Aake Dekhle" (2020), "Oops" (2022), "Pablo" (2022), and "Maan Meri Jaan" (2022). "Tu Aake Dekhle" became a lockdown-era anthem, and "Maan Meri Jaan" achieved widespread commercial success, becoming the most-streamed song of 2023 on Spotify India. Its reach went global when Nick Jonas collaborated on the version titled "Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife)". King made his Bollywood debut with the song "Sahi Galat" from Drishyam 2 (2022).

Beyond the Music

King has released albums including The Carnival (2020), Champagne Talk, and New Life, and the EP Shayad Koi Na Sune. He was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list for Entertainment & Sports in 2024, became a brand ambassador for Sony Audio, and launched his own fragrance, Blanko. His blend of rap, indie, pop, and emotional depth has made him one of the most important voices in Indian pop.

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