Forever Yung

How a young Rajinikanth fan used music to tell his story, becoming one of Singapore’s promising rappers

- Akila Kannadasan

“Oh yes, I speak Tamil,” says Yung Raja over a patchy phone call from Delhi. Suddenly, the conversation warms up. The American accent gives way to fluid Tamil and the 23-year-old opens up about life, his love for India, and his music. “I’m the youngest son in my family that has three sisters, so everyone called me ‘chinna thambi’,” he says. “This translated to ‘young’ and I kept it as part of my name. Yung Raja, also translates to Ilaiyaraaja, doesn’t it?” Yung performed at Singapore Weekender, a three-day experiential festival, organised by the Singapore Tourism Board in collaboration with St+art India Foundation, that concluded in Delhi last week.