Raja Kumari’s Second Act: From Writing for Others to Owning Her Own Label

Cover photo: Raja Kumari at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, photographed by Glenn Francis / Pacific Pro Digital. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Used under CC BY-SA 4.0; the locally stored version is resized for delivery and retains that licence.

Raja Kumari’s career is useful because it refuses the false choice between being a writer for other artists and being an artist in your own right. Born Svetha Rao in Claremont, California, she began writing songs at about 12 and trained in Indian classical dance from childhood, according to The Indian Express. Her later work moved through professional songwriting, rap releases, India-facing collaborations and, in 2022, her own Godmother Records. The Indian Express, “Taking on the world” Raja Kumari

That arc offers a grounded lesson for music artists in India: the work that pays your bills can sharpen your craft, but it does not have to become your whole identity. A career can have more than one centre. The real question is whether each stage gives you better songs, clearer authorship and more say in what happens next.

Key takeaways

• Raja Kumari began songwriting around age 12 and trained in Indian classical dance from childhood; those foundations later informed her approach to rhythm and rap. The Indian Express
• Her 2016 project The Come Up and 2019 release Bloodline came through Epic Records before she released 2022’s HBIC through Godmother Records. Rolling Stone India
• Professional songwriting was a career doorway, not a detour: it built writing discipline before she put her own artist identity at the centre.
• A credit, a split and a clear role matter at every stage. Keep the business record as carefully as the creative one.

One Song, Six Credits: the map behind an independent release

Dance taught Raja Kumari to hear rhythm before she called herself a rapper

Raja Kumari has connected her musical ear to her early dance training. In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone India, she said she learned music through rhythm and recognised a relationship between the taals and jathis of Bharatanatyam and rap beats. In a 2019 interview, The Indian Express reported that she began classical dance at five and writing songs at about 12. Rolling Stone India, “Artists Don’t Always Have to Choose Between East and West” The Indian Express

That is more interesting than the usual “East meets West” headline. Dance did not arrive as surface decoration on a finished rap career; it was part of how she understood timing, accent and performance. For a vocalist, producer, instrumentalist or rapper, a first discipline can stay present even after the genre label changes.

The transferable lesson is not to add a cultural reference because a market expects one. It is to find the technique you already practise—rhythm, breath, movement, language, arranging—and let it change the work from the inside. That produces a signature people can hear, not just a visual theme they can recognise.

Songwriting gave the Raja Kumari career a professional foundation

In 2012, Rao decided to pursue songwriting professionally, The Indian Express reported in 2019. The article describes work connected to writers and artists including Iggy Azalea and Gwen Stefani, while a 2016 Rolling Stone India profile noted writing credits for Gwen Stefani and Fall Out Boy. Those credits came before the artistic project that put “Raja Kumari” at the front of the song. The Indian Express Rolling Stone India

For emerging musicians, this is a useful correction to the idea that only the performer role counts. Writing for another artist can teach revision, briefs, deadlines and the difference between a good idea and a finishable song. It can also create a business relationship. But the songwriter needs to know which work is for hire, which work is co-written and which work belongs to their own artist project.

That is why a working credit record is not paperwork to postpone. Before a release, a team should agree who wrote, composed, produced, performed and engineered the track, then keep those decisions in the metadata and contract trail. Our song split-sheet guide explains why shares and credits should be discussed before a song goes live.

Songwriting work can be a studio, a network and a revenue stream. It should not make an artist invisible inside their own long-term plan. Give each project a clear lane: client work, collaboration or personal catalogue. The boundaries make it easier to say yes without losing track of what you are building.

The Come Up made room for a more specific artist identity

Raja Kumari’s 2016 project The Come Up was released through Epic Records, according to Rolling Stone India. The publication identifies Bloodline as a later 2019 Epic release and describes “Made in India” as a crucial early visual statement for the artist. Those releases put a self-authored rap identity beside the professional writing that had come before. Rolling Stone India, “Raja Kumari on the ‘HBIC’ EP”

This is the point where many artists rush to make an identity look complete. Kumari’s story suggests another approach: an artist project can develop through projects, not one final reveal. A debut, an EP, a video and a stage show can each test a different part of the world you are trying to make.

The practical application for an India-based artist is modest. Do not wait for the perfect launch package. Make enough finished work to show the recurring choices: which languages you write in, what rhythms return, who you collaborate with, what the visual world feels like and which audiences respond. A concise music EPK helps collaborators see that shape without mistaking it for a promise of instant scale.

Godmother Records turned independence into a visible career decision

In 2022, Raja Kumari released HBIC through Godmother Records, the label she founded, according to Rolling Stone India and her official biography. In a 2024 Recording Academy interview, she described her roles as songwriter, recording artist and independent-label head, and pointed to rights education and community as needs for music creators. Rolling Stone India Recording Academy, “2024 New Member Class Interviews” Raja Kumari

Starting a label is not a universal next step. It adds administration, accounting, release planning and responsibility. The more useful point is that Kumari made ownership visible: an artist can decide when they want more control over how a project is released, branded and connected to a wider body of work.

For a small team, ownership begins earlier than a company name. It begins with knowing who controls the master, who owns the composition, what permissions a collaborator has granted, and where the final files and credits live. Our music royalties explainer is a useful companion when the conversation moves from a finished track to its different income and rights pathways.

A clear role, a visible body of work and collaborator-confirmed credits make it easier for serious music partners to understand what you do. Build that professional record on Kredl.

What India-based artists can borrow from this story

Raja Kumari’s career is not a template to copy: her background, opportunities and catalog are her own. But four decisions are broadly useful. Build a craft base that is deeper than a trend. Treat paid writing or session work as professional practice. Make your own artist project specific enough to recognise. And learn the ownership and credit questions before someone else defines them for you.

Her story also makes space for a less dramatic view of progress. The writing room, the first release, the first serious stage show and the independent label can be different chapters. None has to cancel the others. For musicians in India, the Raja Kumari career is a reminder that a body of work can widen without becoming unrecognisable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Raja Kumari doing before her own rap releases?

The Indian Express reports that Raja Kumari began writing songs around 12, trained in classical Indian dance from age five, and made songwriting a profession in 2012. Her professional writing work came before the 2016 release of The Come Up, which Rolling Stone India identifies as an Epic Records project. The Indian Express Rolling Stone India

Did Raja Kumari start her own label?

Yes. Rolling Stone India reported that Raja Kumari released her 2022 EP HBIC through Godmother Records, and her official biography says she launched the independent label in 2022. That is a business decision in her own career, not a requirement for every independent artist. Rolling Stone India Official biography

What can a songwriter learn from Raja Kumari’s career?

Her career shows that songwriting and artist development can reinforce each other. Writing professionally before an artist release can build discipline, relationships and credits; it also makes it important to keep roles and shares clear. Start with a written split sheet so creative collaboration does not become an unclear ownership question later.

Does an independent artist need a label to release music in India?

No. An independent artist can release without founding or joining a label, but they still need to handle the work a label often coordinates: masters, metadata, credits, distribution choices, artwork, release planning and rights records. Raja Kumari’s label is an example of choosing greater control at one stage, not a mandatory career route.

Sources, methodology and image credits

This artist story is a career analysis, not an authorised biography. It uses direct interviews, a current official biography and reputable music reporting. We have avoided reporting unverified income, streaming, chart or current-project claims.

• Raja Kumari, “About”, official biography, retrieved 2026-11-06.
• The Indian Express, “Indian-American singer-songwriter Raja Kumari on her influences and Bollywood experience”, published 2019, retrieved 2026-11-06.
• Rolling Stone India, “Raja Kumari: ‘Artists Don’t Always Have to Choose Between East and West’”, published 2016, retrieved 2026-11-06.
• Rolling Stone India, “Raja Kumari on the ‘HBIC’ EP, Madhuri Dixit and ‘Made in India’”, published 2022, retrieved 2026-11-06.
• Recording Academy, “2024 New Member Class Interviews”, retrieved 2026-11-06.
• Cover image: “Raja Kumari 2019 by Glenn Francis”, depicting Raja Kumari at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Photographer and rights holder: Glenn Francis / Pacific Pro Digital. CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-11-06. The locally stored version is resized for delivery.