Contrabands, a joint venture between leading music label Universal Music India, India's premier Entertainment channel Vh1 and leading live music venue Hard Rock Café, has signed on Indian rapper and hip-hop musician, KRSNA.Established as a unique platform for independent music in the country, Contrabands has gone on to sign Krsna, its third artiste after launching EDM sensation Lost Stories and Mizoram based rock band Boomarang in 2013.

KRSNA is one of the first exponents in this genre from India and Universal Music India’s joint initiative will promote the hip-hop genre, having previously supported promising electronic dance music and rock musicians. KRSNA, the upcoming and talented hip-hop musician from New Delhi, is all set to launch his debut album ‘SELLOUT’ with a live performance at the Hard Rock Café, Worli this week.

Hailing from the country’s capital New Delhi, KRSNA has previously received widespread media attention for his socio-political songs rapped in Hindi under the alias ‘Prozpekt’. The young rapper aspires to go beyond commercial rap having witnessed its surge in Bollywood and its dilution into mainstream pop with little or no emphasis on lyrical value. His debut album is a step towards giving a face to the Indian hip hop music scene.

SELLOUT is touted to be an excellent amalgamation of influences of underground rap and commercial hip hop. Hoping to strike a chord with the youth, the braggadocio rap is set alongside contrasting images of regret from the past and an uncertainty about the future. KRSNA’s upcoming album can be seen as a departure from traditional perceptions of rap and a step into new musical territory so far unexplored by Indian audiences.

Commenting on his launch, KRSNA said, “I'm excited to launch my debut album with Contrabands and have a major like Universal supporting me. India is seeing a resurgence in Hip Hop music with the indie crowd finally embracing it and I hope to make my mark in the music industry with my style of rap/hip hop music, which is less commonly seen in India. My album is far from the grips of Bollywood, yet it maintains a commercial vibe. My aim with Sellout was to have the listener experience the dillema every artist faces - the choice between personal artistic satisfaction and large commercial success since they rarely intertwine."

Speaking on the occasion, Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director, Universal Music/EMI Music, South Asia said, “Often music that does not fit in the popular music mould fails to reach out to music lovers and falls short of a good platform for release and promotion. Through Contrabands we have always aimed at promoting and giving a chance to independent, budding and offbeat musicians of our country. We are very proud to present KRSNA under our label. We are confident that SELLOUT will find a place in every rap and hip-hop lovers playlist.”

Commenting on the occasion Ferzad Palia, SVP & GM, English Entertainment, Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd. said, “India has an incredible pool of music talent that only needs recognition to make it big. We are proud to bring forth properties like Contrabands which gives these artists, like Krsna, their due recognition through a mainstream platform. With the third artist being launched by this property, we are happy to partner with Universal Music and Hard Rock Café once again in discovering such talent and wish Krsna good luck in creating great music in the future.”

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Mahtani, Co-Founder JSM Corp. said, “Hard Rock Cafe has always been an ardent supporter of upcoming talent in the country. We are extremely happy to launch Krsna as the artist for Contrabands and announce his tour at Hard Rock Cafes in various cities. This isn’t the first time Hard Rock Cafe has supported emerging artists; it is one of our clear focus areas and we will always extend our support to these artists and provide them with a platform that they truly deserve. Through Hard Rock Rising, Global Battle of the Bands and Contrabands, we continuously strive to do our best to develop the independent music scene. We are confident that all music lovers will love Krsna's performance and will help us make this tour a great success for him.”​