Singaporean rapper Yung Raja has had an unprecedented year in 2021. He has set the region alight with hit single after hit single, amassing over 8 million streams and 4 million views on Spotify and YouTube respectively – culminating in his recent, fiery three-track EP, ‘MIKE’.
Forecasted by NME as one of the essential emerging artists of 2021 worldwide, his international influence has even landed on the radar of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and US hip-hop luminaries The Roots – his single ‘Mami’ was featured on Fallon’s popular talk show and The Roots performed a short cover of it. However, Yung Raja isn’t quite ready to end the year just yet.
Yung Raja is set to make his mark in hip-hop history with ‘Qualified’, a new track with unrivalled global West Coast rap legend Snoop Dogg. Over a backdrop of a soulful old-school beat by producer Nottz (Busta Rhymes, Ghostface Killah, Pusha T), Yung Raja displays just what makes him ‘Qualified’ to stand alongside the greats, weaving between English and Tamil lyrics with his signature ease, alongside hip-hop upstart Larry June and R&B singer October London.
Earlier this year, Snoop Dogg joined the Def Jam Recordings family as Executive Creative and Strategic Consultant. The global superstar, entrepreneur, and cultural icon takes his first project for the label, – the massive 32-artist, 25-track Snoop Dogg Presents THE ALGORITHM – worldwide with the release of ALGORITHM (The Global Edition). The new configuration reprises the original album’s 25 tracks – and then adds 15 unique newly-recorded bonus remixes drawn from those tracks. Each new take highlights one or more artists from the eclectic Universal Music Group (UMG) roster from around the world, bringing the album cast to nearly 50 hip-hop and R&B stars.
“There’s so much talent on this record,” said Snoop, “so many styles of music, it breaks the algorithm. Right now, the algorithm is telling us you have to rap this way, you have to sound this way, but they’re not telling you how it’s supposed to feel. My algorithm is going to give you a feeling, not a sound.”
In a nod to Yung Raja’s promising global potential, Snoop Dogg invited Yung Raja to join a star-studded list of hip-hop royalty, as the only Singaporean star carrying the hip-hop torch in the world.
“I would’ve never in a million years thought of being on the same record as someone as legendary as Snoop Dogg,” says Yung Raja. “I grew up listening to him just like every other fan of hip-hop. As a Singaporean Tamil boy, this is definitely one of the most iconic moments in my life. I’m so grateful I get to share this with you. Big thanks to my Def Jam Recordings family for making this happen!”
“ALGORITHM is such a special project to me for so many reasons,” said Snoop Dogg upon the album’s release three weeks ago on 19th November. “I’m excited to bring this album to my fans all across the world as my first under Def Jam Records. Together with a few old friends and the introduction of some of the label’s next-generation artists, we are changing the game by bringing feeling back into music.”
‘Qualified’ (featuring Yung Raja) from the global edition of Algorithm is available now on all streaming platforms. Listen here.
