Adhi pays tribute to Malaysian fans and said his admiration for Malaysia extends beyond music, acknowledging its role in fostering Tamil-independent music.- Photos from City Production.
HIP HOP TAMIZHA, one of South India's superstar musician, is set to rock Kuala Lumpur on Aug 3 during his 'Return of the Dragon' concert to be held at the KL Base in Sungei Besi.
Said to be India's answer to the hip hop music scene, the 34-year-old Adhi together with his partner Jeeva has a big following in Malaysia.
So popular is the singer, when he visited a popular mall in Brickfield, hundreds of fans crammed the ground floor just to catch a glimpse of the singer and hear him during the Meet-The-Fans session.
Considered to be the pioneers of Tamil hip hop music in India, Hiphop Tamizha is an Indian musical duo. They rose to fame with their independent composition Club le Mabbu le, which released in 2011.
The duo consisting of Adhithya Ramachandran Venkatapathy aka Adhi and R. Jeeva were discovered and launched as an official brand by the international brand Remy Martin. In 2012, the duo released their debut album Hip Hop Tamizhan, India`s first Tamil hip hop album.
Whilst Hip Hop Tamizha primarily worked as independent musicians, they have also composed music for films. They made their debut as a composer with the movie Aambala (2015).
Their other film compositions include Aranmanai 2 (2016), Kaththi Sandai (2016), Meesaya Murukku, a Tamil-language romantic musical starring Adhi, Aathimika, and Vivek. Their 2018 releases include Kalakalappu 2, Krishnarjuna Yuddham and Imaikkaa Nodigal.
Their 2019 projects include Natpe Thunai, Mr. Local and Comali. Their 2020 release includes Naan Sirithal. In 2021, they composed music for the sports drama movie A1 Express.
Recently, the duo composed the songs and music for the superhit Tamil movie Aranmanai 4, which was in fact the highest Tamil box office movie so far.
What sets apart Adhi from all the other musicians is his super down-to-earth attitude and friendliness to all his fan.
Unlike the many other super top singers with all their whimsical attitudes, Adhi sets them all apart with his cool and friendly demure. Even on Sunday during the event, he was seen modest and shy at most times.
"First and foremost, I love musics. It is my passion and I found my voice through the hip hop music scene. The fame and success came along the way, but the fans listen and love my songs for what it is, that is what gives me joy and happiness," Adhi has said many times during his interviews.
To top it off, he has also proved to be a splendid actor. He has seen much success in his movie career and has hits like Meesaya Murukku, Natpe Thunai and last year's superhit Veeran. Recently, his movie PT Sir launched in April also did some decent business.
And even as an actor he has set himself apart from the others. Unlike the so called 'mass hero' trend, Adhi's movies always comes with solid social messages. And most of his movies also does not see him the usual romantic or dancing around the trees routines.
"I just want to set a good example for all. And if I can do that and get full support from the fans, that is indeed an accomplishment," Adhi added.
As for the concert on Aug 3 in KL "Just come and join me ... we are going to have a blast."
He added that he is so thankful to the Malaysians for their immense support and he loves the way the fans in this country have always interacted with him over th years.
"It will be an unforgettable concert. For me, my life started at this stage and I will always be involved in life performances. That is where I got my fans. It is not for the money ... never will be ... stage concerts is where I join all my fans and have a fantastic night of live music, together me and and my fans," sais Adhi during the Meet-The-Fans session in Brickfields.
So popular is the singer, the tickets were sold a week after it went out in the market. In fact, after the first batch of 14,000 tickets were sold out, organisers City Production had announced last week they will sell an additional 1,000 tickets due to the very high demand. It is not a surprise, those tickets are already selling fast and in its last lap.
City Production's top executives K. Rishi and Govinda Reddy Rajagopal also had thanked all the fans for their support and their eagerness to catch a glimpse of Hip Hop Tamizha at the concert.
"It has been a great response," said Rishi. "Fantastic. I take this oppurtunity to promise all fans that this concert will a night that many will not forget. It will be an experience that no one will forget. We will rock the night."
The organisers also promised that HipHop Tamizha, the pioneering force in Tamil hip hop, plans to pay tribute to the birthplace of Tamil Hip Hop when he ignites the stage in Sungei Besi.
At press conference cum meet the fans session, HipHop Tamizha Adhi expressed his deep-rooted connection with Malaysia, hailing it as the cradle of Tamil Hip Hop.
“Malaysia and Tamil Hip Hop are synonymous,” he remarked passionately. “Since Malaysia is the birthplace of Tamil Hip Hop, I wanted to prioritise and kick off my world tour here. To me, Malaysia is the capital of Tamil Hip Hop.”
Reflecting on the journey to bring the concert to Malaysia, Adhi shared, “It took three years for many Malaysian organisers who tried to bring HipHop Tamizha here, but we were busy trying to build a solid base before curating our World Tour - Return of The Dragon.
While Adhi has made a significant mark in Tamil cinema, he reaffirmed that music remains his foremost passion.
“I have always wanted to be a non-film artist.
“With this concert, I give my Malaysian fans exclusive information: we have just launched HipHop Tamizha Productions. I aim to unite Tamil Hip Hop artists worldwide under one platform. We have truly come full circle and believe we have set the base for more independent artists to join us,” he said.
Adhi’s commitment to the independent music scene was palpable.
“I believe in unfiltered art and staying true to the independent scene without the interference of film music.
“This Return of The Dragon concert is a unique event; we won’t be revisiting this concept again,” he said.
Organised by City Production under the stewardship of Rishi and Govinda, the concert has already sold out, prompting the organisers to open an additional zone due to overwhelming demand.
Recalling his humble beginnings, Adhi reminisced, “I started on stage with just five to six people. Now, I want to return to the stage - this is my base, hence the name Return of The Dragon.”
Adhi’s admiration for Malaysia extended beyond music, acknowledging its role in fostering Tamil-independent music.
“Malaysia is very special to me. I want to give a shoutout to Malaysia for its support of the Tamil independent music scene.
“Even before they hype of film music, Malaysia already had an alternative scene where they devised a separate genre called “Samba Rock” created by Darkkey who is a huge influence,” he said.
During his visit, Adhi also met Darkkey to extend an invitation to perform at his concert, adding to the excitement among fans. He also credited local artists and groups like Yogi B, Psychomatra, Chakra Sonic and Rabbit Mac for their influence in Tamil Hip Hop.
With his upcoming concert in Wembley London, Adhi will make history as the first Tamil Hip Hop artist to perform at the OVO Arena Wembley, underscoring his global influence and commitment to Tamil Hip Hop’s growth.
"My concert in Malaysia symbolises a tribute to the birthplace of Tamil Hip Hop, celebrating its evolution from an alternative scene to a global phenomenon. Just watch me go and be there to enjoy the night with me," he said.
In short, get set for a night of super duper music in fireworks style presented by a musician, who just loves his trade and fans.
