Rapper KR$NA has opened up about his track ‘Boom Shaka’ unexpectedly becoming the anthem for student protests held across India in June and July. The rapper revealed he had no idea the song would take on this new identity, calling the viral moment completely unplanned.
KR$NA on ‘Boom Shaka’ becoming the protest anthem
Speaking to Hindustan Times, KR$NA said he was caught off guard by the shift. He said, “Ye gaana usse thoda pehle aaya tha, but it just happened since it was already picking up on social media at that time. Meta pe already trending tha gaana.”‘Boom Shaka’ released on April 28 and had already built strong buzz within its first month. However, the track truly exploded after Reels set to the song began appearing in videos from student protests at Jantar Mantar and other locations across India. As of August 21, the song has crossed 76 million views on YouTube, making it one of KR$NA’s most-watched music videos to date.Fellow rapper Raftaar, who judges the show ‘Legacy’ alongside KR$NA, compared the song’s surprising resurgence to Michael Jackson‘s ‘Beat It’ regaining popularity after his biopic. He said, “Michael Jackson, Kokahan Patathaki, 2026 mein dobara number one ho jaayega dobara ‘Beat It’.” KR$NA agreed and added, “Basically it’s just (the right) time and place sometimes.”Raftaar also spoke about rebellion being central to hip-hop as an art form. He said, “It’s not just against a human being. It’s not only political. It’s probably just about where he or she is in life at the moment and their circumstances. Without rebellion, you will never indulge in the art of rap.”
KR$NA on rap’s different journey In India
KR$NA noted that hip-hop’s trajectory in India differs sharply from the West. In the same interview, he explained, “Rap didn’t come out of rebellion in India. In fact, the first big wave of hip-hop in India was very commercial. Yes, there was an underground movement that us rappers were aware of. But here, the journey of rap has been in reverse, from commercial to the underground.”Raftaar and KR$NA currently judge ‘Legacy’, a talent show aimed at discovering India’s next generation of hip-hop artistes. The show streams on Zee5 and on Kalamkaar’s YouTube channel.
