Beyond the Mic: The Many Ventures of Yung Raja

On a given weekday, you can find rap artiste Yung Raja in the studio tightening a verse, meeting a publicist over lunch at Maha Co (his dosa-taco restaurant), checking RSVPs for the opening of his private golf lounge, or arranging his accommodation for an upcoming Louis Vuitton men’s show in Paris – all before dinner.

 While these endeavours may seem far removed from rap music, the very thing that catapulted him into the spotlight, he insists these additional feathers in his cap add to the persona that is ‘Yung Raja’ – the moniker of Rajid Ahamed Yousuf Arafat.

When asked if he is a musician or businessman at his core, the 30-year-old Tanglish (Tamil and English) rapper said: “I am a creative. Music is a costly business. Somebody has to pay for a studio, the producer, and for the original composition. Then pay for engineering, mixing, mastering, and, of course, the music video and marketing. Naturally, I had to make myself a business.”

At heart, Raja knows he is the “PR guy, a spokesperson” – the one who draws audiences to the projects he takes on.

For instance, Pharaoh’s Horses, a luxe-street fashion and lifestyle brand founded by Feroze McLeod, was looking for a way to elevate its profile and spread the brand name.

“I have been working with Feroze for a long time. I joined Pharaoh’s Horses about a year ago. Since then, I have delivered our jackets to Jackson Wang, Kehlani, took some jackets to India and gave Hrithik Roshan and Shruthi Hassan one too,” he shared excitedly. 

Enthusiastic name-dropping aside, Raja’s ability to market and sell is hard to overlook. 

Another such venture, Maha Co, a Mexican-Indian fusion restaurant marrying dosa and taco, was entirely inspired by his mother’s humble, home-cooked fare that defined his childhood. 

This venture even took him to Wonderfruit, a five-day festival held in the fields on Pattaya’s outskirts, as an official vendor.

“I was taking orders at Wonderfruit, which felt surreal because I was selling my mum’s thosai that I ate since I was five to people from all around the world,” he said. 

Underpinning all of this is a studied indifference to external opinion. Raja said he is aware of scrutiny, especially when it comes to artists who step outside their original pursuit. 

“You cannot lean too far into the criticisms or the compliments. Whether someone believes or doubts in my businesses, they are contributing…you’re making sure that my name is relevant,” he said.

This spirit, as evidenced by Raja’s conversation with tabla!, is born of his desire to push the envelope for Tamilians everywhere. “I don’t like the way Tamilians are framed. Why are we so grossly underrepresented in global conversation? Are we not palatable?” he questioned and emphatically gestured to the walls of Maha Co.

Located in one-north, Maha Co’s brick-and-mortar location was teeming with posters of his superhero, Rajinikanth, alongside many other Tamil pop culture icons. 

The Indian superstar, whom Raja met earlier this year, serves as the blueprint. “In all these film posters, Rajini was not wearing any designer clothes, but he had a sense of style which connected with me when I was only four. So I thought, if I can have my own sense of style which changes someone’s perception of me, I’d be onto something,” he said. 

That learning has stayed with him as he navigates his businesses. “You are self-employed and operating in one of the most unforgiving environments in the world, but this is my life’s work,” he noted, adding that he sees these various ventures as an enduring part of his legacy. 

While his drive might suggest a solitary pursuit of success, he is deeply aware that his achievements are built on his team’s dedication. 

“If you are not thinking about your team – the people around you that have enabled these blessings –  then I feel like you got the game wrong,” he said.