2008-2012: Early beginnings and Machas with Attitude Brodha V's initial recognition came from active participation in "text battles" on
Orkut, a social media network operated by
Google. In 2008, Speed Ice and D'Brassic, two
Delhi-based rappers, started a forum on Orkut called Insignia Rap Combat which helped found an online space for hip-hop artists to write rap battles. After using "Battle Communities" on Orkut to gain recognition and develop a personal style, Brodha V moved on to composing his own songs. In 2008, he founded
Machas With Attitude (MWA) with Smokey the Ghost and Big Nikk. They collaborated with
Raghu Dixit and performed the song "Dheaon Dheaon" from the movie
Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge. As a solo artist, Brodha V released his first mixtape,
Deathpunch!, in 2011, for a limited audience. In 2012, his next single, "On My Own", was praised for its lyrical complexity and innate Indian quality. Gaining recognition, he released the singles "Aathma Raama" and "After Party" in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
2013-2015: Signing with Sony Music India and disbandment of Machas with Attitude In 2013, Machas with Attitude won the Radio City Freedom Award and met
Vishal Dadlani, who offered to have them work on the film
Chennai Express. This collaboration led them to compose the track "Ready Steady Po" for the film, which brought them further recognition in the music industry. The trio disbanded in 2013 to pursue independent careers. In 2013, Brodha V signed with
Sony Music India. He next released his single "Aigiri Nandini". In 2015, he walked out on his contract with Sony Music, citing creative differences. With the intention of promoting hip-hop in India, Brodha V organized the first Indian rap cypher in Bangalore in 2014. Subsequent versions of the event were organized in Delhi and Mumbai, with upcoming rappers like
DIVINE and Rawal participating in the cyphers. As a solo artist, Brodha V worked with
Anirudh Ravichander ("
Why This Kolaveri Di" music director) for the song "Shake That," used in the score for
Kaaki Sattai. Brodha V produced music for and rapped in "Anu Aunty – The Engineering Anthem", along with author, film maker and entrepreneur
Varun Agarwal and stand-up comedians
Sanjay Manaktala and Sumukhi Suresh, which parodied
Iggy Azalea's "
Fancy" and went viral on social media. A rapper who changed the face of the Indian music scene, Brodha V was also the inspiration for several prominent rappers to take up rap as a career, including
DIVINE. In 2015, he collaborated with singer
Benny Dayal to release the single "Round Round", which was listed as a top 10 track on Saavn. He has also produced music for jingles and anthems.
2016-2019: Brand endorsements and further successes In 2017, Brodha V collaborated with artist Sanjeev Thomas on a campaign to raise awareness for
congenital heart defect using heartbeats donated by the public. In 2018, Brodha V stirred up controversy through his song "Shook Ones- Freestyle", which uses the instrumental from American rap duo
Mobb Deep's 1995 hit single "
Shook Ones, Part II", as he called out artists who plagiarize content from other artists, and drew attention to the disparity in media attention given to artists from South India vs North India. As an ambassador for the cellphone brand OnePlus, Brodha V hosted and performed in the largest unboxing event conducted for the release of OnePlus 6T that set a Guinness World Record. Brodha V has also featured in the
Bollywood movie
Gully Boy directed by
Zoya Akhtar. Brodha V's collaboration with Delhi-based rapper
Raftaar titled "Naachne Ka Shaunq" shot him to fame in mainstream Hindi media in 2019. The track was later included in Raftaar's sophomore album,
Mr. Nair. In the same year, Brodha V collaborated with athletic company
Puma to promote underground music and hip-hop culture in India. In 2019, Brodha V also released his first ever
Kannada rap song, which was his rendition of the song "Maari Kannu" from the 1998 cult classic film
A. In the music video, he questioned Indian society and asks everyone to introspect their values. Brodha V delivered his rendition of the
Gandhian bhajan using a unique
boom bap sound. The song's lyrics, in line with
Mahatma Gandhi's vision of peace and unity, talked about keeping aside differences and looking past religious and cultural backgrounds. Brodha V also released "Vainko", a collaboration with Bangalore-based YouTubers
Jordindian, which instantly went viral and led to the "Vainko Challenge".
2020-present: Injury, collaboration with KR$NA In 2020, Brodha V released "Flex" that features
Punjabi tunes. Two months later, in February 2021, Brodha V released "Aaraam", his second
Kannada track. While speaking about "Aaraam" in an interview with
Mid-Day, Brodha V stated that releasing songs in regional languages "lets him reach out to new listeners". Following an injury that set him back during the pandemic, Brodha V released "All Divine" that featured
Malayalam lyrics, in February 2022. The song featured singer Steve Knight from
Flipsyde and the lyrics focused on Brodha V's "past mental health struggles, the pandemic-enforced isolation and most recently, a torn ligament." In August 2022, Brodha V released Bujjima that features Indian digital content creator Niharika NM in the music video. In September 2022, Brodha V collaborated with
KR$NA and released their much awaited track "Forever" where the two rappers showcased their penmanship. The song won them the
Radio City Freedom Award for the Best Indie Collaboration in 2023. Following the success of Vainko, Brodha V collaborated with comedic duo
Jordindian again in 2023 to release "Basti Bounce" which is touted as the successor for Vainko. In May 2023, Brodha V released his first love song "Azhage" which he stated was a personal challenge to channel deep emotions to expand on his versatility. In March 2024, Brodha V performed at the
Royal Challengers Bangalore Unbox event at
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In December 2024, he released "Dance Away the Night (DATN)", in collaboration with fellow rapper
Paal Dabba with a combination of Tamil and English rap lyrics, that addressed the trials and tribulations both artists have faced in their respective careers. In an interview discussing the shoot for DATN with
The Indian Express's lifestyle paper Indulge, Brodha V shared his background education in filmmaking and talked about his work behind the camera exploring video direction. Shortly after, in January 2025, Brodha V released his third
Kannada track "Hengaithe Maige", garnering a lot of attention in
Karnataka and
South India. His second release for the year, "OM", that features the
Gayatri Mantra chant received significant attention domestically as well as internationally. In this track, Brodha V shows his journey from his younger days to now and is his most intimate and self-reflective track to date. In December 2025, Brodha V released a track titled "Underrated", in collaboration with
Def Jam India. == Etymology behind the stage name ==