While the video of Big Dawgs was based on the ‘maut ka kuwa’ (Well of death), the quintessential staple of Indian circus and ‘melas’, Run It Up is a visual stunner that shows India’s deep-rooted traditions. It starts with Kalaripayattu, Kerala’s ancient martial art known for its strikes, grappling, and weaponry followed by Mardani Khel, a Maharashtrian traditional martial art based on sword and stick combat.
Then comes the Gatka, the Sikh martial art blending agility with precision, adding another layer of intensity to the video in addition to Chendamelam, performed on Kerala’s iconic chenda
drums, which is integral to temple festivals and cultural celebrations.
The visual spectacle also features Theyyam, the ritualistic art form from Kerala where performers, adorned in elaborate face paint and costumes, transform into divine entities—most strikingly in the depiction of Garudan Parava, the celestial eagle.
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Throughout 3 minutes and 13 seconds, Hanumankind raps with a self-assuredness that feels fresh in Indian rap-hip-hop. Run It Up shows an India, which is beyond the Western lens of poverty and exotica. It is an India that stands tall, rooted in heritage, yet fully in control of its own narrative.
While hip-hop remains an imported art form,
Run It Up is fully decolonised, rejecting tropes of oppression and instead channelling energy into upliftment. “I put money down, On all of us, On my people now, On what I love,” raps Hanumankind, not merely reflecting personal success, but a collective one.
“We go from angry and mad to happy and glad to find a solution for us
We go from sorry and sad to ready to grab our weapons and get to the fron
I want the money the cash the moola the bag the currency stacking it up
We want the freedom to live and the freedom to have the things we been lacking my bruh” — These are the lines I loved the most.
If you look closely and read beyond and between the lines, you’ll see a quiet revolution in this approach. It’s no longer about proving India belongs in global hip-hop but about hip-hop finding its place within India—on its own terms. Run It Up is a celebration, not of struggle, but of thriving. It’s a vision of a world where abundance is the default, not the exception, and where culture is something to be reclaimed, not just consumed.
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