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Cartel Madras

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Cartel Madras
Background information
OriginCalgary, AB
GenresHip hop
Years active2018-present
LabelsSub Pop, Royal Mountain Records
MembersEboshi
  • Contra
Websitecartelmadras.com

Cartel Madras is a Canadian hip hop duo from Calgary, Alberta, consisting of sisters Bhagya "Eboshi" Ramesh and Priya "Contra" Ramesh.[1][2] They characterize their music as "Goonda Rap" and began their career uploading songs to SoundCloud.[3][4]

Cartel Madras released their debut mixtape, Project Goonda Part 1: Trapistan, in 2018.[5][6][7] In 2019, they signed to Sub Pop and Royal Mountain Records and their EP, Age of the Goonda, was released on November 1.[8][9] Their most recent album, The Serpent & The Tiger was released August 19, 2021.[10]

Formation

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Both sisters emigrated from Chennai, India they are half Tamil and half Malayalee and identify as queer, with Eboshi identifying as pansexual.[2][11][12] They classify their music as "Goonda Rap".[1][2] Their music combines elements of hip hop, house, punk, electronic, and South Indian influences.[13] The duo cite Freddie Gibbs, M.I.A., Scarface, Cupcakke, and MF Doom as influences.[14][15]

Career

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Cartel Madras began by releasing songs on their SoundCloud.[6] Their debut mixtape Project Goonda Part 1: Trapistan was released in 2018. The lead single for the mixtape was titled "Pork and Leek".[5] The duo helped develop a collective known as THOTNATION which consists of close collaborators like Jae Sterling, yungkamaji, and Jide.[2][16] Later that year, Cartel Madras played at Pop Montreal, opening for Cupcakke.[5] At a show at Calgary's Sled Island festival, five months after their formation, they caught the attention of Ishmael Butler, a member of the A&R team of the label Sub Pop.[17]

In 2019, Cartel Madras won $10,000 from the Telus Storyhive grant to film a music video for "Eric Andre (Slick Rick James)".[2] The music video featured cameos from K.d. lang and Vivek Shraya and was released in May 2019.[2][18] In June, Sub Pop announced they had signed Cartel Madras and that new music was being worked on.[8] The duo announced an EP, Age of the Goonda, to be released on November 1, 2019.[9] Two singles were released in the lead up to the EP release, "Lil Pump Type Beat" and "Goonda Gold".[19] After the EP release, the duo announced a series of Canadian tour dates, opening for Hollerado, Fetty Wap, and Clipping.[20] Eventually, the song was announced as a part of the EA UFC4 official game soundtrack.[21] They were included on Vogue India's list of artists set to breakthrough in 2020.[22]

In 2020, Cartel Madras began their first international tour opening for Sudan Archives in North America.[23] Following this tour, it was announced that they would also join Clipping on tour across the United States in May 2020 in support of Clipping's album, There Existed an Addiction to Blood.[24][25] However, this tour would later be postponed due to COVID-19.[24]

In 2020, Cartel Madras released two singles, "WORKING" and "Stay Up All Night", the latter a collaboration with GWS.[26] "WORKING" was later named one of "The most underrated Canadian songs of 2020", by CBC Music.[27] "WORKING" was featured in the soundtrack for the final season of the Hulu series Shrill.[28]

In 2021, the duo released the single, "DRIFT", alongside announcing their forthcoming project The Serpent and The Tiger, which will be the third instalment of their Project Goonda trilogy, after Trapistan (2018) and Age of the Goonda (2019).[29] In May, they also released a single, "Dream Girl Concept" with Jide and Tyris White, alongside a music video that they directed and starred in.[30][31][32] On July 8, they released another single from the upcoming project, "Fear & Loathing", with Dom Dias.[33] The music video for "Fear & Loathing" stars Cartel Madras, Dom Dias, Sheerah, and Sharanya and was directed by Cartel Madras and Jashan Makan.[34] They also participated in the Emerging Wildly project and residency at Yellowknife's Folk on the Rocks festival, along with Partner and Celeigh Cardinal.[35]

Discography

[edit]

Mixtapes

[edit]
  • Project Goonda Part 1: Trapistan (2018)

EPs

[edit]
  • Age of the Goonda (2019)
  • The Serpent and The Tiger (2021)

Singles

[edit]
  • "Pork and Leek" (2018)
  • "Lil Pump Type Beat" (2019)
  • "Goonda Gold" (2019)
  • "WORKING" with Jide (2020)
  • "Stay Up All Night" with GWS (2020)
  • "DRIFT" with Dom Dias (2021)
  • "Dream Girl Concept" with Jide and Tyris White (2021)
  • "Fear & Loathing" with Dom Dias (2021)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Calgary-based hip-hop group redefines 'coolness' by simply existing | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Calgary-based hip-hop duo Cartel Madras draws attention — and music video cameos — from some big names". CBC Music. Feb 20, 2019.
  3. ^ Wadehra, Jashima (2021-04-26). "Reimagining Hip-Hop Landscapes: Cartel Madras Centering Sonic and Visual Storytelling". Brown Girl Magazine. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  4. ^ Lau, Melody (April 24, 2020). "Cartel Madras wants to introduce you to Calgary's new hip-hop scene". CBC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Get Familiar with Cartel Madras: Watch the Video for "Pork and Leek" Now". Complex. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  6. ^ a b "Chennai Meets Calgary: Cartel Madras Put Trap on the Map -". Rolling Stone India. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  7. ^ Barutowicz, Aldona (2019-04-02). "Indo-Calgarian Rappers Cartel Madras are a Study in Juxtaposition and Harmony". Avenue Calgary. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  8. ^ a b "Calgary-Based Rap Duo Cartel Madras Sign to Sub Pop". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  9. ^ a b "Fall 2019 guide: 17 albums you need to hear". CBC Music. Archived from the original on 2019-09-24.
  10. ^ "Cartel Madras Get Backxwash, Dom Dias for 'The Serpent & The Tiger' | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  11. ^ "Cartel Madras x GWS 'Stay Up All Night' South Side Unites With This International Collaboration". Desi Hip Hop. 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  12. ^ "StackPath". xtramagazine.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  13. ^ Gupta, Nidhi. "GQ Vibe: The Rage and Rhyme of Cartel Madras". GQ India. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  14. ^ "Cartel Madras Pave a New Path of Visibility with 'Age of the Goonda'". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  15. ^ "Cartel Madras are creating "Goonda Rap", their very own rap genre". NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  16. ^ "Cartel Madras Drop "WORKING" Video". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  17. ^ "Calgary's Cartel Madras tackle the world with Sub Pop release the Age of the Goonda". calgaryherald. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  18. ^ "Cartel Madras wants to introduce you to Calgary's new hip-hop scene". CBC Music. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25.
  19. ^ "Cartel Madras Share "Goonda Gold" Video". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  20. ^ "Watch: Cartel Madras' Explosive New Single 'Goonda Gold' -". 2019-10-08. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  21. ^ Mazique, Brian. "EA UFC 4 Soundtrack Revealed With Tracks From Eminem, J. Cole, Stormzy, And More". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  22. ^ "12 new musicians set to breakthrough in 2020". Vogue India. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  23. ^ "Sudan Archives Plays Canada on North American Tour". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  24. ^ a b "POSTPONED: CLIPPING with Cartel Madras NEW DATE TBA!". Star Theater Portland. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  25. ^ "Clipping, Cartel Madras". The Stranger. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  26. ^ "Premiere: Cartel Madras and GWS Team Up to 'Stay Up All Night' -". 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  27. ^ "The most underrated Canadian songs of 2020". CBC Music. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04.
  28. ^ Davis, Amanda (2021-05-13). ""WORKING" by Cartel Madras". POPSUGAR Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  29. ^ "Cartel Madras Centre Women, Work and Weed in Their "DRIFT" Video". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  30. ^ Melanson, Jenna. "Cartel Madras releases "Dream Girl Concept" | Canadian Beats Media | Jenna Melanson | Promos". Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  31. ^ "Cartel Madras Envision Their "Dream Concept Girl" in New Video | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  32. ^ "Cartel Madras share new single and video for "Dream Girl Concept"". Toronto Times. 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  33. ^ Meanchoff, Michael (2021-07-26). "FEAR & LOATHING: Cartel Madras previews August project with third single". HipHopCanada. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  34. ^ "Cartel Madras Unveil New Thematic Universe in Slick 'FEAR & LOATHING' Video -". My Site. 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  35. ^ "How Folk's travelling musicians joined forces in isolation". cabinradio.ca. 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
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