Prime Minister Narendra Modi met internet sensation rapper Hanumankind at the ‘Modi Aur America’ event held at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York on Sunday, September 22. The event was part of his three-day visit to the country. He also hugged other artists Aditya Gadhvi and Devi Sri Prasad who performed at the international event.

Videos of Kerala-born rapper Suraj Cherukkat, who goes by the stage name Hanumankind, performing at the ‘Modi & US’ event were widely shared on the internet. The videos show the audience enjoying his performance and dancing in their seats. After his performance, the rapper met Prime Minister Modi, who shook hands with him and hugged him, possibly praising his performance. Prime Minister Modi also said “Jai Hanuman” before hugging him.

Singer Aditya Gadhvi also performed in front of PM Modi and a crowd of 13,500 people. Aditya took the internet by storm last year with his song Khalasi, which “tells the story of a boundless sailor who sets out to explore the shores of Gujarat.” Composer Devi Sri Prasad, popular for his music in films such as Pushpa: The Rise and Valtair Veeraya, was also present at the event and met PM Modi.

Indian community members from Tamil Nadu performed the traditional musical instrument ‘parai’ at the event ahead of PM Modi’s address. Earlier on Sunday, a group performed Mallakhamb, an acrobatic art born in Maharashtra, outside the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York.

Hanumankind is emerging as one of the leading figures in mainstream hip-hop with tracks like ‘Big Dogs’, ‘Rush Hour’, ‘Genghis’ and ‘Go To Sleep’. Suraj spent his formative years in Texas and incorporated Texas-influenced sounds in the ‘Big Dogs’ music video, creating a perfect blend of Desi and global elements.