Utkarsh and Kaly: Blazing The Trail for South Asian Rapping

Utkarsh Ambudkar, aka UTK, is an actor, rapper, and singer. He features in the CBS hit show Ghosts, and is also known for his roles in Pitch Perfect, The Mindy Project, and Never Have I Ever. Kaly, aka Kunal Patel, is a highly-respected rapper who has collaborated with artists such as Indian musical composer and Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. In addition, he is an entertainment lawyer.These guys have been friends forever, but they’ve never really worked together. Now, in collaboration with their producer, Shankar Tucker, they have released their independent seven-track EP titled Too Grown Men, exploring themes of heartbreak and struggle and defying stereotypes.In this episode, we dive into the familiar theme of growing up on the fence between American and South Asian cultures and how they dealt with it. The guys also talk about their own personal growth and experiences as artists, their starts in the early Indian music scene,  what they each bring to their music, and their plans for the future.
 

• The Story of Too Grown Men: Utkarsh and Kaly dive into the creation of the EP and the theme of growing up between cultures and achieving a sense of freedom + Don’t Care, the first album Utkarsh and Kaly worked on together + how Utkarsh’s writing compliments Kaly’s prolific output + getting married and having kids + their producer Shankar and white people who are more Indian than Indians (03:45)
• Back in the Day: Utkarsh talks about leaving college, VJing for MTV, and his first break + the early Indian music scene and meeting Karsh Kale and future Grammy winners Goldspot(13:10)
• Indian Music Scene: Kaly celebrates his good luck in working with A.R. Rahman + Punjabi rappers going viral on TikTok + Indian artists who now write for mainstream performers (16:52)
• Out on the Road: Utkarsh lays out his movie and TV schedule for the next six months + how he’d love to tour with Kaly and his wife + not getting enough Indian food in the White House + the age and beauty of Indian culture (19:01)
• Growing up Indian and American: Kaly talks about not growing up in India and seeing his relatives in India every six months + Ami and Utkarsh go deep into what makes a healthy attitude to being South Asian and American,  proudly wear the flag on your chest or just relax and operate as a human being + Utkarsh describes being relaxed about taking roles originally for white and black people, and being less worried about what people think + Kaly and Ami discuss growing up brown and being ignored rather than discriminated against + the importance of a natural, organic pride in South Asian culture (23:40)
• Organic Chemistry in the Studio: The story of the song Bring in the 808s. From thinking up the first line driving into the studio to writing the whole song in less than an hour (30:53)
• Rapid Fast Round: Highlights include rapping at the Oscars, asking Tom Hanks’ wife permission to use the restroom and changing in a janitor’s dressing room (35:24) 

Connect with Utkarsh: 

• Instagram
• IMDB page
   

Connect with Kaly: 

• Instagram
• YouTube channel
   

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

 This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

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Tuckered Out with Ami Thakkar