Cartel Madras Explained

Cartel Madras
Origin:Calgary, AB
Genre:Hip hop
Current Members:Eboshi
  • Contra
Years Active:2018-present
Label:Sub Pop, Royal Mountain Records
Website:cartelmadras.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

Both sisters emigrated from Chennai, India they are half Tamil and half Malayalee and identify as queer, with Eboshi identifying as pansexual.[11] [12] They classify their music as "Goonda Rap". 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

Cartel Madras began by releasing songs on their SoundCloud. Their debut mixtape Project Goonda Part 1: Trapistan was released in 2018. The lead single for the mixtape was titled "Pork and Leek". The duo helped develop a collective known as THOTNATION which consists of close collaborators like Jae Sterling, yungkamaji, and Jide.[16] Later that year, Cartel Madras played at Pop Montreal, opening for Cupcakke. 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)". The music video featured cameos from K.d. lang and Vivek Shraya and was released in May 2019.[18] In June, Sub Pop announced they had signed Cartel Madras and that new music was being worked on. The duo announced an EP, Age of the Goonda, to be released on November 1, 2019. 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

Mixtapes

EPs

Singles

References

  1. Web site: Calgary-based hip-hop group redefines ‘coolness’ by simply existing The Star. thestar.com. en. 2019-06-17.
  2. Web site: Calgary-based hip-hop duo Cartel Madras draws attention — and music video cameos — from some big names. Feb 20, 2019. CBC Music.
  3. Web site: Wadehra. Jashima. 2021-04-26. Reimagining Hip-Hop Landscapes: Cartel Madras Centering Sonic and Visual Storytelling. 2021-05-27. Brown Girl Magazine. en-US.
  4. Web site: Lau. Melody. April 24, 2020. Cartel Madras wants to introduce you to Calgary's new hip-hop scene. live. May 28, 2021. CBC. https://web.archive.org/web/20200425030808/https://www.cbc.ca/music/cartel-madras-wants-to-introduce-you-to-calgary-s-new-hip-hop-scene-1.5538613 . 2020-04-25 .
  5. Web site: Get Familiar with Cartel Madras: Watch the Video for "Pork and Leek" Now. Complex. en. 2019-06-17.
  6. Web site: Chennai Meets Calgary: Cartel Madras Put Trap on the Map -. 2018-11-05. Rolling Stone India. en-US. 2019-06-17.
  7. Web site: Indo-Calgarian Rappers Cartel Madras are a Study in Juxtaposition and Harmony. Barutowicz. Aldona. 2019-04-02. Avenue Calgary. en-CA. 2019-06-17.
  8. Web site: Calgary-Based Rap Duo Cartel Madras Sign to Sub Pop. exclaim.ca. en-ca. 2019-06-17.
  9. Web site: Fall 2019 guide: 17 albums you need to hear. CBC Music. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190924170541/https://www.cbc.ca/music/fall-2019-guide-17-albums-you-need-to-hear-1.5290229 . 2019-09-24 .
  10. Web site: Cartel Madras Get Backxwash, Dom Dias for 'The Serpent & The Tiger' Exclaim!. 2021-07-14. exclaim.ca. en-ca.
  11. Web site: 2020-09-26. Cartel Madras x GWS 'Stay Up All Night' South Side Unites With This International Collaboration. 2021-05-30. Desi Hip Hop. en-US.
  12. Web site: StackPath. 2021-05-30. xtramagazine.com.
  13. Web site: Gupta. Nidhi. GQ Vibe: The Rage and Rhyme of Cartel Madras. 2021-04-19. GQ India. en-gb.
  14. Web site: Cartel Madras Pave a New Path of Visibility with 'Age of the Goonda'. exclaim.ca. en-ca. 2019-12-15.
  15. Web site: 2019-11-12. Cartel Madras are creating "Goonda Rap", their very own rap genre. 2021-02-11. NME Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. en-GB.
  16. Web site: Cartel Madras Drop "WORKING" Video. 2021-02-02. exclaim.ca. en-ca.
  17. Web site: Calgary's Cartel Madras tackle the world with Sub Pop release the Age of the Goonda. 2021-02-10. calgaryherald. en-CA.
  18. Web site: Cartel Madras wants to introduce you to Calgary's new hip-hop scene. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200425030808/https://www.cbc.ca/music/cartel-madras-wants-to-introduce-you-to-calgary-s-new-hip-hop-scene-1.5538613 . 2020-04-25 . CBC Music.
  19. Web site: Cartel Madras Share "Goonda Gold" Video. exclaim.ca. en-ca. 2019-10-11.
  20. Web site: Watch: Cartel Madras’ Explosive New Single ‘Goonda Gold’ -. 2019-10-08. en-US. 2019-12-15.
  21. Web site: Mazique. Brian. EA UFC 4 Soundtrack Revealed With Tracks From Eminem, J. Cole, Stormzy, And More. 2021-02-02. Forbes. en.
  22. Web site: 12 new musicians set to breakthrough in 2020. 2021-02-02. Vogue India. en-IN.
  23. Web site: Sudan Archives Plays Canada on North American Tour. 2021-02-02. exclaim.ca. en-ca.
  24. Web site: POSTPONED: CLIPPING with Cartel Madras NEW DATE TBA!. 2021-02-02. Star Theater Portland. en-US.
  25. Web site: Clipping, Cartel Madras. 2021-02-02. The Stranger. en.
  26. Web site: 2020-09-25. Premiere: Cartel Madras and GWS Team Up to 'Stay Up All Night' -. 2020-12-28. en-US.
  27. Web site: The most underrated Canadian songs of 2020. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175151/https://www.cbc.ca/music/the-most-underrated-canadian-songs-of-2020-1.5826770 . 2020-12-04 . CBC Music.
  28. Web site: Davis. Amanda. 2021-05-13. "WORKING" by Cartel Madras. 2021-05-30. POPSUGAR Entertainment. en-US.
  29. Web site: Cartel Madras Centre Women, Work and Weed in Their "DRIFT" Video. 2021-02-02. exclaim.ca. en-ca.
  30. Web site: Melanson. Jenna. Cartel Madras releases "Dream Girl Concept" Canadian Beats Media Jenna Melanson Promos. 2021-05-30. en-US.
  31. Web site: Cartel Madras Envision Their "Dream Concept Girl" in New Video Exclaim!. 2021-05-30. exclaim.ca. en-ca.
  32. Web site: 2021-05-26. Cartel Madras share new single and video for "Dream Girl Concept". 2021-05-30. Toronto Times. en-CA.
  33. Web site: Meanchoff. Michael. 2021-07-26. FEAR & LOATHING: Cartel Madras previews August project with third single. 2021-07-31. HipHopCanada. en-CA.
  34. Web site: 2021-07-16. Cartel Madras Unveil New Thematic Universe in Slick 'FEAR & LOATHING' Video -. 2021-07-31. My Site. en-US.
  35. Web site: 2021-07-15. How Folk's travelling musicians joined forces in isolation. 2021-07-19. cabinradio.ca. en-US.

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