Spotlight On... Raj Mahal

When we stumbled upon Raj Mahal’s application to play Kelburn Garden Party this year, we struck gold. Not only is he a talented rapper and band leader, but he’s also a brilliant promoter and educator, highly involved in his community and working to make things better. He seemed like the perfect Sunday evening warmup for a lineup that later includes Chef the Rapper and SAY Award winners Kai Reesu, so we reached out and I’m delighted to say he plays for us on The Pyramid Stage this Sunday at 7:45pm. Ahead of his appearance, we catch up with Raj Mahal to find out more about his inspirations, work he’s doing in the community and what we can expect from his performance this weekend.

Firstly, I’d love to know, how long have you been making music for and who/what inspired you growing up to get into music?
I played guitar for a year when I was nine. My teacher stopped our lessons because I refused to play with a pick. After that I started an art business when I was ten, made WWE wrestlers in a South Park character generator, stencilled my computer screen with paper and pencil and brought them into school like the shady guy in New York Times Square with all the watches on his arm. We made £40 in a week. Teacher threatened to call the police on me if I continued.

I wasn’t allowed to study art because my dad was a programmer and he wanted me to do computing instead. But here we are. One time when I was little, my dad was driving me around town and hopped out the van to do an errand. I turned up the radio, The Real Slim Shady came on and I was hooked.

As a part of the Scottish music scene, you wear a lot of different hats – rapper, bandleader, DJ, promoter, so I’d love to know what inspired you to get involved in the scene and what have some of your highlights been to date?
I was going to open mics at uni in St Andrews but never took it super far. When I moved back to Glasgow after dropping out, I went to the poetry nights at Inn Deep run by Sam Small. I started to hone my craft a bit and then lockdown happened. I just used all that time alone to either play video games or work on music. Luckily I did enough of the latter for it to go somewhere.

Highlights have gotta be releasing my first song SHEESH in the summer of 2021, working with the Soul Level Collective group (they’re so lovely and supportive), running my first gig in May 2024 at The Old Hairdresser's, playing the International Jazz fest at Nice N Sleazy and opening up for Kapil Seshaseyee, making my first moshpit with Raj Against the Machine at bloc+ last March, playing the Fringe as a DJ last year, having the best gig of my life in November 2025 with a six-piece jazz band (Ewan Johnstone is a wizard), dancing in a green morph suit for 30 minutes in front of 2000 people at the Barrowlands for Sean Choon & The Prawn Monsoon this January, becoming a hip-hop educator last month via Theatre of the Oppressed Scotland, performing at my first camping festival (Eden) two weeks ago, and I’m sure Kelburn will make the same list.

As a rapper, who are some of the artists you look to for inspiration and what is it you love about their work?
corto.alto shows how much talent exists in Scotland. We can match any country in the world. The proof is clear. Those basslines! The drums! The sax! It’s another level. Eminem got me into rapping so he needs a mention – the man rhymed orange with four-inch and door hinge. Enough said.

Sean Choon puts on the most fun gigs I’ve ever been to. He’s incredibly silly in the best way and the dedication, creativity and sheer passion for life that he has is infectious. When I grow up, I wanna be like Sean Choon.

Back in April you released Green Light, featuring RamZee and Guapo Venom. I’d love to know more about the song and what inspired its creation?
Me and RamZee wanted a tune together since we’ve been mates for a few years and worked together in Soul Level Collective. Never watched Squid Game but I liked the whole 'red light green light' thing. I just thought it would be cool to get a crowd to say that. Guapo sent a verse and the rest is history.

Collaboration seems to be a big part of what you do as an artist, so I’d love to know how these collaborations come about and what’s the process like for working on a song like Green Light with other rappers?
I grew up doing competitive sports like snooker, martial arts and football so I view collabs the same way. RamZee is high level and I figured it would push me to be a better artist if we worked together. And she’s really lovely so it’s always good craic. The hip-hop scene is relatively small in Glasgow and I pretty much know everyone by this point so I just message whoever I wanna work with and eventually we get a song done when folk have free time.

As an artist you seem very community-driven. I'd love to know more about some of the other projects/organisations you’re currently working with?
Theatre of the Oppressed Scotland have brought me on as a hip-hop educator which is an incredible pleasure. I’ve been doing workshops with the exceptional Acevision, who’s been teaching and doing all sorts for ages. Teaching is something I’ve wanted to do, so I’m very grateful. The dream is to teach all over the world and help build a curriculum to be taught in Scottish schools so watch this space!

I’m a member of Love Music Hate Racism, who put on gigs and raise awareness against the rise of the far-right which means a lot to me considering all the racist experiences I’ve had in life and tend to have on a near daily basis. Im a half Punjabi, half Scottish bisexual that was raised Sikh and the last thing I need regarding my safety is the rise of the far right. Reform UK gained 17 seats in Scottish Parliament last election and anything I can do to push things in the opposite direction will always be worth every second of my time!

We have a show on 7 August at The Rum Shack to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rock Against Racism, and that’ll be the perfect time to bring out my Raj Against the Machine band for a good old mosh pit.

We’re very excited to welcome you to Kelburn Garden Party this weekend. For anyone who’s not seen you live before, myself included, what can the Kelburn masses expect from your Sunday evening set?
I like mosh pits. I also like Beethoven. That’s why we’re bringing the Beethopit to the masses at Kelburn. Expect the unexpected. We’re all going on a mad wee journey when the stage is mine. I don’t wanna spoil too much, just expect chaos and the best Glasgow has ever had to offer when it comes to hip-hop, punk and mixing cultures. I’ve never worked harder on a gig. I cannot wait to see your reaction! Weeeee.

And what does the rest of the year have in store for Raj Mahal?
I've a new song out on 10 July called Like That with Rain Corner. If you like Tame Impala and Loyle Carner, you’ll dig it. I’m dropping an EP by the end of the year. Expect consistent music from here on out until 2027.

Im going to help make a hip-hop curriculum to be taught in Scottish schools via Theatre of the Oppressed Scotland. That should start being taught in September. Looking to run plenty hip-hop workshops across Glasgow, Edinburgh and Northern Ireland to empower Black and Brown voices so they can use the tool of hip-hop and spoken work to overcome structures of oppression.

Myself and Love Music Hate Racism have that show I mentioned on 7 August with my band Raj Against the Machine. On top of that, there’s the Govanhill International Festival and Carnival from 1 to 16 August; I’ll be hosting the final day of the festivities so come along!

Steer Queer is a hip-hop event I run that highlights the queer community in Scotland. This will return either late this year or early next year.

The goal is to perform in India in November when I travel there with family. I haven’t visited in four years and I want to share my art with my Punjabi brothers and sisters. I miss Punjab and want to feel that sense of home that I’ve been missing. It’s a blessing to go there and I want to visit the golden temple and thank god for anything and everything.

I want to show the world that you can go after your dreams if you work for them. Just do so much work that it would be unreasonable for you to be unsuccessful. Anyone can be anything if they can outwork anyone.

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Like That is released 10 Jul; Raj Mahal plays Kelburn Garden Party, Sunday 5 Jul; Raj Against the Machine play The Rum Shack, Glasgow, 7 Aug; Raj Mahal hosts at the Govanhill International Festival and Carnival, 16 Aug

Follow Raj Mahal on Instagram @rajmahalmusic