Camp costumes, cryptic clues and Chennai slang: Paal Dabba does not sound like anyone else in Indian hip-hop. In four years, the former dancer has gone from his first single to singing on film albums by A. R. Rahman, G. V. Prakash Kumar and Sai Abhyankkar.

Paal Dabba at a glance

Real name: Anish
Born: 17 January 2000
From: Pulianthope, later Vyasarpadi, Chennai
Before music: dancer with the Bfab dance crew
Label: Think Music India (Think Indie)
Breakout songs: 170CM, Kaathu Mela, Galatta

Why is he called Paal Dabba?

Paal dabba means milk box. Anish picked the name because of his love for cold milk.

From dance floors to the mic

Anish was a professional dancer first. With the Bfab dance crew he appeared on reality shows and won national competitions, including Breezer Vivid Shuffle in 2019. His first single, 3SHA, came out in 2022 while he was still with the crew.

The songs that made him

1. 3SHA (2022). The debut.
2. 170CM (2023). A trippy, pop-culture-heavy track via Think Music that was featured in Apple's Work is Worth It campaign.
3. Galatta (2024). His verse on Sushin Shyam's song for the Malayalam hit Aavesham crossed 30 million streams and charted in India and the UAE.
4. Kaathu Mela (2024). Made with producer OfRo, it went viral on Instagram and entered Spotify India's Top 100. The video, set in a police station, was directed by Paal Dabba himself.
5. Vibe with Sickflip (2025) and United by Hip Hop with Reble, Vichaar and 99side (2025).
6. Psilovibin and Adada with Killa K (2026). Adada turns the 1968 classic Thillana Mohanambal into a rap battle. Read about it at https://mediamarvels.in/news/killa-k-paal-dabba-adada-thillana-mohanambal-def-jam.

The film run

Paal Dabba has said he prefers making independent music and does film songs to bring more people to the indie scene. That strategy is working:

1. His Name Is John, Dhruva Natchathiram (Harris Jayaraj)
2. Makkamishi, Brother (Harris Jayaraj)
3. God Bless U, Good Bad Ugly (G. V. Prakash Kumar)
4. O Maara, Thug Life (A. R. Rahman)
5. Idi Mazhai, 3BHK (Amrit Ramnath)
6. Oorum Blood, Dude (Sai Abhyankkar)
7. Raathu Raasan, Karuppu (Sai Abhyankkar). Read more at https://mediamarvels.in/news/karuppu-soundtrack-arivu-paal-dabba-sai-abhyankkar.

He is also set to make his acting debut in director Vijay Milton's Tamil-Telugu bilingual film.

Recognition

Rolling Stone India named him one of its Future of Music artists in 2024, Amazon Music picked him as a breakthrough artist to watch, and he won Independent Rap Singer (Tamil) at the 2024 Behindwoods Gold Mic Music Awards. He has also performed at Spotify's Rap 91 Live and Rolling Loud India.

What makes his music different

Paal Dabba has said Afrobeats shapes his sound, his costumes and even his hairstyle. Add Chennai street slang, kuthu and gaana references, dancer's timing and absurdist storytelling, and you get a rapper who is impossible to confuse with anyone else.

Paal Dabba: FAQs

What is Paal Dabba's real name?
Anish.

How old is Paal Dabba?
He was born on 17 January 2000.

What does Paal Dabba mean?
Milk box. He chose it because he loves cold milk.

What are Paal Dabba's best songs?
170CM, Kaathu Mela, Galatta and Adada.

Which films has Paal Dabba sung for?
Aavesham, Good Bad Ugly, Thug Life, 3BHK, Dude and Karuppu, among others.

Tamil rapper with a new single? Get it heard across India. Promote your music on Media Marvels at https://mediamarvels.in/promote.

Image: A vinyl record on a turntable. Photo via Wikimedia Commons, used under its free licence.