The Indian rapper and playback singer known as Arivu was born Arivarasu
Kalainesan in Arakkonam, a town 60 kilometers west of Chennai. He grew up in a
middle-class Christian family and was exposed to Indian traditional music from a
very young age. His literary ambitions materialized during his high school years
as he began writing poems addressing subjects like caste and poverty. While
attending college, he met film director Pa. Ranjith, who brought him on board as
a lyricist for his 2018 action drama Kaala and invited him to join his band The
Casteless Collective. In 2019, Arivu...