“I think hip-hop for me was liberation,” Raja Kumari tells Apple Music’s Ebro in the latest episode of The Message. “It's always been this vehicle through which I can communicate the duality of my identity.” Kumari is a first-generation Indian American rapper whose music is a compelling bridge between both cultures. Her approach is one that centres reciprocity first and foremost. “We think about music, we think about the goddess, and I almost feel like I think of hip-hop as the goddess,” she explains. “You have to give something to hip-hop for it to give something back.” And for her, that means looking to the past to bring beauty and clarity to the present. “My vision is bringing that high-frequency vibration music, the music of our ancients, those ancient melodies and songs—how do we bring them back to earth now to affect the population, because it's needed? And hip-hop has always been the perfect language for me to blend these two worlds.” In selecting music for her The Message playlist, Kumari highlights tracks from Shah Rule and Badshah (in collaboration with J Balvin and Tainy). “I wanted to put on some of the younger artists as well as the diaspora artists that I feel have really impacted and are carrying the culture around the world.”