On The Record: Built Different
by Ankith Woods
On The Record is a series of first-person pieces penned or creatively driven by TuneCore artists.
“I’m Competing With Bad Bunny For Listeners”
“Built different” – to outperform societal norms and expectations to an almost superhuman level (Urban Dictionary, 2022)
Anktih Woods is built different. This is clear within five minutes of speaking with him. We link up over Google Meet on a Friday morning in May and start rapping about a sports season that starts in August.
“I’m obsessed with football,” Ankith grins, “my two special interests are Lana Del Ray and football.”
He goes on: “Football is a metaphor for life. There’s no shortcuts. In the NFL, everyone is super talented, so it’s all about who works more. It’s really hard [to make it]. I love how competitive the players are and how borderline psychotic they have to be to make the cut.”
As a rapper, there’s no question Ankith makes the cut. His flow blends a wide receiver's speed with an elite linebacker’s relentlessness. His bars are equal parts hysterical and shocking. There’s no one like him in music. Ankith knows it, and it brings him joy.
“I like doing things other people can’t do. If you want to make it in the NFL, you have to compete with every football player in America. If you want to make it in music, you have to compete with everyone in the world. I love how hard that is. I’m actively competing with Bad Bunny for listeners.”
This mentality sets Ankith apart from his peers.
It’s not the only thing.
“Why Talk About Something I Didn’t Choose?”
Scores of successful artists have built their personas through mystery or feigned mythology. The Weeknd dropped his first hits anonymously. Rick Ross proclaimed himself the “Teflon Don” (and hid his 18 month-stint as a corrections officer.)
Ankith isn’t doing that.
He’s quick to tell you he’s the child of immigrant parents and grew up in suburban Detroit. He was a great student. His parents even supported his musical pursuits from the jump.
“Honestly, my folks didn’t care that I was rapping, as long as I was in school and doing what I needed to do, that was good. They didn’t feel positively or negatively towards it.”
This upbringing made him comfortable around everyone, regardless of economic class, gender, or race.
“I grew up having a touchstone for any person I meet in America — not a lot of people can say that.”
He’s also a successful, highly visible Indian emcee — and, when we talk about how rare that is, he drops a bar for the ages.
“I don’t think being Indian is a huge part of my personality [or success] because it feels weird to talk about something I didn’t choose. The things I choose to do with my life, those are the things that make me stand out and successful. People are gonna talk about that all the time, I don’t need to.”
Ankith is doing things his own way — including going to medical school.
“I Like Doing Things Other People Can’t Do”
No. That’s not a typo.
Ankith Woods, successful rapper, is also going to medical school.
“I’m going to go to school and work on music after,” he laughs, “I’m happiest when I’m working all the time and I like that medicine and music, they’re two of the hardest things to do.”
“I like doing things that other people can’t do.”
Some people would say it’s crazy to try and balance the rap game’s hustle with one of the world’s toughest professions — it’s crazy to try and make it in the NFL too. Ankith Woods is ready to make these choices, and he may be the only person on Earth who ever makes them successfully.
That’s a QB1 mentality.
That’s what makes him born different.
