Rapper and lyricist Arivu has once again sparked a conversation about credit, ownership and representation in the Tamil independent music scene with a strongly worded social media post.

Sharing a "caution" message, Arivu alleged that some elite musicians in Tamil indie and gaana music take melodies, compositions and ideas rooted in working-class culture and present them as “collaboration” or "independent music."

"Too often, the original creators are left without meaningful credit, ownership or economic benefit. This isn't collaboration. This is extraction," he asserted.

While Arivu did not name any individual in the post, his comments have drawn attention given his earlier public dispute surrounding the hugely popular song 'Enjoy Enjaami' released in 2021.

At the time, the song, featuring Arivu alongside singer Dhee, with music by Santhosh Narayanan, became a global sensation. A credit dispute broke out in public dispay in 2022 when Dhee performed the song at an event without crediting Arivu.

In March 2026, Arivu reignited the discussion around the song's ownership and royalties. He claimed that he had written the full song and composed its main melody, but had not received ownership or royalties corresponding to his contribution. He also questioned why he was presented as a "featured artist" despite his role in creating the song.

The comments led to a heated public exchange between Arivu and composer Santhosh Narayanan, who disputed Arivu's account and maintained that the song was created collaboratively, with contributions from multiple artists.

While Arivu's latest “caution” post appears to revisit that broader issue, he has not directly identified anyone.

The rapper has also recently been in the news for reasons beyond music.

Arivu was detained by Chennai Police after staging a protest outside the Tamil Nadu Secretariat demanding the abolition of NEET and raising concerns over police action against students.

Following the detention, reports emerged that Arivu had met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat. Arivu later clarified that he had met Minister Aadhav Arjuna