Nilay Samir Kale
Music producer, singer, rapper, lyricist
Nationality: Indian
Based in: Mumbai
Age: 27
2020
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Barely confined to a single genre and hardly interested in staying still, Nilkanth’s journey bends time, forms, and expectations alike.
His earliest songs were focused on exploring his instincts as a rapper, with the identity of Mameluke.
As Mameluke, he released his first full-length album called Portfolio Construction. A project that stitched together emotion and engineering as well as
rhythm and retrospection. This album led to his first national record with India Book of Records (IBR), one of his early milestones.
![Rock Bottom Of My Heart [Cover Art].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dce464_6a4a1712f5c14fca937cecaa0aee9443~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_278,h_278,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Rock%20Bottom%20Of%20My%20Heart%20%5BCover%20Art%5D.jpg)
2021
Soon after, he joined the True School of Music, to pursue his Bachelor's in Fine Arts degree program in music production with western vocals as a minor. TSM had just shifted its campus from Lower Parel to Karjat, Maharashtra. Situated amidst a serene rainy valley surrounded by rocky mountains, TSM had affiliated with
Vijaybhoomi University. Studying western music along with some of the country's most talented musicians and upcoming artists shaped Nilkanth's understanding of production, performance, and the discipline behind artistry.
Shortly, he released another EP called "Rock Bottom Of My Heart" before going into a break from releasing new music due to a newly experienced inferiority complex. He spent the next 2 years performing live at the music events organized by the university's music committee, of which he was the vice president. He also was active as a session artist by being a freelance rapper on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
2023
After 2 years spent on overcoming the inferiority complex, fighting his mental health issues and personal troubles, he released another
5-track alternative Hip-Hop EP called ‘Social Awkwardness’.
This EP was later featured on pages and playlists such as
Rolling Stone India and Indian Music Diaries.
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In the same year, he was a part of the 7 member team that went on to win the Platinum Prize at the IFP 50-hour music making challenge 2023 in the electronic music category.
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In the same year, he released a single called 'Gulaam', which earned him his second national record with the India Book of Records.
2024
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In March, Nilkanth (then Mameluke) released a 3-track collaboration Hip Hop EP titled ‘Platinum Boys’
along with Gemius, who he had met at the IFP 2023 Awards. Gemius had also received the platinum prize in the
Hip-Hop category, hence the name of the EP.
This EP was also featured on the Indian Music Diaries.
Shortly, after finally graduating as a music producer from the
True School of Music, he took a year-long break from releasing music to focus on expanding his professional experience and creative direction.
2025
During this period, he joined a marketing agency as a digital marketer, where he identified an opportunity to merge sound with branding.He later went on to establish a dedicated sonic-branding division called “SOUNDWISE” within the company, creating audio identities for brands such as Raymond Realty, Apollo Hospitals, Fortis Hospitals, Shiv Sena, AVM Schools and several others.
With new skills, industry experience, and a need to learn and create more, he stepped into his next chapter with his new artist name Nilkanth. A character arc born as a result of learning from mistakes, living a healthier lifestyle, practising meditation, and the attempt towards growing with discipline, honesty and humility.
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Nilkanth's latest track "Kehna Chahta Hu", released on
9th September 2025 marks his entry back into releasing original music independently.
