| | Hard Kaur's 'Talli' song was a roaring hit |
Ishq Bector
Just in case you didn’t know, let us tell you that this hip-hopper is not just a singer but also a decent actor, a good musician and songwriter. Ishq’s debut album Aye Hip Hopper turned out to be a hit and he soon became a rockstar. This young rapper has penned songs for Dhoom and rap portions for the title track of Race and ‘Baby Doll’ (Pyar Ke Side Effects).
Talking about his break in Bollywood, Ishq says, “I would give credit to Salim (of Salim-Suleman duo). He actually saw me singing in a club and recommended my name to Sunil Darshan for the film Barsaat, where not only did I sing but also shared screen space with Bipasha Basu and Bobby Deol.” And then there was no looking back for Ishq.
Jay Sean
This British heartthrob had always dreamt of becoming a singer – and he did it. This rapper has a huge fan following not just in India but also abroad. He’s well known for hits like ‘Stolen’, ‘Eyes On You’ and ‘Ride It’, to name a few.
Talking about his entry in Bollywood he says, “I had written a track all by myself and that was my first full track titled ‘One Minute’. This track was passed on by one of my friends to Rishi Rich, who then invited me to his studio for a performance. I was really unprepared at that time, but I’m glad he liked what I did, after which I went on to sign a contract with him. My debut album was Dance With You (2003).” Claiming fame hasn’t changed him at all; Sean puts a lot of emphasis on his family and friends when it comes to his success.
Bohemia
He is the same rapper who lend his voice to Akshay Kumar in Chandni Chowk to China. Bohemia wrote, produced and rapped the title track of the film. At the same time, he also tried his hand at Hindi and Urdu rapping in Nagesh Kukunoor’s 8×10 Tasveer.
Not everyone would be aware of the fact that before Bohemia was introduced to rap, he used to write poems. His journey in Bollywood began when Akshay Kumar invited him over to India to sing for Chandni Chowk to China.
Rishi Rich
If you’re one of those who loves listening to desi remixes, you would definitely know who Rishi Rich is. Well, bhangra music and RNB has always been this London-based producer’s first love. Needless to say, his unique and creative beats are synonymous with fans and artists.
Rishi released his debut album, 2 Kool, at the age of 15, but people in India started recognising him after he produced the title track of Hum Tum (2004), which turned out to be a superhit song. He has also worked on Asian remixes, for Mary J Blige, Britney Spears, Craig David, Ricky Martin, Misteeq and Estelle.
Snoop Dogg
Rap superstar Snoop Dogg truly entered Bollywood with a bang. His debut song ‘Yo what up?’ from Singh is Kinng rocked the charts and Akshay Kumar and Snoop in the video got on like a house on fire. Snoop became the king of rap for most Indians after this one song. If you’re wondering what made him get into Bollywood despite being a well known name in UK, let us tell you that it was Akshay Kumar who wanted Snoop to sing for the title track of Sing Is Kinng. Akki also managed to convince Snoop to don an Indian outfit and accessories in the song. No wonder Bollywood people say nothing is impossible for Akki!
Punjabi MC
It goes without saying that this British Indian composer Rajinder Singh Rai aka Punjabi MC is a name that will forever be synonymous with one of his hit tracks, ‘Mundian To Bach Ke’, after which he actually made his presence felt in Bollywood. This song was a classic example of Bollywood colliding with Hollywood.
Talking about his entry in Bollywood, it was Ninder Johal of Nachural Records who discovered Panjabi MC. In fact, his albums Souled Out, Another Sellout, Grass Roots and Legalised have made him one of the most prominent names in bhangra today. Also, he once said in an interview that personalities like A R Rahman, Bappi Lahiri and Asha Bhosle really inspire him to come up with good music. |
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