Panjabi MC explained

Panjabi MC
Background:solo_singer
Birth Name:Rajinder Singh Rai
Birth Place:Coventry, Warwickshire, England
Birth Date:14 February 1970
Genre:Bhangra, electronic, alternative hip hop, trip hop, Asian Underground
Occupation:Musician
Years Active:1993–present
Label:Superstar Recordings (Germany)
Urban Records
PMC Records (UK)
Universal (India)
Ultra Music
Associated Acts:Jay-Z, Twista, Snap!, Labh Janjua, Warren G

Rajinder Singh Rai (Panjabi; Punjabi: ਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ; born February 14, 1970), better known by his stage name Panjabi MC, is a British-Indian recording artist, rapper, producer and DJ. He is best known for the worldwide 2002 Bhangra hit "Mundian To Bach Ke", which sold 10 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. Among other songs, he gained acclaim with the 2003 release "Jogi". AllMusic has called him "one of the most prominent names in bhangra".[1]

Career

Rajinder Singh adopted his stage name from the Punjabi language he used in the music he plays and raps.[2] "One of [his] main goals is to fuse the two worlds [of [[Bhangra (music)|Bhangra]] and hip hop]."[3]

Nachural Records signed Panjabi MC following a remix of Kuldeep Manak's "Ghariah Milan De". Although the single was taken off the market, Panjabi MC continued making records. Another successful release was "Mundian To Bach Ke" ("Beware of the Boys") (1998; it first appeared on the album Legalised) which mixed the theme of the TV series Knight Rider with Bhangra. An underground hit on the internet, it was picked up by the German record label Superstar Recordings, and became a hit record in Germany and across Europe, including the UK. A version of this recording in 2003 featured American rapper Jay-Z titled "Beware of the Boys".

His work, particularly the early singles and the "Mundian To Bach Ke" remix with Jay-Z, brought Bhangra music genre to a global audience via the BBC. He continues to produce and remix music. In 2004, he made music called "Mirza" and mixed this song with Turkish singer Mustafa Sandal's "Isyankar", but they did not release the mixed version.[4]

His album Indian Timing was released in 2008. His music video "Snake Charmer" was screened at Deejay Ra's music video night in Toronto at the FILMI festival, North America's longest running South Asian film festival.

The remix of "Mundian To Bach Ke" with Jay-Z appears on the soundtrack of the 2021 Netflix film The White Tiger.[5]

Sampling

On Indian Timing, Panjabi MC uses vocal samples from Ofra Haza "Im Nin'Alu". He used "Planet Rock" ("Pyar Wich (Planet Rock Remix)" on the album Legalised) before Afrika Bambaataa recorded "Indian Planet Rock". On "Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee", Panjabi MC uses the theme music from the TV show Magnum, P.I. "Mundian To Bach Ke" (along with the subsequent remix version featuring Jay-Z, "Beware of the Boys") uses the bassline from the television show Knight Rider.[3]

Television work

In 2001, Panjabi MC made his Canadian premiere at the Payal Banquet Hall in Mississauga (Ontario). Deejay Ra hosted a TV special covering the event entitled "The Bhangramentary", which was aired on the Asian Television Network (ATN). His single, "Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee", from Beware, was featured on the television show Heroes (episode 2, Don't Look Back, which aired 2 October 2006). The single "Mundian To Bach Ke" was featured in an episode of Queer as Folk and in the 2002 movie Bend It Like Beckham. It also features in the BAFTA-nominated film The White Tiger in 2020. The song "Yaaran Kollon Sikh Kuriye" was featured in the show Wild Boyz as a music video. Panjabi MC has appeared on Top of the Pops, from which the video to "Mundian To Bach Ke" began to appear on music channels across the globe.

Together with Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi, Panjabi MC remixed the popular song "Chaiyya Chaiyya" from the Bollywood film, Dil Se... This song was used as the background during opening credits for the Hollywood movie Inside Man. Their song "Land of Five Rivers", used as a theme song for the WWE wrestler The Great Khali,[6] features on .

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

EPs

Singles

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2"
YearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
[7]
US
R&B
[8]
US
Dance

[9]
AUS
[10]
BEL
[11]
CANDEN
[12]
GER
[13]
IRL
[14]
FRA
[15]
ITA
[16]
SWI
[17]
UK
[18]
"Ghariah Milan De"1995Non-album single
"Mundian To Bach Ke"1998Legalised
"Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee"Jatt Ho Gya Sharabi
"Yaaran Kollon Sikh Kuriye"2001The Album
"Mundian To Bach Ke"
(featuring Jay-Z)
20033321312310521415145 Legalised
"Jogi"925512477530825Jogi EP
"Chaiyya Chaiyya (Bollywood Joint)"2006Non-album singles
"Snake Charmer"2007
"Land of Five Rivers"2009
"Moorni (Balle Balle)"2010
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Andy Kellman . Panjabi MC | Biography & History . . 1973-02-14 . 2016-02-28.
  2. http://www.pmcrecords.com/index.php?page=414901
  3. Web site: Mix This Young South Asians' Love-Hate Relationship with Hip-Hop's New Bengali Beats. Village Voice. Villagevoice.com. 2015-05-30. 8 June 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080608151511/http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0327,chadha,45230,1.html. dead.
  4. Web site: Asian Allstars . 28 December 2007 . Verma . Rahul . British Council . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130817205455/http://www.britishcouncil.org/nr6_britishasianmusic.pdf . 17 August 2013 . dmy-all .
  5. Web site: January 27, 2021. The White Tiger - 2021 Netflix Movie Features Panjabi MC & JAY-Z. 2021-06-06. Panjabi MC. en.
  6. Web site: Desi Radio, Videos and MP3s, Bollywood Hindi Songs, Bhangra Music and Podcasts. Desihits.com. 2015-05-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20091105090918/http://www.desihits.com/blog/article/exclusive-interview-panjabi-mc-20081215. 5 November 2009. dead.
  7. Panjabi MC – Chart History: Hot 100 . . October 26, 2019.
  8. Panjabi MC – Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs . . October 26, 2019.
  9. Panjabi MC – Chart History: Dance Single Sales . . October 26, 2019.
  10. Peaks in Australia:
    • "Mundian To Bach Ke": Web site: Discography Panjabi MC . australian-charts.com . Hung Medien . October 26, 2019.
    • "Jogi": 212.
  11. Web site: Discography Panjabi MC . Ultratop . October 26, 2019 . 22 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191122115311/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/1531/Panjabi-MC-Mundian-to-bach-ke . live .
  12. Web site: Discography Panjabi MC . DanishCharts. October 26, 2019.
  13. Web site: Discography Punjabi MC . OfficialGermanCharts . October 26, 2019 . 2 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151102071930/http://i.imgur.com/My5ZAxf.jpg . live .
    • "Mundian to bach ke": Web site: Mundian to Bach Ke Chart History. OfficialGermanCharts. 26 October 2019. 11 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190411192750/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-5425. live.
    • "Jogi": Web site: Jogi Chart History. OfficialGermanCharts. 26 October 2019. 7 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190407223351/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-5623. live.
  14. Web site: Discographie Panjabi MC. Irish Charts. search "Punjabi MC" in Artists search. October 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20110721125210/http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement. 21 July 2011. dead.
  15. Panjabi MC – Chart History: France Singles . Billboard . October 26, 2019.
  16. Web site: Italian Song Chart. October 26, 2019 . italiancharts.com.
  17. Web site: Discographie Panjabi MC. Swiss Charts Portal. Hung Medien. select "Charts" tab. October 26, 2019. 26 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191026225045/http://www.swisscharts.com/artist/panjabi_mc. live.
  18. Web site: Panjabi MC – Official Charts Company . OfficialCharts . October 26, 2019 . 3 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200103045013/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/261/panjabi-mc/ . live .
  19. News: MTV Europe Music Awards 2003 Winner. News.bbc.co.uk. 7 November 2003. 7 November 2003. 28 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221128213200/http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/music/newsid_3249000/3249431.stm. live.
  20. Web site: MOBO UK Act of the Year 2003 . Rte.ie. 26 September 2003. 2015-05-30.
  21. Web site: BRITISH ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS 2004 LAUNCHED . Redhotcurry.com . 24 August 2010 . 7 October 2004 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100210200827/http://www.redhotcurry.com/entertainment/music/brama_launch.htm . 10 February 2010 .
  22. 2003 World Music Awards Winners. .
  23. News: Brit Asia TV Music Awards 2011 "AND THE WINNERS ARE..." . 3 September 2020 . Punjab2000.com . 3 October 2011.
  24. News: Anusha . Nava . BritAsia TV Music Awards 2018 Winners . 19 August 2020 . www.desiblitz.com . 11 October 2018 . 29 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190629091815/https://www.desiblitz.com/content/britasia-tv-music-awards-2018-winners . live .