Panjabi MC
Panjabi MC performing at London Mela in August 2010
Panjabi MC performing at London Mela in August 2010
Background information
Birth nameRajinder Singh Rai
Born (1973-02-14) February 14, 1973
Coventry, England
GenresBhangra, electronic, alternative hip hop, trip hop, Asian Underground
Occupation(s)Musician
Years active1993–present
LabelsSuperstar Recordings (Germany)
Urban Records
PMC Records (UK)
Universal (India)
Ultra Music
Websitewww.panjabi-mc.com

Rajinder Singh Rai (Punjabi: ਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ), 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 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 Voices: WWE The Music, Vol. 9.

Discography

Studio albums

  • Souled Out (1993, Nachural Records)
  • Another Sell Out (1994, Nachural Records)
  • 100% Proof (1995, Nachural Records)
  • Grass Roots (1996, Nachural Records)
  • Magic Desi (1996)
  • Legalised (1998, Nachural Records)
  • Dhol Jageero Da (2001, Moviebox)
  • Desi (2002, Moviebox)
  • Indian Breaks (2003, Compagnia Nuove Indye)
  • Mundian To Bach Ke (2003, Compagnia Nuove Indye)
  • The Album (German version: Superstar/ Warner; Germany) (French version: Scorpio; France) (UK Version: Instant Karma) (2003)
  • Beware (American version of "The Album"; 2003, Sequence)
  • Steel Bangle (2005, Moviebox)
  • Indian Timing (2008, PMC Records)
  • The Raj (2010, PMC Records)
  • 56 Districts (2019, PMC Records)

Compilation albums

  • Illegal (2006, Nupur Audio)
  • Sentello II (2004, Korsan Cd)

EPs

  • Jatt Ho Gya Sharabi (1996, Nachural Records)
  • Mirza Part Two (1997, Nachural Records)
  • Switchin' (2000, Moviebox)

Singles

List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[7]		 US
R&B
[8]		 US
Dance
[9]		 AUS
[10]		 BEL
[11]		 CAN DEN
[12]		 GER
[13]		 IRL
[14]		 FRA
[15]		 ITA
[16]		 SWI
[17]		 UK
[18]
"Ghariah Milan De" 1995 — — — — — — — — — — — — — Non-album single
"Mundian To Bach Ke" 1998 — — — — — — — — — — — — — Legalised
"Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee" — — — — — — — — — — — — — Jatt Ho Gya Sharabi
"Yaaran Kollon Sikh Kuriye" 2001 — — — — — — — — — — — — — The Album
"Mundian To Bach Ke"
(featuring Jay-Z)		 2003 33 21 3 12 3 10 5 2 14 15 1 4 5 Legalised
"Jogi" — — — 92 55 — — 12 47 75 30 8 25 Jogi EP
"Chaiyya Chaiyya" 2006 — — — — — — — — — — — — — Non-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

References

  1. ↑ Andy Kellman (14 February 1973). "Panjabi MC | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. ↑ Archived 20 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 "Mix This Young South Asians' Love-Hate Relationship with Hip-Hop's New Bengali Beats". Village Voice. Villagevoice.com. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Verma, Rahul. "Asian Allstars" (PDF). British Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  5. ↑ "The White Tiger - 2021 Netflix Movie Features Panjabi MC & JAY-Z". Panjabi MC. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Desi Radio, Videos and MP3s, Bollywood Hindi Songs, Bhangra Music and Podcasts". Desihits.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  7. ↑ "Panjabi MC – Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  8. ↑ "Panjabi MC – Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Panjabi MC – Chart History: Dance Single Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  10. ↑ Peaks in Australia:
    • "Mundian To Bach Ke": "Discography Panjabi MC". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
    • "Jogi": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 212.
  11. ↑ "Discography Panjabi MC". Ultratop. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  12. ↑ "Discography Panjabi MC". DanishCharts. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  13. ↑ "Discography Punjabi MC". OfficialGermanCharts. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  14. ↑ "Discographie Panjabi MC". Irish Charts. Archived from the original (search "Punjabi MC" in Artists search) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  15. ↑ "Panjabi MC – Chart History: France Singles". Billboard. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  16. ↑ "Italian Song Chart". italiancharts.com. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "Discographie Panjabi MC" (select "Charts" tab). Swiss Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  18. ↑ "Panjabi MC – Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  19. ↑ "MTV Europe Music Awards 2003 Winner". News.bbc.co.uk. 7 November 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2003.
  20. ↑ "MOBO UK Act of the Year 2003". Rte.ie. 26 September 2003. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  21. ↑ "BRITISH ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS 2004 LAUNCHED". Redhotcurry.com. 7 October 2004. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  22. ↑ "2003 World Music Awards Winners". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "Brit Asia TV Music Awards 2011 "AND THE WINNERS ARE..."". Punjab2000.com. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  24. ↑ Anusha, Nava (11 October 2018). "BritAsia TV Music Awards 2018 Winners". www.desiblitz.com. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
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