pioneer

Panjabi MC

Born Rajinder Singh Rai

1973–present

Bhangra

About Panjabi MC

British-Indian producer who turned a Punjabi folk dhol loop into a global club anthem. 'Mundian To Bach Ke' (1998) fused bhangra with hip-hop and the Knight Rider theme, and after a Jay-Z remix in 2002 it went platinum across Europe and the United States — the first major Punjabi crossover into Western pop charts. He remains one of the defining architects of UK bhangra and the broader desi diaspora club sound.