I came across this article on Panjabi Hit Squad, and while reading it, I had some serious issues which made me wonder about the group itself.

bq. The word ‘desi’ means raw, undiluted, the real shiznit basically. That’s why a decade ago Panjabi Hit Squad named the music they were making ‘desi beats’. Now with an album deal from Def Jam and a popular show on 1Xtra, the originators are finally getting the recognition they deserve…

Really? If the PHS have a fucking clue, then they should not be saying this. Desi, means from my home land, from my desh. Almost like saying “he is my nigga.” Back in the day, when I started DesiParty.com, no one was using the phrase desi, and my usage was to signify “my homies.” So what the fuck is PHS going on and on about.

bq. Desi is also a type of liquor in India” Dee tells me. “It’s 100% proof.” “We wanted a specific term to describe our sound,” continues Marky Mark, “The bhangra scene has been running for over 20 years, back when we first got into it in the early 90’s, it wasn’t street, it didn’t have an urban feel. We got into it off the back of hip hop and garage and we wanted to merge bhangra with that. There are so many Asian messages in the media now, the whole Bollywood thing… That’s nothing to do with us; the music we make is not from India or Pakistan, it’s made by people in the UK.”

I give them the liquor analogy, but this thing about so many Asian messages. Yo bhangra has got roots in India and Pakistan, like it or not. And listen up mofos, embrace not run from your roots.

7 thoughts on “Panjabi Fake Squad?”

  1. FOOLS! DJ SWAMI was the first to use the word desi for the music with his release “Desi Nu Skool Beatz” , a long time before those PHS fools ever made any noise.

  5. I agree that bhangra or panjabi music wouldnt be so ‘street’ if it wasn’t for it’s hip hop and r&b influences however I think that these influences have just destroyed the pure natural un-remixed legacy panjabi music has. Too many untalented people have been able to remix golden oldies and sing in broken panjabi.
    Mohammed saddiq, jamal jut, chamkila and hans raj hans(gurwara days) are the archtypes of panjabi music.

  6. I see Panjabi Hit Squad as making bhangra music recognised within the mainstream. Their beats are full of flava and supersede what Bhangra and Hip Hop has established to date, they are innovators not imitators. Def Jam – IXtra – the only other DJ’s on the circuit that can fill countless venues of up to 8000 people are the Heartless Crew hmmm. Let’s show some respect and congratulate PHS for the achievements to date and watch them become the Neptunes of Bhangra!!! You guys are disin them – Hip Hop is embracing them!!! Wake up MOFOS and stop being typical Asians, your starting to sound like your parents!!!.

  7. /// yeh but their music still sucks. hiphop is not embracing them its laughing at them.

    swami is much better, his new album will blow everyone away

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