Where did I get this idea from? Everywhere since I 16. I didn’t say ALL, I just said it happens a lot and in hip-hop, it certainly happens a lot. I grew up in a black area and I’ve experienced a lot of posturing and annoying sexual innuendos: some black men assume that you will have an arranged marriage and that you are a good girl who needs some loving (corrupting), and I just don’t appreciate being harrassed and stereotyped myself. Having worked in TV and broadcasting, I can tell you it happens a lot. Many a white boss thinks he can get fresh with a pretty South Asian woman. I had to disagree with an unappealing ‘feminist’ professor in my English department at university who stated that Arundhati Roi won the booker prize and critical acclaim because she was a beautiful, exotic woman.

Ask any independent South Asian girls who will relate similar tales. I’m sure it doesn’t just happen to attractive desi women – I think objectification is prevalent among black, East Asian and Latin women too.

As for asking where I got this info from: why do I have to justify my views by sharing personal experiences with you?

FYI I have lived alone since I was in my late teens, lived and travelled and have and have had black, white and Asian lovers, friends and haters. Am I going to feel bad about having an opinion? No I am not.

Have you read Bobby Friction, and Nihal‘s reviews of their forthcoming album due out this summer? They each wrote separate reviews and are both seemingly very impressed. Bobby wrote that one song was the most original desi song he had ever heard.

I have a dream:

Sorry, I didn’t see your post until just now. A short list of the Asian Underground tracks I love: State of Bengal–Rama Communication Talvin Singh: I liked Anokha, and Loved OK–Light, Butterfly, Eclipse. Ha was good, but a very different vibe than the other two albums. Old TJ Rehmi Invisible Rain and Mind Filter–I like Exposure, the fusionist, skrutinizer, is it legal Karsh Kale: I love all of Realize Many of the Badmarsh and Shri records, Dancing Drums is a classic Ges-E and Equal-i’s remix of AR Rahman So Gaye Hain is phenomenal Karsh Kale’s Realize: I like the entire album Nitin Sawhney–I love his stuff, on Displacing the Priest, I love Bengali Song and on Broken Skin-Nadia is a classic.

I realize that this got kind of long and that I haven’t even gotten to the Punditz, Cheb i Sabbah, ADF, Black Star Liner…Let me know if you want more specific tracks.

Timbaland shouldn’t be bringing desi back….it SHOULD be a desi, so boyz and girls go out and buy some MPCs, a mac, a keyboard and start sampling all your parents old records and bollywood cds.

I am with drrrty poonjabi: In my book, anyone can bring desi back, as long as it is done well.

As for Timbaland bringing Desi to the fore, it seems he’s only up for lusting after Indian gyals. We are always being objectified by white men and black men.

Moreover, Desi artists (like MIA, although she definitely has her own flavour) are mainly mimicking black musicians.

I love British-Asian music, but its sound has gotten stagnant and it is time for desis on this side of the Atlantic to step up. From the word on the street and from what I’ve been hearing, I’m hopeful.

There’s a small cadre of talented, desi musicians based in the states that I believe are poised for greater recognition and success. I know you’ve blogged about the following artists before, but I’d like to mention them again to those who may be unfamiliar.

West Coast:

Kush Arora. Love him or hate him, his music definitely can’t be classified as conventional.

Dhamaal I had the pleasure and privilege of sharing the stage with these true innovators before they folded late last year. Clips from their album can be heard here.

East Coast

Sharmaji This guy is a one man wrecking ball. Check the beats on his siteif you don’t believe me.

Suphala Talented tabla player and producer, touring the NYC area this month.

There are, of course, more artists, but the aforementioned should serve as an ample primer. Anyone know of desi artists holding it down in the Midwest?

Indian samples have been used in hiphop for a very long time, ever since Blood Money by CNN and that one track by Shock G on “Dont drink your juice while being a menace to society”, I forget its name right now.

You sure it’s Bloody Money by CNN? Just seems to be a piano sample to me…

I think John’s right, the sample listed is from the great (but not desi) Bill Conti’s Philidelphia Morning.

As for MIA, after realizing that galang galang is not an original beat by anymeans and was stolen from the x-men, i think either Rob Swift or Roc Raida to be exact. A ’96 mixtape has the exact same beat, with a tad faster BPM. Point is, i was decieved and no longer have any respect for MIA and who ever produced that album as i’m sure its not the x-men.

Justine Frischmann is listed as the co-producer on the liners notes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she lifted the beat from another source, given the accusations of plagiarism in her past.

Timbaland shouldn’t be bringing desi back….it SHOULD be a desi, so boyz and girls go out and buy some MPCs, a mac, a keyboard and start sampling all your parents old records and bollywood cds.

I disagree. No one should be precluded from doing what to they musically (or in any respect, for that matter) because of their own background.

Btw I dont know if you guys know but Amar is the daughter of Mangal Singh. He’s famous for singing the 80s hit, “Rail Gaddi”.

Mad respect. That song was a staple at all the desi functions back in the day.

Vinny J: For what it’s worth, your Punjabi rapping brought a smile to my face. Interpret that as you’d like. @=)