Having worked with some of the best names in the Urban South Asian music industry, one producer is on a mission to bring-forth the best talent o emerge from our community. Sureet Sandhu of Digital Desi Productions is working with some of the freshest and hottest talent in today’s South Asian urban music industry.
As a producer, Sureet is credited for initiating Digital Desi Productions – the first outlet for underground South Asian artists to share their lyrical creativity with the rest of the world. He is also attributed for his numerous mixtapes under the title “Renegades,” in which he has brought talent such as Sir Aah, Raja Wilco to crossing borders internationally with names such as Raxstar and Kerfew into the minds and ears of listeners on a global level.
As a key figure in the creation and popularization of urban South Asian music, a style of Rap & Hip-Hop music characterized with South Asian sounds such as the dhol and tumbi, Sureet was the first South Asian producer from the US to make waves on the BBC Asian Network and his relationship with the Network has flourished ever since – helping other artists attain radio play and exposing their name as they never thought possible.
Since I was first introduced to Sureet, I have seen nothing but passion, dedication and determination from him whenever we talk about music. He has strived so hard to get to the position where he is at now and doesn’t want to stop until all the musical talents we have in our scene attain recognition – for him, attaining exposure for the artist is first and foremost and in the process if he gets some recognition then it adds to his success.
Carrying a professional career lifestyle, the family-man vision, and the passion to create music, Sureet makes him life seem so easy to outsiders. He’s committed to solely putting out the best music out there and with each new project he releases, he surpasses himself more than before. He’s a dedicated producer, caring father and above all, he’s the most humble person you’ll ever meet! We strive to admire and celebrate those who represent the South Asian culture to its fullest potential, while paving the road for others to succeed as well, and that is what makes Sureet Sandhu an producer to highlight.
During the process of releasing Renegades III, I had the chance to talk to a few of the artists featured on this project and get their thoughts on this amazing producer as well as a little one-on-one session with the outstanding producer himself!
Sir Aah has been a long-term name associated with this infamous producer. They have known each other for almost four years now and their creations together have been nothing less than spectacular. On Sureet’s latest release, Renegades III Desi Hip Hop Revolution, the name ‘Sir Aah’ appears more than once on the track-listing and one of the stand out tracks is, “Break Lights.” Once again, the infamous duo of Sir Aah and Sureet Sandhu make waves with their latest track.
In the time that Sir Aah has known Sureet, he stated, “I've gotten better at songwriting. His ethic rubbed off on me. I try to keep up with his beats; the dude keeps makin' ‘em.” Of the many songs these two have done together, “My favorite song I've done [with Sureet] is Carefree,” Sir Aah stated and continued, “It's the greatest beat I've ever heard…sounds like RZA did it.”
One of the first names associated to the production house of Digital Desi is that of, Raja Wilco. “My favorite project [with Sureet] has to be either The General or Something's Goin On,” he emphasized, “More so The General, because we both were still gettin to know each other's style of music and creativity.”
As Raja Wilco gets ready to release his first single for mainstream audiences – gearing at the idea that there is, indeed, something going on, and nobody is doing anything about it. “Something’s Goin’ On,” produced by Sureet of DigitalDesi, and co-produced by Sameer Agrawal is an exhilarating unification of music and politics – steering away from what is typically heard from an urban South Asian artist.
“I was introduced by Sir Aah to Sureet Sandhu in a form of a remix,” stated Raja Wilco. “He asked me to be on a song the Sureet had put together called Soundbwoy Murderers from the second Digital Desi Renegades mixtape. After that we had kept in touch and worked on a number of songs as well as having a good friendship also.” Besides gaining a close friendship with some of the artists Sureet has worked with, he’s also been known to help them grow as an artist. That was the initial reason that Sureet created ”Digital Desi Productions” – he wanted there to be an outlet for unsigned artists to come to and have their music heard and be exposed.
“I've grown as an artist in a major way with Sureet,” asserted Wilco. “We have tried different type of tracks and different influences in our musical collaborations. This has helped me expand my catalogue of music and we always have great chemistry on the songs we have done together.”
Sureet also had the opportunity to team up with well-known producer Sunit, and they have collaborated to bridge the gap between the and , with their latest release, "Too Strong." With such impeccable musical production, along-side the vocals of Raxstar, "Too Strong," is a track which breaks away from the norms of Hip-Hop music. "Too Strong," was released in September and featured on Sureet’s latest mixtape, Renegades Volume 3 - 'Desi Hip Hop Revolution'. Carrying the track with a melodic beat, lyrics such as, "No, I won't let you break me down," repeat throughout, reiterating to the listeners that nothing and nobody should ever bring one down.
Sureet Sandhu – No matter what you want to call him, he is a devoted producer and a focused composer. The Urban South Asian music scene will never be the same. It’s because young, talented people, such as Sureet, have dared to step into the scene and take on beats like none other.
Producing. Who's in control of this art?
Sureet Sandhu is.
Balancing a professional career, a beautiful baby daughter and having the time to sit-down and produce music requires immense skill – which we’re aware Sureet has. Not only does Sureet work with known Urban Desi artists, but he also looks for the opportunity to give up-coming Urban Desi artists a chance to shine in the limelight.
Hailing from New Jersey, MC-on-the-rise, Kaly, has a mission to make his name known around the world, and he won't stop until he's known to everyone. Working alongside Sureet Sandhu, Kaly is bound to make that happen. These two have teamed to release, "She's Like The Wind," and "I'm a Dreamer." With Sureet's magical touch on the beats and Kaly's versatile flow, you will be left with no choice but to put the tracks on repeat! Along with “Too Strong,” and “Something’s Goin’ On,” these two tracks are also featured on Renegades Volume 3 - 'Desi Hip Hop Revolution' Mixtape.
And Sureet doesn’t like to just keep things local. Heading south to the sunny state of Florida, Sureet has also collaborated with rapper, Ajaxxx. Of the 43 tracks featured on Renegades III, this was the first time that Ajaxxx and Sureet have worked together, creating a fun modernization to a classic Bollywood song from the movie, “Disco Dancer.” Ajaxxx rhymed, "I needed something hot so I hit up Sureet and Sureet was like 'cool,' then he hit me with heat," and that's exactly what these two do! Fusing together Ajaxxx's rapping style with Sureet's perfection in production, Ajaxxx is "...flippin' the lyric and gettin' intimate with it," as Sureet "...freaks the beat."
But local artists aren’t just the only ones who are saying good things about this producer. With Sureet’s latest release, Renegades III: Desi Hip-Hop Revolution, he’s had the opportunity to also work with some great talent in the US and UK.
UK-based artist, RKZ said, “[Sureet is] probably one of the friendliest producers I've met! It's hard to find producers now that want to get things done there and then, with Sureet there was no messing around.” And RKZ is absolutely right. There are many producers who solely want what THEY want, but Sureet likes to work with his artists and do what’s best in both parties’ interests. RKZ continued, “He wanted a track, he would send the beat, I'd vocal, and it's done…there wasn't any waiting around which is why I think Sureet is a big producer, and not just for his composing abilities!”
Rapper Pakman joined the boasting boat as he said, “Sureet is a very noble guy and his work is outstanding. Without him, most of the really talented Desis’s would still be unheard. But thanks to Sureet, he made a difference and we thank him!”
Kerfew was also one of the artists featured on Sureet’s latest release who said, “I have known Sureet now for about two years and during this time its' definitely become more than a beat maker/rapper relationship. I would like to regard him as a good friend who produces more beats than rotis I have eaten!” More beats than rotis eaten?! Is that physically possible? With Sureet…anything is possible! “I got to take my hat off for the hours he must put in,” Kerfew continued, “on top of all else that goes on in his busy life. It is a pleasure to work with him and no doubt we will be doing so in the future.”
The Interview:
Nothing is better than putting Sureet in the hot seat and finding out what truly makes the producer inside of him tick. Recently I was able to sit down with this amazing producer as he was making some fresh hot beats and this is how it all went down…
Tirusha: Sureet, so finally you’re in the hot seat! Tell the readers of Desi-Box.com what has the feeling been like after all the success from Renegades III?
Sureet: The feeling has been great! I feel it’s a blessing that I had an opportunity to work with so many talented artists and they truly inspire me to continue making good music!
If you had the chance to work alongside any artist, mainstream or South Asian, who would you want to work with?
Bono of U2.
Did you ever think that you would ever attain so much success as a producer?
Music is my passion and I love it…It’s always been a hobby of mine and I didn’t quite expect my production and website to take off the way it did. Again, feeling blessed by all this.
What was your biggest fear going into this industry?
Well, being that most of the music I’ve put out has been for promotional use and to help artists get exposure through mainly our mixtapes…I didn’t have much fear going into this.
But, for the direction I’d like to head in the future…I will need to be more careful and make sure to have all the bases covered from the business end.
Recently you became a father to a beautiful baby girl. Seeing how the music scene is so cut-throat, if she ever told you that she wanted to make a career in music, what advice would you give her?
Be very careful and that I would be there by her side to support her and to make sure she is protected.
What are some future projects you have lined up?
I’ve got a few projects lined up. I will be producing several tracks for some of the artists featured on the Renegades 3 mixtape for some of their own mixtapealbum releases. In addition, I’ve been approached by other new, up-and-coming artists to produce tracks for them. Finally, I’m planning to drop a potential Renegades 4 Mixtape for this coming year (’08).
Are there any artists in the South Asian scene who you feel quite strong about in regards to making waves in the mainstream scene?
Several! I think some of the artists featured on Renegades 3 have a fair shot at it! A lot of hard work and perseverance can get you there! I think it’s just a matter of time that we will see this happen!
Where do you see the urban South Asian scene 5 years from now?
Hopefully in the Mainstream! I think we can get there!
What do personally feel needs to be done in order for this scene to survive?
We need to work together and really start building an infrastructure for it world-wide with media backing, etc, in order for it to get bigger and attain global appeal.
Highlights of Sureet’s Production Career:
1/1/08 - 'Too Strong' by Raxstar (Dream Warriors/Digital Desi Productions) was chosen as #12 on BBC Asian Network's Top 40 Tracks for 2007!! ('Friction' Show)
11/27/07 – Check out DesiHits! 'new' article on the Renegades 3 Mixtape:
http://desihits.com/blog/article/urban-desi-renegades-part-2
11/26/07 – ' Party that we Rock' by Sir Aah tracklisted on the BBC Asian Network
11/14/07 – 'Disco' by Ajaxxx playlisted on Bobby and Nihal's show on BBC's Radio 1
11/10/07 – 'Something's Goin' On" by Raja Wilco and 'Disco' by Ajaxxx both tracklisted on Galaxy FM's Global Asian Sounds Show by Manga
10/26/07 - Within 24 hours of release, "Something's Goin' On" has been playlisted on BBC Asian Network Show hosted by Adil Ray, pulling in thousands of listeners every day. Raja Wilco's latest track has been listed as Adil's "Big One." So show your support and vote for "Something's Goin' On" featured on the new Renegades III Mixtape!!
10/06/07 - 'Renegades' by RKZ playlisted on the Mic Check Show on BBC Asian Network
9/22/07 – 'Party that we Rock' by Sir Aah tracklisted on Galaxy FM's Global Asian Sounds Show by Manga
9/17/07 - 'I'm a Dreamer' by Kaly track listed and makes Friction's Top Five track list on the BBC Asian Network
9/15/07 - 'Transformers' by Tha Indianz and 'I'm a Dreamer' by Kaly both track listed on Galaxy FM's Global Asian Sounds Show by Manga
9/9/07 - 'Transformers' by Tha Indianz tracklisted on Desihits.com 's Urban Desi Show by DJ Bijal
8/20/07 - 'Too Strong' by Raxstar track listed and makes Friction's Top Five track list on the BBC Asian Network
8/4/07 - 'Turn The Page' by One Signata Nach & 'Don't Pass Me By' by Sir Aah both track listed on Galaxy FM's Global Asian Sounds Show by Manga
8/1/07 - 'Don't Pass Me By' by Sir Aah track listed on Nitelife Radio
7/21/07 - 'Nach With It' by One Signata Nach track listed on Galaxy FM's Global Asian Sounds Show by Manga
6/28/2007 – Interview with Raja Wilco and a 'Sneak peek of his 'Brand New' track 'Something Goin On' was unveiled on GenerAsian Radio 90.1 KPFT (FM)
5/30/07 - 'Something About These Women' feat. Sir Aah feat Raxstar playlisted on Bobby and Nihal's show on BBC's Radio 1 for five straight weeks
5/26/07 - 'Stand Strong Remix' feat. Sir Aah and Raja Wilco playlisted on the Mic Check Show on BBC Asian Network
5/17/07 - 'Mail Order Bride' by Kerfew playlisted on the Panjabi Hitsquad Show on BBC's 1Xtra
5/12/07 - 'Renegades' by RKZ track listed on Galaxy FM's Global Asian Sounds Show by Manga
5/9/07 - 'Renegades' by RKZ was track listed on The Hype Show on BBC, hosted by DJ Kayper
5/01/07 - Mentor My Demo Competition (May Edition) features: WHAT GOES AROUND (REMIX) by RKZ (Digital Desi Productions)
12/16/06 - Sureet Sandhu of Digital Desi Productions is Producer of the Week on Galaxy FM's Global Asian Sounds Show by Manga. Tracks playlisted: 'Unforgettable' by Spendoe, 'Stop 4 a Second' by Loominus, and 'The General' by Raja Wilco.
12/11/06 - 'Unforgettable' by Spendoe is #2 on Friction's Top Five track list on the BBC Asian Network
9/20/06 – Raja Wilco's track 'The General' is # 1 on Bobby Friction & Nihal’s Top 5 Tunes list on BBC’s Radio 1
