Steel Banglez | |
---|---|
![]() Steel Banglez in 2019 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Pahuldip Singh Sandhu |
Also known as | Steel Banglez [1] |
Born | Forest Gate, London, England | 5 February 1987
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Record producer |
Years active | 2002–present |
Labels |
|
Website | steelbanglezmusic |
Pahuldip Singh Sandhu [2] (born 5 February 1987), [3] known by his stage name Steel Banglez, is a British record producer and musician of Indian Punjabi descent. He is currently signed to Warner Bros. Records. [4] Best known for his production work with artists including Mist, MoStack, J Hus and Wiley, Steel Banglez achieved his first chart hit as a lead artist when his track "Bad" reached the top 30 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2018. [5] His highest-charting single on the UK Singles Chart is "Fashion Week" featuring British rappers AJ Tracey and MoStack which peaked at number 7.
Born in Forest Gate, Sandhu grew up in Newham, east London. [6] Raised in a Sikh family, he was surrounded by traditional Indian instruments such as harmoniums and tablas as his mother was a music teacher. [6] In addition to being of Indian Punjabi descent, Sandhu has also stated to have Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan ancestry. [7] [8]
At the age of 10, he started DJing jungle music alongside his brothers [6] and subsequently presented a show on the pirate radio station Mystic FM. [9] He started producing music in his early teens after a teacher introduced him to the audio workstation Fruity Loops, and soon produced his first track "Dreams" for his neighbour, the influential grime artist D Double E. [6] He soon gained further exposure when he produced the Big H freestyle from the Practise Hours 2 DVD. [9]
Steel Banglez's career was halted when he was imprisoned at the age of 17, serving three years of a six-year sentence for the possession of a firearm with the intent to endanger lives. [10] [11]
While in prison, Steel Banglez befriended the rappers Fix Dot’M, Yung Meth and Colours Miyagi, and would produce beats for them on a keyboard. [10] This resulted in his musical direction becoming focused upon rap, and he also gained attention in south London where the centre of the capital's rap scene was based. His earliest production credits came in the mid-2000s. He produced “Colours” by D Double E and Big H’s Practice Hours 2 Freestyle.
After being released, Steel Banglez contributed production to Fix Dot'M and Yung Meth's mixtape A Fix of Meth, [12] and he teamed up again with Yung Meth, this time with Ghetts, on "Tidal Wave" which was released on SB.TV. He soon started working on tracks with a wider range of artists, such as "Breakdown" (with Big H, P Money, Wiley and Ghetts) and "Go Down South" (with Krept, Konan, Chip and Yungen, Not3s and James Lukezo of zua visa). [12]
Eager to establish his credentials as a producer, Steel Banglez ran a home studio from his manager's house which offered free studio time to artists, with Wiley and Roll Deep two of the highest profile names to put their vocals to his beats. [10] Steel Banglez later moved to a professional studio in what is now the Link Up TV office where he worked with Cashtastic, Yungen and Krept and Konan. [10] In 2014, Steel Banglez focused on producing Cashtastic's debut album which was due to be released by Universal Music. [6] However, that project ended when Cashtastic was deported to Jamaica as part of the Hostile Environment policy. [10] [2] As a result, new production work dried up and Steel Banglez lost direction in what he calls a “mad depressed stage” in his life. [10]
Steel Banglez was newly inspired when he heard the track "No Buddy" by MoStack in the summer of 2015. They connected via Twitter, [6] and Steel Banglez produced his debut mixtape Gangster with Banter. [9] On New Year's Eve of 2015, [9] he first heard MIST and realised that the Birmingham-based rapper's use of phrases from the Punjabi language would help him connect with a large audience. [13]
After making contact via Instagram, Steel Banglez drove MIST to his studio in London where he played him the beat of what would become the track "Karlas Back". [6] He produced MIST's breakthrough EP M I S T to the T in 2016 and then acted as executive producer on his Warner Bros. Records debut Diamond in the Dirt in 2018, which featured artists including MoStack, Jessie Ware and Haile from WSTRN. [14] Another high-profile production came when he collaborated with Jae5 on "Fisherman", a track from J Hus' debut album Common Sense . [15]
Steel Banglez's career as a lead artist was also gaining momentum. He signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music in April 2017 [16] before signing to Warner Bros. Records, together with his imprint Spiritual Records, later renamed Gifted Music, in April 2017. [17]
He released "Money" in March 2017, which featured several of his friends and collaborators such as MoStack, MIST, Haile and Abra Cadabra. [18] MoStack also appeared on the follow-up single "Bad" alongside Yungen, Mr Eazi and Not3s. [19] Released in November, "Bad" climbed the UK Singles Chart for several weeks before peaking at number 29 in February. [5] In March, the track was certified Silver by the BPI in recognition of 200,000 sales. [20]
Steel Banglez won Producer of the Year at GRM Daily's Rated Awards 2017. [21]
In 2018 he won Best Non-Traditional Asian Act at Brit Asia TV Music Awards (BAMA), [22] an award which he won again at BAMA 2019. [23]
On 19 May 2023, he released The Playlist, his debut studio album. [24] The album features guest appearances from Giggs, Asco, Blade Brown, Chip, Squeeks, MoStack, Aitch, Morrisson, Not3s, Blanco, Tion Wayne, Ms Banks, Backroad Gee, Kweng Face, Nines, Mist, Mastermind, Deno, King Promise, Wstrn, Yungen, M24, NSG, Rimzee, S1mba, Midas the Jagaban, Ivorian Doll, Tamera, Mowgs, Sidhu Moose Wala, Burna Boy, Clean Bandit, Wes Nelson, Stefflon Don, Unknown T, D Double E, Jaykae, Berwyn, Maverick Sabre, Ghetts, Tamer Hassan, Lotto Ash & Tiggs Da Author. [24] The album peaked at 29 on the UK Albums Chart. [25]
Steel Banglez's success has allowed him to help his family by funding his mother's retirement and his sister's university fees. [10] He was given the nickname Steel Banglez by a Jamaican friend in reference to the karas (steel bracelets) that he wears as a Sikh. [6]
Steel Banglez is an avid supporter of West Ham United F.C. [26]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
UK | ||
The Playlist |
| 29 [25] |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [5] | IRE [27] | ||||
"Money" [28] (featuring Mostack, MIST, Haile and Abra Cadabra) | 2017 | — | — | Non-album singles | |
"Bad" [29] (featuring Yungen, MoStack, Mr Eazi and Not3s) | 29 | — | |||
"Your Lovin'" [30] (featuring MØ and Yxng Bane) | 2018 | 47 | — |
| |
"Hot Steppa" [31] (featuring Loski) | — | — | |||
"Fashion Week" (featuring AJ Tracey & MoStack) | 2019 | 7 | 69 |
| |
"47" (with Sidhu Moose Wala & MIST featuring Stefflon Don) | 17 | — | |||
"Blama" [32] (featuring Tion Wayne & Morrisson) | 2021 | 94 | — | The Playlist | |
"Banglez Ting" [33] (featuring Giggs) | — | — | |||
"Tell Me" [34] (featuring Clean Bandit, Wes Nelson, Stefflon Don & Unknown T) | — | — | |||
"Mera Na" [35] (with Sidhu Moose Wala & Burna Boy) | 2023 | 87 | — | ||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Wife Me" [36] | 2018 | Raye | Side Tape |
"Brown Munde" | 2020 | AP Dhillon, Gurinder Gill, Shinda Kahlon, Gminxr | — |
Title | Year | Artist(s) | Produced with: | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Colours" [1] | 2006 | D Double E | None | On the Double |
"Spaceman" | 2010 | Mumzy Stranger, Wiley | Journey Begins | |
"Go Down South" [1] | 2012 | Krept & Konan, Yungen, Chip | Non-album single | |
"My Name" [37] | 2013 | Krept & Konan, Yana Toma | Young Kingz | |
"Ciao Bella" [38] | 2016 | MoStack | The Intent (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
"Karlas Back" [37] | MIST | M I S to the T | ||
"Ain't the Same" [39] | ||||
"Madness" [37] | Non-album singles | |||
"Hot Property" [37] | 2017 | |||
"Off the Record 2" [40] | Yungen | None | ||
"Where I'm From" [41] | Burna Boy | Outside | ||
"Fisherman" [37] | J Hus, Mostack, MIST | Jae5 | Common Sense | |
"It's Calm" [42] | Birdman, Sy Ari Da Kid | Rich Gang II: Lifestyles | ||
"Screw & Brew" [43] | Mostack, MIST | Sevaqk, Zeph Ellis | High Street Kid | |
"No Words" [1] | Dave, MoStack | Dave, 169, Fraser T. Smith | Game Over | |
"Sun Comes Up" (Steel Banglez Remix) [37] | Rudimental, James Arthur, MIST | None | Non-album remix | |
"99 + 1" [44] | Not3s, Mostack | Take Not3s | ||
"Dreams to Reality" [45] | 2018 | MIST | Diamond in the Dirt | |
"On It" [45] | MIST, Nines | |||
"Uber" [45] | MIST, MoStack | Swifta Beater, Zeph Ellis | ||
"Game Changer" [45] | MIST | None | ||
"Display Skills" [45] | MIST, Mr Eazi, Fekky | |||
"Order It In" [45] | MIST, Not3s | |||
"Crepes and Cones (Ya Dun Know)" [46] | Krept & Konan, Mostack | Non-album single | ||
"Wifey Riddim 3" [47] | 2019 | AJ Tracey | AJ Tracey | |
"Yes Yes" [48] | MoStack | The Elements, Zeph Ellis | Stacko | |
"I'm the One" [48] | MoStack, Fredo | Hazard | ||
"House Party" [49] | 2020 | MIST, Fredo | None | TBA |
"Signed to God" | 2021 | Sidhu Moose Wala | The Kidd & JB | Moosetape |
"Invincible" | Sidhu Moose Wala, Stefflon Don | The Kidd | ||
"Celebrity Killer" | Sidhu Moose Wala, Tion Wayne | The Kidd, M1, Chris Rich, JB & A.Singh | ||
Krept and Konan is a British hip hop duo from London, consisting of Casyo Valentine "Krept" Johnson BEM and Karl Dominic "Konan" Wilson BEM, the son of Delroy Wilson otherwise known as 'Jamaica's first child star'. Their first major release was the mixtape Young Kingz, released on 2 September 2013. As of 3 May 2013, Krept and Konan signed a record deal with Virgin EMI Records.
Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, better known by his stage name Mr Eazi, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is the pioneer of Banku music, a fusion of sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressions and patterns. Mr Eazi relocated to Kumasi in 2008 and enrolled at KNUST, where he began booking artists to perform at college parties. He showed interest in music after recording a guest verse on "My Life", a song that gained traction and became a popular record at KNUST. Mr Eazi released his debut mixtape About to Blow in 2013. He gained an international audience following the release of the Efya-assisted single "Skin Tight". His second mixtape, titled Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 – Accra To Lagos, was released in 2017.
Momodou Lamin Jallow, known professionally as J Hus, is a British rapper and singer who has been credited with pioneering the genre Afroswing. He is currently signed to Black Butter Records. He gained popularity in 2015 following the release of his song "Dem Boy Paigon".
Game Over is the second extended play by British rapper Dave. It was released on 3 November 2017 independently for streaming and digital download. The EP includes 7 tracks with production from Fraser T Smith, 169 and Steel Banglez, alongside a guest appearance from MoStack. It succeeds Dave's debut EP, Six Paths (2016).
Lukman Olanrewaju Odunaike, better known by his stage name Not3s, is a British singer and rapper from Hackney, London. His songs include "My Lover" and "Fine Line", both of which are collaborations with Mabel.
Clive James Brooks, also known as Yungen, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Herne Hill, South London. Yungen first gained recognition for his 2011 F64 freestyle video for SB.TV, and by 2015 had been nominated for Best Newcomer at the MOBO Awards.
Rhys Thomas Sylvester, known professionally as Mist, is a British rapper from Birmingham. His second EP, Diamond in the Dirt, was released in February 2018 and peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart.
Diamond in the Dirt is the second extended play (EP) by English rapper Mist. It was released on 9 February 2018 through Warner Bros. Records and Sickmade Ent. It marks Mist's second full length project following his debut EP M I S to the T in September 2016. It features production from frequent collaborator Steel Banglez, and guest appearances from Nines, Not3s, Jessie Ware and Mostack, among others.
This is the discography of Fredo, a British rapper who has released four studio albums, two mixtapes and twenty-one singles as a lead artist.
"Fashion Week" is a song by British producer Steel Banglez, featuring vocals from rappers AJ Tracey and MoStack. Following its premiere as BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac's Hottest Record, it was released as a single through Gifted Music on 21 March 2019, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Montell Daley, Paul Goller, Ché Grant, Pahuldip Sandhu, and Keven Wolfsohn, and produced by Banglez and The Elements.
Montell Samuel Daley, known professionally as MoStack, is a British rapper and singer from Hornsey in North London. After releasing a string of online songs and non-album singles between 2014 and 2016, he released his debut mixtape, High Street Kid on 2 June 2017; which debuted at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. His debut studio album, Stacko, was released on 7 June 2019; and debuted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. In addition to his own material, MoStack is also known for featuring on the hit singles "No Words" and "Fashion Week" ; which peaked at number 17 and number 7 in the UK respectively.
"Wild" is a song by British rapper MoStack. Following its premiere as BBC Radio 1 DJ Jack Saunders' Hottest Record, it was released as the lead single from MoStack's debut studio album Stacko through Virgin EMI on 2 May 2019; where it peaked at number 41 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Montell Daley, Amish Dilipkumar Patel, and Lionel Richie, and produced by ADP. The song samples "Easy" by Commodores.
"What I Wanna" is a song by British rapper MoStack that appears on his debut studio album Stacko. It was released as a single through Virgin EMI on 28 February 2018, peaking at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by MoStack, Darius Forde, James Grant and Brenda Russell, and it was produced by iLL BLU.
"Shine Girl" is a song by British rapper MoStack featuring British rapper Stormzy. It was released through Virgin EMI as the second single from MoStack's debut studio album Stacko on 31 May 2019; where it peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by MoStack, James Grant, Darius Ellington Forde, Levi Lennox, Stormzy and TSB, and produced by iLL BLU, TSB and Lennox.
Afroswing, also known as Afrobashment, or less commonly Afrobbean, or Afrowave is a genre of music that developed in the UK during the mid-2010s, derivative of dancehall and afrobeats, with influences from trap, British hip hop, R&B, and grime. Commercially, the genre has been very successful, with many afroswing artists making it into the British charts.
"Stinking Rich" is a song recorded by British rappers MoStack and J Hus featuring British rapper Dave that appears on MoStack's debut studio album Stacko. The song was written by MoStack, J Hus, Dave, and Darius Forde and James Grant, and produced by iLL BLU.
"Top Winners" is a song by British rapper Tinie featuring vocals from British singer-songwriter and rapper Not3s. The song was released as a single on 16 March 2020. The song peaked at number sixty-four on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Emile Laurent, Luke Odunaike, Patrick Okogwu and Victor Samuel.
"Dinner Guest" is a song recorded by British rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer AJ Tracey featuring British rapper MoStack. It was released as a single on 29 April 2020 as the lead single from the former's second studio album Flu Game (2021). The song peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, spending a total of 12 weeks in the top ten. The song features a sample of "Push the Feeling On" by Nightcrawlers.
"Miss Me" is a song by MoStack featuring AJ Tracey. It was released as a single in 2020 and peaked at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. It was AJ Tracey and MoStack's second collaboration of the year after "Dinner Guest", a number four chart hit in June for the artists, although it was MoStack taking the lead position on this single, with Tracey a featured act.
Jonathan Kweku Awote-Mensah, professionally known as Jae5 is a British-Ghanaian record producer and mixing engineer from Plaistow, East London. He is a Grammy Award-winning producer and is signed to Black Butter Records.