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If you thought Panjabi MC was one of a kind or Hip-Hop’s affair with Indian music was long over, think again. Like Reggaeton and Crunk, there is another global musical movement capturing the world with its beats and strong rhythms. In fact, it’s been consistently present on the Billboard charts, on classic Hip-Hop albums and even on the mixtape circuit.

Best described as ‘Bollyhood’, it began with remixed versions of classic Indian film tracks for the club and a new audience of growing youths called ‘Desis’ (pronounced dare-sees). The scene developed in the U.K and today has fans in all major markets whose backgrounds originate from different regions in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and so forth) and the Middle East. This new music has created its own industry with thousands of DJs, producers and entertainers taking part in it worldwide.

Hip-Hop is now the mainstream youth culture and Indians are no exception to this phenomenon. In fact, they relate to the racial and social issues that Hip-Hop talks about. And as much as urban culture is a part of this new genre, it’s the same for Hip-Hop, whose artists have continuously used Eastern sounds to help revive their music or make it more cutting edge.

Tracks such as Foxy Brown’s ‘Hood Scriptures’ on Broken Silence, Lil Kim’s ‘Shake Ya Bum Bum’ on La Bella Mafia, Nas’s ‘Flyest Angels’ and Jay Z’s consistent visits with tracks like ‘Bounce’ and even the street anthem ‘Big Pimpin’ have done it. And who can ignore Timbaland, who has openly admitted to being inspired by Indian culture (‘Indian Flute’, Missy’s ‘Get Your Freak On’). One of the major crossover tracks was Truth Hurts ‘Addictive’, although it later received media attention for an uncleared sample and perhaps made producers a little cautious when using eastern-inspired music.

However, eastern-influenced beats continue to thrive (50 Cent ‘Candy Shop’) and Bollyhood Records continues to feed a new generation of South Asians who search for music that incorporates their culture. BHood™ is at the forefront of this movement, being the first Indian, Hip-Hop and R&B album to come out of the U.S, and perhaps even the world, as it incorporates both sounds like never before. A full album that includes exclusive remixes, original music and a message - it’s time to give props to both musical genres that have been growing globally for over a decade. Blending other genres such as Dancehall and Soul, BHood™ The Album Vol.1 is an exotic mix of sounds made for the streets (and hoods) worldwide. Respect!