Ikky

Ikwinder Singh, a Toronto native, rose to prominence in the late 2010s by writing and producing songs for leading Indian artists such as Gurnam Bhullar, Amrit Maan, and Garry Sandhu. He soon founded the 4N label and began issuing his own material as Ikky, fusing Punjabi pop with North American rap and a range of multicultural rhythms. The 2021 debut single “80 90” arrived with support from his earlier collaborators Maan and Sandhu.

Singh’s Toronto childhood exposed him equally to the city’s hip-hop and R&B scenes and to the Punjabi music of his family. His father recognized the boy’s emerging skill and supplied basic production gear, allowing rapid growth throughout his teenage years. A mutual friend introduced Singh to the then-up-and-coming Indian singer Gurnam Bhullar; together they scored a major success with the 2018 track “Diamond.” Work with more established names followed, among them Amrit Maan and Sidhu Moose Wala, as Singh layered North American urban touches and further global sounds onto mainstream Punjabi music.

In 2021 Singh moved into the role of rapper and singer, shortening his name to Ikky while launching the ambitious 4N label in tandem with Warner Music. Both Maan and Sandhu appeared on the opening single “80 90.”