Rishi Rich

Emerging as the driving force behind the rise of transatlantic R&B sensation Jay Sean, British Punjabi songwriter and producer Rishi Rich stands out as a pivotal force within the U.K. Asian pop landscape. Born Rishpal Singh Rekhi in Croydon, London, he immersed himself in classical Indian instruments during childhood, secured work as a recording-studio runner at age eleven, and two years later joined a friend to sign a deal as 2Kool, issuing several albums until the act disbanded in 1997. He subsequently formed the duo VR1 with soul singer Veronica, then accepted a solo contract from Bally Sagoo’s Ishq Records label. The resulting debut LP, Simply Rich, surfaced in 2002 and drew enthusiastic praise for fusing contemporary R&B with bhangra. He refined this hybrid approach on Hindi remixes of various pop singles and, after writing hits for Mis-Teeq and Craig David, discovered former doctor Jay Sean through an early demo. In 2003 the three artists united as the Rishi Rich Project to deliver his first U.K. Top 40 single, “Dance with You,” and the following year he produced Jay Sean’s debut album, Me Against Myself. His own collaborative sophomore set, The Project, appeared in 2006; shortly afterward he launched a production company with entertainment entrepreneur Waleed Jahangir that went on to develop H-Dhami, Mumzy Stranger, and Veronica Mehta. In 2009 he received a special “Commitment to the Scene” accolade at the Asian Music Awards.