If you like desi remixes, you know who Rishi Rich is. If you like Bhangra, then you know who Rishi Rich is. If you like R'N'B, Hip Hop, or Garage, then, you know who Rishi Rich is. So if you don't know Rishi Rich, you don't know music! Earlier this week, Masaeb was lucky enough to catch up with the hottest property in the Asian music industry, and ask him what's life like at the top.
Masaeb: Well Rishi, you've come a long way since your days in 2Kool and the legendary Love2Love remixes, can you tell us how the formation of 2Kool came about, and when did you decide that music was the career you wanted to pursue?
Rishi Rich: Well I formed 2kool in 1994 when I sent out a demo to garage groove records. Pankaj (MD of company) was impressed and asked me if I wanted to start a production outfit with him, which I agreed. I've always been into music. I come from a very musical family and from the age of 6 I was learning Indian classical music, tabla, harmonium and learning to sing raags!
Masaeb: You had a lot of success in the remix market, was it something you liked doing or was it more of a stepping stone to where you wanted to get in the music industry?
Rishi Rich: I love Hindi music as well as bhangra. So when I had the opportunity to remix some of my favourite Hindi songs, I was so excited. It was also a stepping-stone to show what I was about musically.
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Masaeb: You left 2Kool in the late 90's and took most of your 2Kool entourage with you to form VR1 with Veronica Metha, why did feel you had to leave 2Kool considering the phenomenal success you had in the remix market at the time?
Rishi Rich: Well there came a time within 2kool where I had hit a brick wall. I had pretty much done everything I could do and felt like I wanted to be more innovative. I had done 10 albums within my time in 2kool and felt it was time for something different. |
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Masaeb: Many people may not remember, but I'm showing my age now, you used to go under the name of Rishi Riley, why the name change to Rich, do you think it had a positive effect if any on your career or with the ladies even (lol)?
Rishi Rich: Ha ha...well my friends used to call me riley because of influenced within my music from teddy riley, so when I took my career to next level I though about a name change and Rishi Rich was formed, which I liked (I think the ladies are happy with it to!!).
Masaeb: The material you produced with VR1 was mainly Bhangra and Hindi pop, would you say that was more your scene?
Rishi Rich: Yes, because I love both styles of music, and I always tried to blend western music in to Hindi or bhangra because I loved RnB to.
Masaeb: Now the album that everyone still talks about is Voices, this was when we really started to see your versatility as a producer, would you say this was the album that made people sit up and take notice of your talent?
Rishi Rich: Yes, when making voices I really said that I didn't want to hold back on my production. I wanted to make an album, which people would notice on a production level. I really enjoyed making that album, I still listen to it now!!
Masaeb: Now Rishi, you recently broke into the charts as a mainstream artiste with Misteeq with "This is how we do it" and I understand you've produced four more tracks for them recently. How did you get to work with such a big R'N'B group, and was it always a long-term goal for you to break into the mainstream?
Rishi Rich: I started to get remix work for a few major labels, one of which was the now 'mini-major' Telstar Records. They really like what I was doing on the remix front with their urban artists, such as De Nada, Nicole Russo etc. They came down the studio and checked out my other stuff and were really impressed so they just decided to let me have a crack at working with the girls and we hit it off straight away. Misteeq are really nice group of girls with good ideas and the relaxed nature they have around the studio really compliments the way I work also.
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Masaeb: You've worked with many artistes over the years, who did you enjoy working with the most, and who inspires you when you make music?
Rishi Rich: I've been extremely lucky over the last few years to work with some very talented people, like Misteeq, West life, Craig David, Fallacy & the extremely talented South African artist Danny K. But, the most enjoyable time in the studio is spent with a new up and coming kid I've been working with for the last 6 months called 'Jay Sean'. This kid is an incredible talent, he inspires me so much and I believe he's going to be a big star in the future. He's 21 years old and he's a British Asian. I'm so proud of him and one day hopefully all Asians will be. Musical inspirations come from the usual old skool artists like Stevie, Michael etc, production wise of course its Teddy Riley, Rodney Jerkins, Quincy Jones and I think Pharell plus Chad of the Neptunes are great innovators too. |
Masaeb: Just going off on a tangent, you've been working with a couple of guys over the years, Amit Chana, Mentor, Veronica, and Don Dee, all very talented people, why are they so under-utilised in our industry at a time where its screaming out for individuality in a Bhangra-garage dominated industry?
Rishi Rich: Well I think it's in the process of changing. Hip hop/Urban music is becoming more and more influenced at this present time by Asian instruments and this can only be a good thing for Asians working within the media field. Urban music is the biggest commercial selling genre of music in the world and artists like Redman, Truth Hurts, Missy & Jay Z are now bringing an international focus to our culture, which will can help provide a great platform for the talented people within our culture.
Masaeb: You've had huge success with your pure garage Bhangra series, but recently you've blessed us with R'N'B flavas, it that what you really want to do with music or will you produce whatever you feel sounds right?
Rishi Rich: My first love has always been bhangra music and RnB. The chance has arisen, in the last few month, for me to fuse these two together, which is basically what I've been doing throughout the whole of my career, if not on record, then just ideas in the studio. I've got so many beats and interesting ideas utilising sounds from western culture and eastern culture, I just cant wait to put them down and give them to the next artist I work with. It feels exciting times at the moment.
Masaeb: Very quickly, you're still working with people form the VR1 camp, but you don't use the name VR1 any more, why is this?
Rishi Rich: Well my production company is called VR1 Productions, and I still use that for my Asian and mainstream music.
Masaeb: Rishi, in a sense you're some what of a rare breed as you've never used mainstream samples in your music, what do you think of the wide use of samples in Bhangra, and would you ever consider doing it yourself?
Rishi Rich: No, as a producer/composer I believe that when I make music it has to be for real. I don't believe in lifting other people music to benefit me.
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Masaeb: Your latest album Simply Rich has been a huge success, and was released on Ishq, Bally Sagoo's label, what led you to leave Audiorec and move to Ishq?
Rishi Rich: Well, I just wanted to try out a different label, I still have very good ties with Audiorec and I like to work with different people too.
Masaeb: Many still say Bally Sagoo is the best producer in our industry, but he's recently been more involved with helping new talent make it in the industry such as Gunjan and DJ Kenz, what's like working with such a huge star and how much of an influence does he have on your final product?
Rishi Rich: Well Bally was really just the record company and really he did not get involved in making the album. |
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Masaeb: What's like being an icon in one world and more relative newcomer in another? Do fans stop you in the street?
Rishi Rich: I was at the Southall Mela a couple of weeks ago with Juggy D, Don D & Jay Sean (new Asian RnB hip hop kid I mentioned earlier) and we were signing autographs every 5 minutes. It was great fun and I really enjoy that side of things. People don't recognise me so much in the Western Industry, which is quite nice, but I'm making some great friends and I enjoy both sides of the coin.
Masaeb: Recently we saw Panjabi MC on Top Of The Pops, and the release of the Urban Explosion compilation album, would you agree that Bhangra and desi music has finally made it into the mainstream, or do you still think there is some work left to be done?
Rishi Rich: Obviously its great to see these artists on top of the top of the pops and getting recognition from a mainstream audience, it makes me very proud. I just hope we can keep it going and be given further opportunities to show the UK that there are a lot of talented Asians in the country which have a lot to offer 'the arts' and make a significant contribution to a different sector of society from which we're generally pigeon holed into.
Masaeb: What can we expect from Rishi Rich in the future and whom will you be working with?
Rishi Rich: Well like I've said, I'm working with my 'protégé' Jay Sean' if you like. He's such a massive talent and he's a young British Asian who is going to make a lot of people proud. I've also recently been working with Liberty X, Ricky Martin, & Craig David. Plus, I'm producing a couple of tracks at the moment for the new Sugar babe's album.
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Masaeb: Seeing as you've got a foothold in the mainstream UK market, will Desi fans be hearing less of you, or will you continue to produce for both markets?
Rishi Rich: Definitely BOTH markets!!
Masaeb: I've been dieing to ask you this for a few years now, I hope you don't knock me out, but everyone is dieing to know the deal with you and Sweet V (Veronica), are you two an item or is she single?
Rishi Rich: No, she is single, we are really good friends and will always remain good friends, even though she is very cute!!! |
Masaeb: Finally, any message to the desitunes4u fans out there?
Rishi Rich: I would just like to say thank you for all the support and love. It's great to know that people understand what we are trying to do to change the face of the Asian music industry.
One love
Rishi Rich
That concludes the interview, firstly a big thanks to Rishi Rich for taking some time out to do the interview. He's working with so many artists at the moment it's unbelievable, it's just a matter of time before he gets another mainstream TOP 10 hit of his own with the forthcoming Jay Sean tune, namely 'Dance With U' being a candidate. If you wish you to contact Rishi yourselves you can e-mail him at rishi.rich@virgin.net now.
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