OtaaL, born Balsharan Singh OtaaL, is a young rapper from Punjab who is now based in Vancouver, Canada. He started freestyling around 11 and began releasing music in his mid-teens, drawing early inspiration from Punjabi artists such as KS Makhan and Sidhu Moosewala alongside UK rap and artists like Central Cee to make Punjabi rap, trap and contemporary hip-hop. The artist has also spoken about switching between Punjabi music and UK trap when he listens to music himself, which shows up in his music thorugh Punjabi verses over heavier contemporary rap production. His 2025 debut EP, 'NO REMORSE,' brought together six tracks with collaborators including MXRCI, JayB Singh, Mad Mix and Karam Brar, while OtaaL wrote most of the project himself and produced ‘DEMISE’, making the beat entirely on his phone. 

A lot of OtaaL’s verses touch upon ambition, confidence, loyalty, relationships, and the life around him. ‘1 OF 1’ leans into Punjabi bravado and self-assurance through status and individuality, whereas ‘MIXED SIGNALS’ takes a more personal route into romantic uncertainty and complicated relationships. Across his work, his voice moves between hard-edged rap and more melodic, introspective moments all conveyed with an eloquent lyricism. His recent releases have continued to develop that balance, with OtaaL becoming a favourite in the newer generation of Punjabi hip-hop artists.

One of his tracks recently found its way into Salute The Sample, Rock The Bells’ series devoted to the records and sounds behind some of hip-hop’s best-known songs. The series is hosted by DJ Z-Trip, LL COOL J and Greg Nice, who dig into the original recordings behind samples and look at how producers transformed those sounds into new hip-hop tracks. Their episodes have covered everything from funk, soul and disco to rock and other genres, tracing the musical connections between older records and the rap songs that sampled them. The series is essentially a guided trip through hip-hop’s crate-digging culture, with its hosts breaking down the records, artists and production choices behind the music. 

The track they discuss in an episode titled 'Bollywood To The Hood' is ‘Saun Di Jhadi,’ that OtaaL released in May 2024. Z-Trip traces the life of this sample from the original — Lata Mangeshkar's ‘Thoda Resham Lagta Hai,’ the Bappi Lahiri-composed track with lyrics by Anand Bakshi, to its debut in hip-hop with 'Addictive' by Truth Hurths produced by DJ Quik and Dr. Dre among other reditions, to finally OtaaL's portrait of a 'trapstar'. In the track, his verses lean into the brash, confrontational world that appears across his work, with references to guns, rivalries, money, rural Punjabi life. Despite not understanding or recognizing the language DJ Z-Trip shouts out the artist for his flow In the episode, while also taking us into the life of a sample across different artists, genres, and even languages.

But, there's more. The use of this particular one did get contentious, when Bappi Lahiri and Saregama took the producers and labels to court over the uncleared sample, with Saregama seeking $500 million and a judge eventually stopping sales of the album until Lahiri was credited. Bappi's team described the use as 'cultural imperialism' and the case became an important moment in the growing conversation around sampling, copyright and the movement of South Asian music through American popular culture. Researchers have since returned to 'Addictive' as a fascinating case study in its own right, looking at everything from the history of the melody and its repeated use across Indian, American and Jamaican music. The sample also opened debates on race, gender, sexuality, exoticism and post-9/11 ideas about South Asia. OtaaL's rendition of the track nonetheless unveils a tricky and fascinating history in global hip-hop culture.

Follow OtaaL here and watch the episode below:

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