Listen To Steel Banglez, NAS, & Sid Sriram's Genre-Bending Anthem Of Resilience
One thing is certain: music's power to unite worlds exists, and few artists live this ethos as much as Steel Banglez. The Punjabi British record producer has made a career out of creating genre-fusing anthems that combine hip-hop, grime, and international influences. With 'Times', his new single featuring legendary NAS and Indian classical-fusion artist Sid Sriram, Banglez releases a hauntingly gorgeous song that delves into resilience, fate, and seeking light in the darkness.
Born Pahuldip Singh Sandhu to Punjabi Sikh parents in London, Steel Banglez came of age immersed in a diverse landscape of music. His father, a poet, and mother, a teacher of classical music, gave him an early introduction to sound as a means of expression. Yet it was East London's musical melting pot, where grime, Afrobeat, and hip-hop dominated the streets, that forged his distinct sound.
Steel Banglez initially created ripples in UK rap circles by producing music for artists such as J Hus, MoStack, Giggs, and Wiley; making beats that were anthems to a generation. His debut single, 'Fashion Week', collaborated with AJ Tracey and MoStack, ascended the UK Singles Chart and endeared him as an industry.
At its essence, Times is an emotionally charged song that addresses struggle, resilience, and the cyclical nature of life. NAS, a lyrical giant in hip-hop, applies his introspective storytelling to the song, laying down verses that reflect on the passage of time, inner struggles, and the lessons learned along the way.
In comes Sid Sriram, a singer renowned for effortlessly fusing Carnatic heritage with R&B and electronic music. His voice, otherworldly and haunting, provides an additional layer of introspection to the song, transforming it into a meditative session. The combination of NAS' rough-around-the-edges verses and Sid Sriram's majestic melodies makes Times a genre-bending work of art — one that feels both epic and intimate at once.
The official music video for the song reflects its essence, employing stark imagery and symbolic representation to express introspection and hope. Steel Banglez himself has referred to Times as a special track about "finding light", a feeling which is strongly evoked through the song's video.
This project is also an extension of Banglez's narrative — one of existing across multiple cultural identities, of being a South Asian artist within mostly Black and white musical circles, and of leveraging music as a way to make new lanes for oneself in the industry. It's about creating space for underheard voices, shattering ceilings, and demonstrating that the union of cultures brings something more together than it ever could alone.
Steel Banglez is always an artist who drives with purpose. His beats are not simply canvases for words; they are stories in themselves, drawn from decades of cross-cultural interaction and individual evolution. Times is not just another song — it's a poignant declaration where hip-hop, South Asian classical music, and UK grime converge.
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