Raoul Juneja of SiriusXM Dhamaka here!
In time for May’s South Asian Heritage Month, SiriusXM Dhamaka is highlighting the incredible history of South Asian rap artists (and hip-hop-influenced South Asian singers) all month!
Here’s your South Asian hip-hop cheat sheet to get prepared: it’s SiriusXM Canada’s top 5 South Asian Canadian rap artists you should have in your May playlists, and can listen to year-round on Dhamaka Beats!
1) Sultaan
Born in Punjab before settling in Saskatchewan, Sultaan is the bridge between the early 2000s and current South Asian hip-hop. As one of the first Canadian artists to rap entirely in Punjabi, he is credited for creating “Punjabi trap” with several groundbreaking releases in the mid 2010’s – before a triumphant return in 2025 with his “Rap God” album.
2) AR Paisley
Taking inspiration for his “Paisley” moniker from his hometown of Mississauga’s Paisley Blvd, this English-rap artist is known worldwide for his authentic balance between the mainstream and South Asian music scenes. In addition to AR’s several historic collaborations with his late friend, legendary Punjabi Canadian artist Sidhu Moosewala, this JUNO nominee recently collaborated on a new release with Canadian bhangra legend Jazzy B.
3) Fateh
Born in Thailand and raised in California, Fateh (also known as Fateh DOE) is credited with taking North American hip-hop to Bollywood. A frequent collaborator of legendary Punjabi producer Dr. Zeus, Fateh’s recent album “Don’t Forget To Call” featured several high-profile collaborations with international artists Mickey Singh and Rashmeet Kaur, among others.
4) Blitzkrieg
Hailing from Mississauga, Blitzkrieg is credited as the first South Asian Canadian emcee to rap in both English and Punjabi. From selling mixtapes on British street corners as a teen to headlining Indian music festivals across England, Blitzkrieg was also one of the first artists to popularize Canadian hip-hop culture “across the pond” pre social media. Even appearing on the hit Bollywood “Gully Boy” hip-hop movie soundtrack, Blitzkrieg is set for his 20th consecutive year of releasing music in 2026.
5) Bijaan
Born in Calgary, Bijaan is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about new rappers in the mainstream and South Asian Canadian music scenes. With performance credits from NXNE to SXSW, Bijaan perfectly blended Canadian hip-hop with South Asian influences on his debut single “Jungle” – via a tabla performance by legendary Canadian tabla artist Gurpreet Chana.
Celebrating South Asian hip-hop artists year-round, make sure to also tune in to our new show “Dhamaka Beats” every Friday at 5 PM EST on SiriusXM Dhamaka channel 769.
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