Dr. Zeus

• Genre: Asian Underground

About

No other bhangra producer has so wholeheartedly adopted rap's streetwise bravado as the U.K.'s Dr. Zeus. His aptly titled Sue My Ass -- Pure Garage set bhangra to garage beats, and he's also sampled liberally -- and probably illegally -- from top-flight rappers, mixing their hard-nosed flows with vocal lines from top-flight bhangra singers (including Balwinder singh Safri of the Safri Boyz). Born Baljit Singh, Zeus grew up in Birmingham, England and came of age during the country's rave and electronic music explosion. His Punjabi roots have helped him draw unexpected connections between rural Indian folk, electronic music and rap's swagger. The links are perhaps less strange than they seem, though: all three scenes celebrate "bhang" or marijuana, and, in the post-Timbaland rap world, Indian beats are as likely as classic soul to inform hit songs. Though he's released a string of albums that are typically short on songs, you'll invariably find dance-worthy gems studding each. He's also helped launch bhangra singers like Lehmber Hussainpuri on the Desi scene, and he's been known to produce for third-tier U.K. acts including the girl group Rouge.

- Sarah Bardeen