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Mundian To Bach Ke

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"Mundian To Bach Ke"
Single by Panjabi MC
from the album Legalised / Beware
B-side"Mundian Breaks"
Released25 November 2002 (2002-11-25)
RecordedBirmingham, United Kingdom
Genre
Length3:49
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Panjabi MC
Panjabi MC singles chronology
"Backstabbers"
(2002) 		"Mundian To Bach Ke"
(2002) 		"Jogi"
(2003)
Music video
"Mundian To Bach Ke (Beware of the Boys)" on YouTube

"Mundian To Bach Ke" (IPA: [mʊɳɖɪãː tõː bətːʃ keː]), also titled "Beware of the Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke)" or "Beware", is a bhangra music song produced by British musician Panjabi MC, with vocals and lyrics by Punjabi artist Labh Janjua. The song was recorded first by Panjabi MC in Birmingham, England, for his 1998 album Legalised/The Album.

Following its release as a single in November 2002, "Mundian To Bach Ke" achieved worldwide success, topping the singles charts in Italy and Wallonia and charting highly in many other countries. A remix of the song, released in 2003 and featuring American rapper Jay-Z, also charted highly in North America and Australia. The song sold an estimated 10 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.[1]

Lyrics and music

[edit]
"Mundian To Bach Ke" (1998)
A 23-second sample of "Mundian To Bach Ke"
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In addition to features of bhangra music, "Mundian To Bach Ke" also uses the bass line and part of the beat from "Fire It Up" (1997) by Busta Rhymes,[2] which in turn is based around a sample from the television theme song for Knight Rider,[3] written by Glen A. Larson and Stu Phillips, as an underlying element and lyrics originally written by Channi Singh. The lyrics of the song are in Punjabi. The music video of this song was shot in the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Chart performance

[edit]

"Mundian To Bach Ke" was released as a single in Germany on 25 November 2002.[4] It sold over 100,000 in the first two days alone and debuted at number two on the German Singles Chart.[5][4] On the Italian Singles Chart, the song reached number one for three weeks.[6] In the UK, it was issued through Instant Karma and debuted at its peak of number five on the UK Singles Chart; it was the first bhangra song to reach the UK top 10.[7][8] The remix, featuring American rapper Jay-Z, also reached number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 10 in Canada, and number 12 in Australia.[9][10][11]

The Washington Post estimated that there may have been 10 million units sold worldwide. However, given that many of these copies may have been bootlegged, an exact number is not known, though sales are at least in the millions.[1]

Track listings

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[63] Gold 25,000*
Germany (BVMI)[64] Platinum 500,000‡
Greece (IFPI Greece)[29] Gold 10,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[65] Gold 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[66] Silver 200,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Germany 25 November 2002 CD
[4]
United Kingdom 13 January 2003
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Instant Karma [67]
Australia 9 June 2003 CD Ministry of Sound [68]
[edit]
  • It was used on an episode of ER, when Gallant and Neela danced to a version of the song, which Gallant called a "Sikh rap".
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was used in America's Best Dance Crew Season 2 on week 9 of the Around The World challenge as part of the Indian dance section. It also appeared in an episode of the American television show Queer as Folk during a scene at the club Babylon. A version of this song was used as a background music in the Ginebra San Miguel "Bilog Ang Mundo" ad campaigns in 2003. The song was featured in an episode of Entourage. It was used twice in the pilot of the NBC comedy Outsourced.
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was featured in the 2003 film Bulletproof Monk.
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was the song used by Derek Hough and Shawn Johnson in their Knight Rider bhangra-themed dance in the semi-finals of Dancing with the Stars (All Stars Season).
  • The remix of "Mundian To Bach Ke", which featured American rapper Jay-Z, also on Dharma Records, was featured in the trailer for the 2012 American film The Dictator, as the film's main theme song.[69]
  • Sports-comedy Stick It featured the beginning of "Mundian To Bach Ke" in a scene where a group of teens escapes from the arriving police.
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was used in the dance games Dance Central 3 and Just Dance 4.
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was used in the Bollywood film Boom (2003).[69]
  • In 2009, German singer Peter Fox mashed this song with Seeed's song "Dickes B" during the tour for his solo album Stadtaffe.[70]
  • In 2015, it was featured in series 2, episode 2 of the BBC sitcom Scot Squad as two officers did the 'clocking off' dance.
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was recreated in the Bollywood film Baaghi 2, with lyrics rewritten in Hindi.[69]
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was featured on Beyoncé and Jay-Z's joint On the Run II Tour, mashed up with Beyoncé's "Baby Boy".[71]
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was used on the June 2019 Edexcel GCSE Music Paper. It featured on the Section B essay along with the track "Release" by Afro Celt Sound System.
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke", featuring Jay-Z, appears on the soundtrack of the 2021 Netflix movie The White Tiger.[72]
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" was used as part of a dance scene within the Closing Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
  • "Mundian To Bach Ke" in the 21st century was a part of some internet memes, with a video uploaded on YouTube of the song in the extremely loud version titled "loud indian music". The video became popular and featured characters either singing the song or yelling the song. The song was also used in a music video of a cat wearing a keffiyeh, earning 14,000,000 views to date.[73]
  • ”Mundian To Bach Ke” is commonly used by internet personality Vikkstar123, as it was often played in his and other Sidemen members early vlogs, and has stuck as his “theme song” ever since. He would later use the song as the backing track for his diss track against fellow YouTuber Deji.

As stereotype

[edit]

Outside these examples above, its massive popularity lent to frequent stereotypical use in western media as a auditory shorthand for introducing South Asians and/or aspects of their culture on screen.[74]

References

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  1. ^ a b Wartofsky, Alona (13 July 2003). "Rap's Fresh Heir". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 May 2012.[dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Panjabi MC's 'Mundian to Bach Ke' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled.com.
  3. ^ "Busta Rhymes's 'Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled.
  4. ^ a b c d "Panjabi MC – Mundian To Bach Ke" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  5. ^ Amit Puri (2003). Mundian toh bachke raheen Boom(s) with Punjabi MC. The Tribune
  6. ^ a b "Panjabi MC – Mundian To Bach Ke". Top Digital Download.
  7. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  8. ^ Satnam Rana (January 2003). "Coventry-born Panjabi MC creates pop history". BBC. Retrieved 12 June 2006.
  9. ^ a b "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 17 May 2003. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. 7 June 2003. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Panjabi MC feat. Jay-Z – Beware of the Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  12. ^ Mundian To Bach Ke (German CD single liner notes). Panjabi MC. Superstar Recordings, Urban Records. 2002. 0195152.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Mundian To Bach Ke (French CD single liner notes). Panjabi MC. Scorpio Music. 2002. SHT S0140-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Mundian To Bach Ke (UK CD single liner notes). Panjabi MC. Instant Karma. 2003. karma28cd.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Mundian To Bach Ke (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Panjabi MC. Instant Karma. 2003. Karma28t.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ Mundian To Bach Ke (UK cassette single sleeve). Panjabi MC. Instant Karma. 2003. Karma28mc.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Beware of the Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke) (US CD single liner notes). Panjabi MC. Sequence Records. 2003. SEQ 8012-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ Beware of the Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke) (US 12-inch single sleeve). Panjabi MC. Sequence Records. 2003. SEQ 8012-6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ Beware of the Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke) (US 12-inch single sleeve). Panjabi MC. Sequence Records. 2003. SEQ 8011-6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ Beware of the Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke) (US 12-inch single sleeve). Panjabi MC. Sequence Records. 2003. SEQ 8014-6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ Mundian To Bach Ke (Beware of the Boys) (Australian CD single disc notes). Panjabi MC. Ministry of Sound. 2003. MOSCD5031.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  55. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2003" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
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  62. ^ "Most-Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs". Billboard Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. 19 December 2003. p. 26.
  63. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2003". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  64. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Panjabi MC; 'Mundian To Bach Ke')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  65. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Mundian to back ke')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  66. ^ "British single certifications – Panjabi MC – Mundian To Bach Ke". British Phonographic Industry.
  67. ^ "Reviews – For Records Out on 13 and 20 January 2003: Single of the Week 2". Music Week. 11 January 2003. p. 19.
  68. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 9th June 2003" (PDF). ARIA. 9 June 2003. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2003. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  69. ^ a b c "Baaghi 2 song Mundiyan embroiled in legal controversy; makers of film accused of plagiarism, copyright infringement". Firstpost. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  70. ^ "Peter Fox – Dickes B Live from Berlin". YouTube, LLC. Google, Inc.[dead YouTube link]
  71. ^ "Beyonce Danced To Everyone's Fave Punjabi Club Banger And It's Giving Us Life". 6 July 2018.
  72. ^ "The White Tiger - 2021 Netflix Movie Features Panjabi MC & JAY-Z". Panjabi MC. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  73. ^ "Arabian cat - (Official Music VIdeo) ft.Panjabi MC". YouTube. 8 November 2020.
  74. ^ Thapar, Ciaran (7 April 2022). "Look back in bhangra: Panjabi MC on becoming a pop icon". The Guardian. But the song is also uncomfortable for those who saw it appropriated. "When it comes on now, people in the Asian music industry will groan. But that's not because of the tune. The tune is powerful," says Friction. "It's because for years it was played whenever anything Asian came on the television – anytime someone cooked a curry on Come Dine With Me. And that took a lot of the cultural meaning away. It showed south Asians how two-dimensional the rest of society saw us."
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