This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Curry-flavoured club cuts and bhangra beats aren’t exactly at the top of pop’s musical menu. Especially not for hip-hop fans.
But anyone adventurous enough to sample the latest platter from Pan’jabi MC — aka Coventry’s Rajinder Rai — is sure to come away simultaneously satisfied and hungry for more. The appetizer is Jay-Z’s remix of Beware Of The Boys, which finds the New York hip-hop guru spreading a thick layer of mush-mouthed bling-bling bluster over Rai’s snakecharming melodies and sinewy belly-dance grooves. The rest of this 14-course banquet serves up similar dishes, with Rai tastefully blending the urgency of hip-hop and the silkiness of soul with exotically spiced, traditionally prepared tracks that could have been lifted straight from classic Bollywood soundtracks. Vindaloo and Hennessy: Two great tastes that — thanks to Pan’jabi MC — taste great together.
