Hustlers HC

Hustlers HC was an Asian Hip Hop group formed in 1991 in West London, England. The group consisted of three members: 2 rappers, The Hustler MC (Paul Arora) and Ski-Man (Mandeep Walia), and DJ Mitts. Hustlers HC were the first Sikh rap crew to come out of the United Kingdom with a strong socio-political message. They did much to bridge religious divides in the Asian community as well as creating much respect for Sikhs in the Rap fraternity. Hustlers HC were also responsible, along with DJ Ritu, for organising and maintaining one of the first and most respected Asian club nights in London, Bombay Jungle at the Wag Club. The trio made their first television appearance on the series "Rhythm & Raag" in 1992.

Along with Fun-Da-Mental and ADF, Hustlers HC is a band who promotes the disruption of racial and ethnic conception of 'blackness' and 'Asianness.' Through their combination of Asian instrumentation and lyrics with “black” genre of Rap, they explain why Asians are into rap instead of supporting that Rap is a black entity. This makes a huge difference in that they “signify a potentiality in the disruption of essentialising racial/ethnic boundary formation and identification, and mark the possibility of a transcendence in the normative representations of both ‘blackness’ and ‘Asianness.’ (Sharma 43)

The group has released two singles through Nation Records: "Big Trouble in Little Asia"/"Let the Hustlers Play" in 1993 and "On a Ride/Vigilante" 1994. They are credited with being one of the first Asian Hip Hop groups. Their music mixes gangsta rap lyrics and stylistics with jazz like beats, which combines to form a unique hip hop sound. The group uses their lyrics to discuss political and social issues pertinent to the Asian community.

In the song "Big Trouble in Little Asia", Hustlers HC intelligently discusses the issues of post-colonial India, racism in Britain, and the richness of Asian culture. The blend of hip-hop and Gangsta-rap narrativity as articulated in "Big Trouble in Little Asia" was one of the first to directly address important elements about the relationship between Asian culture and political life in Britain.[2] In common with many rappers, Hustlers HC narrates in this song about the struggle and defence of Asian culture in the face of racist, oppressive forces, both in the homeland and in Britain. "Big Trouble in Little Asia" is one of their tracks to first articulate directly some significant dimensions of Asian cultural and political life in Britain. This piece featured a haunting melodic guitar line with a jazzy Hip-hop beat. The message is intensified by syncopated Reggae beats, and a rising tempo. However, there is no innocent celebration of an Asian cultural identity in this song, but rather it explores the internal opposition of an Asian cultural formation existing within a hostile and racially violent Britain. This track is significant in that it parallels the consciousness rappers in other regions of the world. They parallel it because they rap about the historical problems in the "homeland" but also rap about the current issues in Britain What makes Hustlers HC unique is also the fact that they were "the first Sikh rap crew to come out of the UK with a strong socio-political message." Hustlers HC was influential because they opened doors for whole groups of people in their respective countries. In this track, Hustlers HC are concerned with the divisions caused by certain religious and ethnic affiliations, and advocate for political unity in fighting racial oppression. They criticise the increased gang culture and the violence across ethno-religious groups within the Asian community. The end of the 'Big Trouble in Little Asia' not only shares the theme of "ghetto tales" of gangsta rap, but also suggests that although the narrative may not directly apply to the listener, its lyrics tell a story of social significance and deserves reflection. Not only does the song tell the value of a past cultural identity, "my culture is all I have," but also motivates for an identity to be recreated and transformed in the present as "my culture I will find." In the Hustler HC brief published by Nation Records, the song is characterised as a "call to all Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh youth to unify against [the previously mentioned] problems. This call for unity lies at the core of Hustlers HC philosophy." It is said that "Big Trouble in Little Asia" increasingly intensifies its message with the combination of "a haunting melodic guitar riff and jazzy hip-hop beat that carry the listener, and the rising tempo- syncopated by Reggae beats."Bhangra music movement in general encouraged Asians in England to appreciate their heritage and not be ashamed, despite the rampant bigotry of the period. The group is known for passing judgment on completely assimilated Asians, a group they view as sell-outs who have abandoned their culture. In the "Big Trouble in Little Asia", the group raps, "Weakened the most by the coconut", referring to individuals who are "brown on the outside but white on the inside". To this end, Hustlers HC advocate for political unity as well as the preservation of the Asian identity. They are criticising Asians who have assimilated into British culture and become cultural sell-outs.

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