He introduced a combination of the traditional Indian bhangra music with the style of raggamuffin, the mix-up often known as bhangramuffin, to the world with his first album, 1993's 'No Reservations'. That release was produced by Simon & Diamond, Phil Chill, Robert Livingston, Bobby Digital, and Sly Dunbar. It was followed by 'Make Way for the Indian', produced by Sly & Robbie, The Press, Mafia & Fluxy, Pandit Dinesh, and Chris Lane. That album notably featured rapper Tim Dog and spawned the massive hit Boom Shack-A-Lak", which has been used in several movies and has become a sort of 'signature song' for Apache Indian .
'Real People', produced by Harjinder Noparat, proved to be his most experimental album and also featured more Indian elements than many of his previous releases. 'Karma', his first album of the new century, was a return to more traditional forms of reggae. That album featured Luciano, Boy George, and Mafia & Fluxy.
As stated before, Apache Indian merged raggamuffin with Indian music as well as influences from mainstream dance music and pop rap. Born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. He helped to start a trend that has found a huge following. He's also the only Asian to date to have seven Top 40 Hits on the mainstream British charts. Stylistically, Apache Indian generally moved from mixing Indian music with raggamuffin and commercial rap to exploring more traditional forms of reggae on his most recent albums.
Lyrically, Apache Indian - who always uses Jamaican English - is known for his sharp social criticism ("Arranged Marriage" featuring Natacha Atlas; "Mention") as well as his party tracks ("Boomshackalak", "Jump Up").
Apache Indian has recorded with Boyz II Men, Blackstreet, Wreckx 'n' Effect, UB40, US chart topper Sean Paul, Maxi Priest, General Levy, Brian and Tony Gold, Shaggy, Yami Bolo, Boy George, A.R. Rahman, Sameera Singh. Asha Bhosle and Pras of the Fugees.
Reggae singer Sean Paul, who has been on the top of Billboard charts with his single with Beyonce, toured the US with Apache Indian.
For his first album "No Reservation", he had signed a contract worth £250,000 pounds with Island Records - one of the largest sums paid for a debut album by a non-white artist.
"Boomshackalak" was featured in five different Hollywood movies, including "Dumb And Dumber". More significantly, the song has featured in a record 52 commercials across the globe, featuring various brands.
Now it features on the "Scooby Doo 2" soundtrack, along with international names like Fatboy Slim, The B-52's, 2 Unlimited and New Radicals.
His composition "Om Namah Shivay" also features on Putumayo World Music World Reggae, a collection of reggae-influenced tracks performed by artists from around the world. The World Reggae compositions blend the upbeat and soulful groove of reggae with exotic local influences to create new and appealing variations that will appeal to music lovers everywhere.
Apache Indian was also nominated for the Central Britain Media and Arts Asian Jewel Award in 2004.
Discography
* 1993 No Reservations
* 1995 Make Way for the Indian
* 1997 No Reservations
* 1998 Real People
* 2000 Karma
* 2005 Time for Change
In The Ghetto
Apache Indian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a cold and grey chicago morn'
A poor little baby child is born - in the ghetto
On a cold and grey chicago morn'
A poor little baby child is born - in the ghetto
Verse
This a ghetto man talk hear the ghetto man sing
Ghetto man talk hear the ghetto man sing
Down in a the ghetto them no win
The youth them down a ghetto a suffer
Every morning have fe get up and raise a dollar
Have fe fight fe survive them wan fe prosper
Me want the ghetto youth them a mon fe stand up higher
Tell me what you really never know
The youth them just a cry down in a the ghetto
With no place to live and with no place to go
You no see how them suffer down in a kosovo
Chorus
Verse
This a ghetto man talk hear the ghetto man sing
Give all the ghetto youth them the blessing
Ghetto man talk hear the ghetto man sing
Bring all the youth out a sin
Living ina the ghetto it no fun
The youth wan fe carry fe them knife and gun
The drugs them a push but we no wan none
Have fe clean up the ghetto fe we daughter and son
Me no wan see the youth cry
Like ina calcutta and down a mumbai
Ca all them a struggle and a try them a try
But what them a go do a when the well run dry
Chorus
On a cold and grey chicago morn'
A poor little baby child is born - in the ghetto
And his mama cries - if there's one thing that she don't need
¡Âits another little hungry mouth to feed - in the ghetto
On a cold and grey chicago morn' another little baby child is born - in the ghetto
And his mama cries - in the ghetto - and his mama cries - in the ghetto
The lyrics to Apache Indian's song In The Ghetto Featuring Boy George are a commentary on the struggles faced by those living in impoverished neighborhoods. The chorus serves as a haunting reminder of the harsh realities of life for those born into these conditions, while the verses provide an intimate look at the experiences of the "ghetto man" and the youth who suffer alongside him.
The first verse highlights the poverty and struggle faced by those living in the ghetto. The "ghetto man" laments the fact that the youth in his community are forced to fight for survival, waking up each morning to "raise a dollar" in order to simply exist. He urges them to stand up and break free from the cycle of poverty that has held them down for generations.
The second verse touches on the toll that living in the ghetto takes on the youth. In their efforts to survive, many turn to violence and drugs, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and suffering. The ghetto man calls for the blessing of the youth and for those living in the community to work together to create a better future for their children.
Overall, the song shines a light on the human cost of poverty and pinpoints the need for change in order to break the cycle of poverty in impoverished areas.
Line by Line Meaning
On a cold and grey chicago morn',
A poor little baby child is born - in the ghetto
A baby is being born into a life of poverty in the ghetto on a cold morning in Chicago
This a ghetto man talk hear the ghetto man sing
Down in a the ghetto where the youth suffering
A person from the ghetto is speaking and singing about the struggles that the youth face in their daily lives
Ghetto man talk hear the ghetto man sing
Down in a the ghetto them no win
Despite their efforts, people living in the ghetto are still struggling to win and improve their lives
The youth them down a ghetto a suffer
Every morning have fe get up and raise a dollar
Have fe fight fe survive them wan fe prosper
Me want the ghetto youth them a mon fe stand up higher
The youth in the ghetto suffer every day as they struggle to earn enough money and fight to survive. The singer wants the youth to stand up and succeed.
Tell me what you really never know
The youth them just a cry down in a the ghetto
With no place to live and with no place to go
You no see how them suffer down in a kosovo
People are unaware of the suffering in the ghetto, and the youth are crying with no place to live or go. This is similar to the situation in Kosovo where there is also poverty and suffering.
Give all the ghetto youth them the blessing
Ghetto man talk hear the ghetto man sing
Bring all the youth out a sin
The singer wants to bless and help the youth in the ghetto, and to help them stay away from a life of sin.
Living ina the ghetto it no fun
The youth wan fe carry fe them knife and gun
The drugs them a push but we no wan none
Have fe clean up the ghetto fe we daughter and son
Living in the ghetto is not easy, and youth feel the need to carry weapons and turn to drugs as a result. The singer wants to clean up the ghetto for the sake of the next generation.
Me no wan see the youth cry
Like ina calcutta and down a mumbai
Ca all them a struggle and a try them a try
But what them a go do a when the well run dry
The singer does not want to see the youth cry like they do in Calcutta and Mumbai where there is also poverty and struggle. The concern is that when resources run out, the situation will worsen.
And his mama cries - if there's one thing that she don't need
¡Âits another little hungry mouth to feed - in the ghetto
The mother of the new baby cries because she knows that she cannot provide for another mouth to feed in the ghetto.
On a cold and grey chicago morn' another little baby child is born - in the ghetto
And his mama cries - in the ghetto - and his mama cries - in the ghetto
Another baby is born into the harsh reality of the ghetto and the mother cries because she knows the struggles that lie ahead.
Contributed by Bentley H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jenniferb1793
I love you Mackenzie. Id die for you too...
@jenniferb1793
Hi