By: Tirusha Dave

It’s very rare that we come across artists from our community who are talented enough to land a deal with a mainstream American record label. Nonetheless, two artists – Nivla and Parag Oberoi – stood proud, and against the odds, showcasing their fusion of Hip-Hop and Punjabi lyrics – captivating not just the Desi listener, but even the American ears!

Many were surprised when they turned on the Fox 5 morning news one day in January and saw Soul Tap Records recording artist Nivla rapping, “My Gujaratis, Punjabis, and all my Sindhis turn it out right…fellow Malayalees reppin’ hard for the South side… parties, we rockin’ ‘em, me and Parag and ‘em, Soul Tap run sh-t ain’t no stoppin’ ‘em“, followed by P. Oberoi’s sultry Punjabi vocals, “Ho ni mein jhoot boleya, koi na, ni mein kuffer toleya, koi na kaadi vi dil todeya, koi na, bai koi na.”

Question: Who are Nivla and P. Oberoi and what’s the hype behind these two boys?