Tune In Tuesdays – Sammy Chand

Sammy Chand’s Los Angeles based label, Rukus Avenue, released The Black Prince – Music Inspired By The Motion Picture in New York on July 16th timed with the IIFA Awards. The two-hour press conference and album launch featured a special panel that included Indian Cinema legend Shabana Azmi, lead in the film Satinder Sartaaj, Director Kavi Raz, producer Jasjeet Singh and Music Producer Sammy Chand.

Executive produced by Chand and the film’s producer Jasjeet Singh and produced by Chand and Canada’s Raoul Juneja, The Black Prince – Music Inspired by the Motion Picture features the film’s star Satinder Sartaaj, Talib Kweli, Emmanuel Jal & Nelly Furtado, Tisha Campbell Martin, Sammy Chand, AK aka Amazing, Ozomatli, Chali 2na and more.

“This album tells the story of The Black Prince through a modern sound with some great artists,” says Sammy Chand. “The collection of artists on this album is a testament to how fascinating the true story and legacy of Maharaja Duleep Singh truly was. Even in its tragic form, there is so much for us to take away from his life.  For me, it’s an honor to be involved with this film.”

Sammy Chand is often credited with the initiation of the South Asian/Indian Hip-Hop scene worldwide. His style of fusion music has influenced a generation of Hip-Hop lovers. Founder of one of the first South Asian music based record labels in North America, Chand produces music that has a distinct international essence. The label was created in 1996 and its aim was to give South Asian Hip-Hop an identity. The test for Rukus Avenue was to bring artists on board who had the talent, shared the vision and genuinely wanted to be in the challenging career of music.

Chand has been credited with the development of the successful group Karmacy, whose single Blood Brothers is still a cult piece of music. However, since that time, he and his label have evolved to produce music for film and television. His soundtrack for the film Sold helped Sammy promote awareness about child trafficking and truly epitomized who he is as a person. Chand is not concerned with making music for the sake of it, he believes that through music he can help make a conscious contribution to society.

Since that time, Rukus Avenue has also partnered up with with the White House Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, to create a music compilation of a whopping 25 songs that will spread awareness to the anti-bullying movement. Act To Change was formed to protect those who are victims of bullying and fault those who are responsible for it.
Coming back to his latest creation, the album for the film The Black Prince, includes legendary American Hip-Hop artist Talib Kweli who appears on the Indian Hip-Hop anthem “Make Way For The Black Prince” produced by Chand featuring Raxstar, one of the UK’s biggest names in Hip-Hop.

Check out the video here:

Award-winning American actress/singer Tisha Campbell-Martin (“My Wife and Kids”, “Martin”) also appears on a duet with “The Black Prince” film’s star Satinder Sartaaj, produced by Chand as the world’s first American and Punjabi R&B ballad. Tisha Campbell-Martin also appears on a song with Chand called “Don’t Walk Away.”  The song captures the story of Lady Bamba, the wife of the Maharaja, in her plight to hold on to her marriage and her husband from moving on without her, to fight for his kingdom.  The emblematic Sammy Chand sound with Tisha’s beautiful delivery shines on this album, and tells the often forgotten love story of the husband and wife.