The Bilz and Kashif

The Bilz & Kashif
Background information
Origin Montreal, Canada
Genres R&B, Hip-Hop, pop, Bhangra
Years active 2006 – present
Labels Bilz Music (Independent label)
Associated acts Drega, Nivla, Satnam "So-D" Singh, Dyce, Mixsingh, Lil' Flip, Anaya, Tigre, Jasvir Dhanjal, Sean Kingston
Website www.thebilz.com
Members DJ Vicious
Master-D
Kashif

The Bilz (Brothers-in-Law) is a Montreal-based Canadian South Asian urban/pop and electronic musical group made up of two music producers, DJ Vicious (real name Vishal Urva), a Canadian South Indian musician, and Master-D (real name Subir Dev), a Canadian Bengali musician. After important collaborations with Kashif Khan, a Pakistani-Canadian R&B musician in their 2006 debut album The Bilz, Kashif was included in the Bilz formation from 2007 on[1] and the second album Breaking Barriers was released in 2010 as The Bilz & Kashif. The third album named The Trinity is released in 2013. The primary audience of the band is Canadians of South Asian descent. The Bilz create mostly Hip-Hop / R&B / Desi Music. The band also runs its own production house called Bilz Music.

Career

The Bilz (DJ Vicious and Master-D) released their debut album The Bilz in 2006. The biggest hit from the album was "2Step Bhangra" that was on heavy rotation on Quebec radio stations and MusiquePlus specialty cable music channel in Quebec. Other notable hits from the album included "O Meri Rani" and "Mere Khyalon Mein". Very notably seven of the thirteen songs on the album, included vocals from Kashif a Canadian R&B musician of Pakistani origin musician. Kashif had been a member in the popular French-Canadian Quebec boy band, InMotion,[2] that had produced hits such as "Sauve-Moi" (a #1 hit in Quebec for the band, written by Kashif) and "Où? Quand? Comment?" (a hit co-written by Kashif)[3]

Their second album titled Breaking Barriers is credited to The Bilz and Kashif, the new adopted name of the band. The album was released on May 24, 2010.[4] The album includes "Against All Odds", "Heer Ranja", "On the Dancefloor", "Single", "Tera Nasha" and the charity single "One Voice".

Charity

In 2009, the music video "One Voice" was released in support of War Child Canada, an award-winning Canadian charity that provides opportunities and long term solutions for war-affected children, focusing on education, strengthening children's rights, reducing poverty and fostering self-reliance. The Bilz and Kashif became part of the One Voice Foundation initiative[5]

Awards

In 2007, The Bilz won "Best Dance Video of the Year" award for their lead single "2Step Bhangra" at the 2007 Bollywood Music Awards.[6] The song was also nominated for "Best Pop Single" during the same awards.[7]

Bilz Music Productions

The Bilz also run their own production house named Bilz Music. Besides producing The Bilz and Kashif releases, the house also promotes other artists. In 2011, it signed the Toronto-based mixtape artist Drega,[8][9] (also dubbed The Prince of Goa) who had already been featured on some of the Bilz tracks.

Discography

The band has released two albums. The first The Bilz is credited to "The Bilz". However it mentions at the bottom of the album "The debut album featuring Kashif". The second album Breaking Barriers is clearly credited to "The Bilz & Kashif":

2006: The Bilz

Tracklist:

  1. "2 Step Bhangra" – So-D featuring Kashif (4:04)
  2. "O Meri Rani" – Kashif featuring Drega (3:57)
  3. "Against All Odds – Kashif (4:57)
  4. "Mehndi" – So-D (4:18)
  5. "Truck Anthem" – Jasvir Dhanjal (3:22)
  6. "Mere Khyalon Mein" – Master D featuring Kashif (4:02)
  7. "Ban Thanke" So-D – (4:33)
  8. "Holla" – Master D featuring Dyce (3:24)
  9. "Dil Lai Lai" – So-D (4:12)
  10. "Na Na Na" – Kashif (3:20)
  11. "Balle Balle" – So-D (3:53)
  12. "Punjabi Whisper, Pt. 2" – Mixsingh featuring DJ Vicious & Kashif (4:25)
  13. "O Meri Rani (Spanish Fly Reggaeton Remix)" – Kashif featuring Anaya & Tigre (5:13)

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2010: Breaking Barriers

Tracklist:

  1. "On The Dancefloor" (3:26)

2013: The Trinity

Cover art of "The Trinity" album.

Tracklist:

  1. "My Ride" (3:52)
  2. "Miss Bollywood" (3:23)
  3. "Mera Dil Meri Jaan (feat. Kateyez)" (3:24)
  4. "Your Number" (4:00)
  5. "Tere Nainon Mein" (4:04)
  6. "Charge It 2 My Visa" (4:04)
  7. "Deewana" (3:57)
  8. "I Wanna (Make Love)" (3:35)
  9. "Su Kare Che" (3:27)
  10. "Ain't Gonna Stop" (4:15)
  11. "Tere Nainon Mein (Love Potion Remix feat. DJ a.Sen)" (3:53)

Videography

References

External links