Hard Kaur
Hard Kaur | |
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![]() Hard Kaur at Singapore, 2008 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Taran Kaur Dhillon |
Origin | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh,[1] India |
Genres | Rap, hip hop, Bollywood music |
Occupation(s) | singer, playback singer |
Years active | 1995- present |
Website | www.hardkaurworld.com |
Hard Kaur (born Taran Kaur Dhillon[2] born 29 July 1979), also known as Hardkaur, is an Indian rapper and hip hop singer, as well as playback singer in Hindi films; she is the first female Indian rapper [3]
Early life
Born Taran Kaur Dhillon in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where her mother ran a small beauty parlour in the house.[1] When she was young, her father was burnt alive during 1984 Anti-Sikh riots and the beauty parlour of her mother was burnt few days after her father's death.[4] Her paternal grandparents asked her mother to leave their house and wanted to keep only Taran and her brother with them.[1] Subsequently she, her brother and her mother moved to Ludhiana to her maternal grandparents house, where they stayed for the next couple of years.
In 1991 her mother remarried an NRI and her family moved to Birmingham, England, where her mother started working and studying to eventually open a beauty salon, meanwhile she did her schooling.[1] After developing interest in hip-hop she started her musical career as a rapper. [5][6][7][8]
Career
She first shot to fame with the song Ek Glassy, which was a huge hit [citation needed]. She broke to Bollywood fame in 2007, rapping for Sriram Raghavan's movie Johnny Gaddaar,'s song Paisa Phek (Move Your Body). Since then she has sung numerous songs in movies like Ugly Aur Pagli (‘Talli'), Singh Is Kinng, Kismat Konnection, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and Prince (2010 film). She also performed at Live Earth India, 2008. Her first solo album 'Supawoman' was released in 2007.[9][10]
In 2008 Hard Kaur was nominated for two awards at the UK Asian Music Awards, "Best Urban Act" and "Best Female Act".[11] She ended up winning "Best Female Act".[12]
She also composed the theme song for Vodafone MTV Splitsvilla Season 1 "This is Splitsvilla".
Hard Kaur recently collaborated with Eminem's group D12 for her next album.[13]
She was a participant in the television dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Season 3. In the semi-finals she was voted off the show.[5]
Hard Kaur was featured on the Fall 2008 cover of Canada's ANOKHI Magazine, North America's award-winning mainstream South Asian glossy. Her music video "Bombay Deewana" was also screened at Deejay Ra's music video night in Toronto at the FILMI festival, North America's longest running South Asian film festival.
She will be the co-host of 'IPL Rockstar', a music reality show on Colours TV channel.[14] She also appeared in the 2011 film, Patiala House, directed by Nikhil Advani, wherein she plays the role of Akshay Kumar's cousin.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d Rajiv Vijayakar (Jul 18, 2008). "Kaur competency". Screen (magazine).
- ^ Hard Kaur
- ^ "An interview with rapper Hard Kaur". MiD DAY. 2009-03-01.
- ^ http://www.thefilmstreetjournal.com/2010/08/harsh-truth-about-hard-kaur/
- ^ a b "Reality shows a tough act: Rapper Hard Kaur". The Hindu. May 29, 2009.
- ^ "NRIs are preferred in India: Hard Kaur". The Times of India. Mar 27, 2009.
- ^ Sassy singer Hard Kaur eyes Bollywood By ApunKaChoice, 24th Jan 2008.
- ^ "It's a wrap". The Hindu. Aug 30, 2008.
- ^ a b "Rapper Hard Kaur eyeing acting career in Bollywood". Financial Express. Mar 10, 2010.
- ^ BBC Review: "Britain's premier female Asian rapper finally releases her debut album...". BBC, 2008-01-17.
- ^ "UK Asian Music Awards nominees announced - The Asian News". menmedia.co.uk. January 18, 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ Nazhat (March 8, 2008). "The UK Asian Music Awards 2008". desiblitz.com. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ Pallavi Jassi (Sep 04, 2008). "Desi rapper 'Hard Kaur' shakes it with Eminem's band". Screen (magazine).
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(help) - ^ "Double mazaa". The Hindu. March 11, 2010.
External links
- Hard-Kaur video Interview
- Hard Kaur at IMDb
- More about Hard Kaur at Singh is King.co.uk
- Official MySpace Page
- Interview with Hard Kaur at Besharam.co.uk
- Fighting it out: Hard Kaur at Fried Eye