"Mundian To Bach Ke" (Punjabi: ਮੁੰਡਿਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਬੱਚ ਕੇ, Punjabi pronunciation:[mʊɳɖɪɑ̃tõbəttʃke]), also titled "Beware of the Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke)", is a bhangra song performed by Punjabi artist Labh Janjua with lyrics written by Channi Singh from Khanna, Punjab, India. The song was remixed by Panjabi MC in 1998, produced in Birmingham, United Kingdom for the album Legalised. Following its re-release as a single in 2002, it achieved considerable worldwide success, topping the singles charts in Italy and Belgium (Wallonia), and charting highly in many other countries.
In addition to features of bhangra music, "Mundian To Bach Ke" also uses the bass line and part of the beat from "Fire It Up" by Busta Rhymes,[1] which in turn is based around a sample from the television theme song for Knight Rider,[2] written by Glen A. Larson and Stu Phillips, as an underlying element and lyrics originally written by Channi Singh. The lyrics of the song are in Punjabi. The video to this song was shot in the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Chart performances
The song was originally released in the United Kingdom on Panjabi MCs 1998 album Legalised. Partially fueled by Internet downloads, it charted again in 2003. In Germany, it sold over 100,000 in the first two days alone,[3] and debuted at #2 in the Germany charts and reached #1 in the Italy charts.[4] The week of its release in the UK, it debuted at #5 on the top 40 charts; it was also the first bhangra song to reach the UK top 10.[5] The remix, featuring American rapper Jay-Z, also hit #33 on the Billboard charts in the United States and #10 in Canada.[6] Total worldwide sales of "Mundian To Bach Ke" is estimated to be in the millions, with Alona Wartofsky of The Washington Post estimating as many as 10 million units sold.[7]
In popular culture
"Mundian To Bach Ke" is used frequently in western media when Indian characters are on screen. It was used on an episode of ER, when Gallant and Neela danced to a version of the song, which Gallant called a "Sikh rap".
"Mundian To Bach Ke" was also used in America's Best Dance Crew Season 2 on week 9 of the Around The World challenge as part of the Indian dance section. It also appeared in an episode of the American television show Queer as Folk during a scene at the club Babylon. A version of this song was used in the Ginebra San Miguel "Bilog Ang Mundo" ad campaigns in 2003. The song was featured in an episode of Entourage. It was used twice in the pilot of the NBC comedy Outsourced.
"Mundian To Bach Ke" was featured in the 2003 film Bulletproof Monk. It was good playing in the taxi cab as Kar and The Nameless Monk entered.
The remix of "Mundian To Bach Ke", which featured American rapper Jay-Z, was featured in the trailer for the 2012 American film The Dictator, as the film's main theme song.
Sports-comedy Stick It featured the beginning of "Mundian To Bach Ke" in a scene where a group of teens escape from the arriving police.
