The Bilz (comprising Master-D and Vicious) & Kashif are a Canadian trio to be reckoned with on a global scale. With over a decade of hard work prior to their big break in 2006 with the club anthem 2 Step Bhangra, the past few years have seen the group gain major awards (including the South Asian Alliance of Quebec’s Performing Arts Award), millions of hits on YouTube and a legions of enthusiastic fans worldwide.

Their trademark fusion of up-tempo North American Urban beats and multilingual vocals has chimed with territories as distant (literally and figuratively) as the UK Desi scene and mainstream Canadian radio. As denoted by the title of their album, The Bilz & Kashif pride themselves on Breaking Barriers – musical, cultural and international.

SimplyBhangra brings you an exclusive, in-depth interview with The Bilz & Kashif. The superstar trio discuss their current world tour, their musical journeys, the importance of crossover success, the Canadian and UK scenes and much more!

Master-D, Vicious and Kashif, welcome!

Thank you for having us :) Definitely a pleasure!

You’re currently on your world tour. How’s that experience been so far?

Words can’t describe it. It’s truly amazing. You’d have to be in our shoes to really understand how it feels to be on stage performing in front of hundreds of our fans, around the world. It’s not really about the screams and the crowd roar, but really about when you’re truly moving thousands of people with your music. We’re always amazed to see how much love and support we have from our wonderful fans worldwide.

It’s been a work in progress to really take over an international audience. It wasn’t an overnight thing for us, but we knew it was our goal for 2011, and we’re making it happen. So, that itself feels like a great accomplishment for us and for our entire team.

We’re performing in parts of the world that we totally would never imagine. We’ve toured over 45 cities in North America to date, so now this World Tour is just refreshing!

The Bilz & Kashif performing live in Rotterdam on their World Tour:

What are the different audiences like? What have been some of the most memorable moments?

At the end of the day, music is a universal language. It's an awesome feeling to connect and get love from outside of North America and realize how your music impacts your current and new audiences.

One of our special moments was the first time we went to Paramaribo in Suriname in South America. We had over four thousand fans show up for us, singing to every single lyric to Tera Nasha and Single, word for word! No joke! [Laughs] These are moments that, once you get off stage, you’re like, “Boy, we need to keep moving forward!”

Enough to keep anyone motivated: having this song sung to you word for word by thousands! Tere Nasha:

“We all had struggles, pushing hard for a dream that many claim isn’t possible.”

The international success you’re enjoying now must be so overwhelming. But one of the subjects you touch on in your music (as in the songs Against All Odds and Rags 2 Riches) is that of struggling and paying dues. What were the challenges and struggles that you had to overcome to reach the point you’re at now?

You’ve nailed that point really well. A lot of people claimed we had overnight success, but the reality lies in the Against All Odds video. We all had struggles and really had to make a lot of sacrifices in life to push hard for a dream that many claim isn’t possible.

We've individually and collectively worked very hard to get where we are today. It takes perseverance and persistence to survive in this industry. There are a lot of people who talk and do less walking, so to speak. So, you just have to depend on your team and people who truly believe in you.

When we do something, we make sure it’s on-point. And, even if it is, some people in the industry don’t want to embrace it right way, so you just have to overcome those obstacles and eventually they’ll understand your movement. It really takes time!

As for Rags 2 Riches, that’s something everyone can relate to. There are easy ways out, but we want the world to know; you have choices in life. For us, when we see the hard work we’ve put in, the success just tastes better and it keeps us grounded.

An ode to perseverance and persistence: Against All Odds:

http://simplybhangra.com/urbandesi/2772-the-bilz-a-kashif-against-all-odds-video

Left to right: Kashif, Master-D and Vicious

Kashif, you’re a singer-songwriter formerly of a boy band, Master D a producer, and Vicious a DJ. How do you feel you complement each other coming up through these different areas, and what do you bring out in each other?

The great thing about our story is that we've all known each other and have been friends for a very long time. Individually, we all have been involved in creating, performing or making music for over 10 years. We've all been on our grind, seen each other's struggles and obstacles. We've always supported each other's projects.  I guess respect and chemistry have been key factors for our success. It just clicks for us. We're lucky that we have that kind of musical relationship.

Mixing Urban with Pop, Electro, Dance, Desi and more, what would you describe your music as?

Our music is something we like to call World Pop. Some have claimed that we’re the Bollywood meets Black Eyed Peas. But, for us, we don’t let those statements cloud our direction. We just focus on making quality music that’s universal. As artists, we're always evolving and trying to bring something new to the table. One thing you have to know about us is that when everyone else is going left, we go right! We like to stand out and set trends in the industry.

‘Trend-setting World Pop’: Single:

How difficult was it to make that first breakthrough and get 2 Step Bhangra playlisted on mainstream Canadian radio? How important was that to you, personally?

Coming out of Montreal, Canada has definitely been a challenge. However, we take pride in working extra hard to get our music out there. We could have decided to move to LA, NYC or even overseas to somewhere like India or the UK, but we really wanted to put Montreal on the map and represent to the fullest.

Bringing Desi sounds to the Canadian mainstream: 2 Step Bhangra:

“...the industry folks will never make that change happen... It’s up to you as an artist to create your movement...”

Is Asian influence in mainstream music seen as too ‘different’ and novelty? Is the industry unwilling to take a chance on it?

The music industry is a funny place. They all want to hear something fresh, but the reality is that the industry folks will never make that change happen. People complain about redundancy and that everything sounds the same on radio, so it’s all up to you as an artist to create your movement and get heard!

We still remember the music video network in Canada telling us our music is overrated and no one really cares about it. Next thing you know, O Meri Rani gets picked up for heavy rotation and 2 Step Bhangra is charting next to Sean Paul, Rihanna and Beyoncé. The industry is definitely unwilling to take a chance, but you have to convince them to take that chance, and that’s our goal!

Proving the doubters wrong: O Meri Rani, picked up for heavy rotation:

“People come back to us saying, “You need another 2 Step Bhangra.”

Have you ever been pressured to make music that is more primarily Desi instead of primarily Urban? What are your views on that type of pigeonholing?

The industry will always force you to go with what’s “hot”! We've never felt pressured about anything at all and have always gone with what we believe in. I don’t think we ever will be pressured. We just do what we do. And we’re independent, so we take all the risks, and it’s what makes us.

Our barometer for success for a record is if we like it – no matter the style, whether it’s Urban or Desi we bring it out. I think it’s what makes us stand out from the rest, while the rest follow our footsteps. People come back to us saying, “You need another 2 Step Bhangra.” But we’re like, “We don’t need another one. That’s a classic piece. Instead, we need to make the next hit a classic piece.”

Pigeonholing is a result of not taking risks and sticking to the norm. We believe we’re game changers, so it’ll never sit well with what everyone has to say about our music. You have to re-invent, and eventually the world will follow your movement.

How important do you think it is to defy the expectations people may have of you and your sound?

We think it’s very important. You need to always come bigger and better every time. It’s a pressure for any artist that has sustained hits after hits on the charts. Breaking Barriers entered the World Charts at #6, and that was the best feeling. Then you think, “What will the next album chart at?” So, you put your creativity hat on, make music that comes from your heart and hope for the best.

We live in a music society that consumes music like water, but, if you come in with quality over quantity, you will stand out from the rest and eventually make history! I’d love to name tons of people in the industry who didn’t believe in us, but now they’ve realized our movement and have come around and give us respect. It’s something you need to expect in this cutthroat industry!

“Universal Music in Canada said, “You’re doing well and you don’t need us.””

You’ve spoken in the past about helping Asian sounds become as familiar to mainstream audiences as, say, Dancehall or Raggae. How do you feel that would help our community and how it’s viewed?

I think it would be the biggest movement ever. It will take a while before this happens. However, as music trends fuse and media grows in our community to the point that you are sustaining better than a mainstream artist, that will definitely get the mainstream industry to look at you.

I’ve had meetings with Universal Music in Canada, major distributors interested on how they can be part of our industry. For example, in that meeting with them, they asked me what we’ve done, our touring schedule and our company structure, etc. I laid it down for them. All the executives’ eyes grew bigger, and they stopped taking notes and started laughing at me. I asked them what was funny. They’re like, “Wow, you’re doing better than an average newcomer Canadian artist who has heavy rotation on radio locally. You have something that you’re doing well and we really don’t think you need us.”

At that point, I wasn’t even prepared for an answer of that sort. That’s when you realize that you’re on your way to something better and you’ve just got to keep moving.

It’s the love for music that’s got us here, so it will happen. Dancehall and Latin music didn’t explode overnight. But the reality is finding the right fusion and focusing hard at what you believe in.

How big an issue would you say music videos are right now with regards to elevating the scene? Do we need to make more of an effort to get them to at least the same standard as those on the mainstream channels?

[Laughs] Hell yeah! Videos are so important. It’s bringing your song to reality visually. We really believe that is what can make the difference, and we spend a lot of time in that creative process, from start to end. A lot of the videos on Breaking Barriers, we’ve co-directed because we know our vision.

As for the quality, everybody needs to step it up because, if you want to challenge the mainstream industry, then you have to be as good as them. Beside the Desi market, every industry rep has commented on our videos. Everyone from Jadakiss, Rick Ross and Master-P has seen our music videos via SKP Filmz. Our videos caught their attention because of the fusion in it.

Yes, there are some corny mainstream videos, but that’s the reality of our industry getting saturated. Again, stand out and keep your quality consistent. People will recognize it regardless of how much “hate” they have for you.

Pushing quality, stand-out videos: Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na

For the UK Desi audience, it seems that, when we think of Canadian artists on the scene, we tend to think of a distinct few; Jazzy B, Josh, Raghav and The Bilz & Kashif. Do Desi acts in Canada generally have the support and infrastructure they need to make a name for themselves and to break out internationally?

When we first started off, it was a major challenge. It was at the same time Raghav was selling out worldwide. No one in Canada even knew he was Canadian. I was the only DJ who actually would let others in the game know about this industry and such quality artists. So, really the infrastructure didn’t exist and the industry in Canada was at its infant stages compared to the UK scene. Therefore, that was really our goal to impact the Canadian market in a way that would help grow that infrastructure.

Today, you can say there are a handful of media outlets that have constantly supported everything we’ve done, and we’ve also opened doors for new artists. So, it feels great to start such a movement and, with major events like Desifest, it has helped our platform to reach a massive audience.

We didn’t go anywhere when our first album was released. We hustled every and any media outlet in Canada to give us a chance, because the overseas market didn’t really believe in us. The rest is now history!

“I’d tune into the BBC for the hottest Bhangra and Urban-Desi jams before they hit shelves in Canada.”

What’s the view like from the other side of the pond; how is the UK scene regarded in Canada?

The UK scene is still regarded as the central hub for the Bhangra and Urban-Desi market. It’s where most of the music comes out from and spreads worldwide. With the internet, it has expanded its reach.

When I used to DJ, I used to always tune into the BBC to listen to the hottest jams before they hit shelves here. It hasn’t changed in regard, but, with time, the industry evolves, and North America’s scene has grown at a good rate. So, now the audience has a great variety of music and style they can choose from.

“Even when we had our deal with Times Music, we did a better job promoting our music than they did.”

You’ve done a lot independently, but also dealt with labels in the UK and Canada. How would you compare the two scenes in that respect?

The scenes don’t differ in that respect; it’s mainly about the business itself. We think the best decision we ever made was to go Independent. It’s 1000-times more work, scratching pockets that hit you hard, but the final reward, for us, just feels better. The industry is drastically changing, and labels do have outlets and mediums that can help accelerate your success at times. But, in our situations, we were so sick and tired of waiting on other people/labels, false promises that we decided to take matters into our hands.

Even when we had our deal with Times Music, we did a better job promoting our album and hit single, 2 Step Bhangra, than they did. At the end of the day, you need to build a team that believes in your vision. If they don’t, you don’t need that dead weight. Just take a look at our numbers. And then; we had a music video on a major label that approached us with a deal and can’t even provide a proper marketing plan and numbers for their own artists – why give them your masterpieces? We’re down to earth guys, but the reality is that this is a business, and it’s fast-paced and you need to be on top of your game.

Fast-paced and topping charts across the game: Turn The Music Up:

Your music definitely has universal qualities to it, but why do you feel it’s chimed so incredibly well with Asians in the UK?

We don’t really have an answer to that one! [Laughs] But it could be that it’s because we’re bringing something new to the table. We love our fans in the UK, who support us to the fullest, and maybe if the audience in the UK thought Canada doesn’t really produce quality acts or music, then hopefully we’ve changed that thought for them? Hard to say, but, at the end of the day, music is music, and we give it up to all our fans in the UK!

Do you have anything special lined up for your UK fans? Will you be performing here soon?

We can't wait to meet our fans in the UK. We receive so much fan mail from there. We are very excited to connect with them, and hopefully will perform for them live soon our World Tour. And we thank them personally for their love and support for The Bilz & Kashif.

Do you have your next album in sight? What can we expect from that?

Nothing 100%, but we’re in the studio whenever we get a chance with our busy schedule. We really feel like we're taking it to another level with the new music. Every time we come back, we come back as an event, and we’re very excited about the new sound and music we’re about to bring out for our fans!

In the meantime, our fans can check out our new promo song for FREE!

Free Download: Mere Sapnon Ki Rani:

As you all have your own areas of expertise, are there any plans to pursue solo projects as well?

Our #1 priority is The Bilz & Kashif. However, we all plan to have solo projects. Kashif is such an amazing talent and he is without a doubt one of the best all-round artists in the industry, so that’s also in the pipeline. Master-D will be coming out with an incredible Bengla album that will completely change the game. And maybe we’ll see the signing of a new artist to the Bilz Music roster. Let’s see what the future holds!

Where can we keep up with you all?

You can keep up with us everywhere. To watch all our videos, check us out on our YouTube Channel. Our label site is www.bilzmusic.com. The fans can also communicate with us on Facebook.com/TheBilzandKashif. And we have our Twitter pages; @bilzmusic, @masterdonline and @kashifonline. We’re also on Bebo, so check us out on that!

Kashif, you’ve got a career in music and also a degree... Why aren’t you married?! If you could also give us your Shaadi.com details for our readers who would be happy to oblige...

[Laughs] I don’t really have a Shaadi.com profile, and, with this music lifestyle, it’s hard to keep up. But I’m definitely looking for that rani, so if you do know any potential ladies, please them send my way ;)

Guys, we really appreciate your time and your insight. Finally; what message would you like to extend to all of the SimplyBhangra readers?

We love our fans. Without you, The Bilz & Kashif are nothing. We owe all our success to you. You guys are the reason why we're making music. Don’t forget to download our album Breaking Barriers legally on iTunes, and we promise you won’t be disappointed!

Do check out our tour Info. We cannot wait to perform for all of you!  Keep up the Good Work at SimplyBhangra.com!

Interview by Govinda Lakha.