Mr Bolly releases "Johnny Paani", his first official single, a collaboration with UK producers Sunny Dee and Harv. The concept of the track sprang from Mr Bolly, who felt it was time to come up with a fresh new way of saying "Glassy".

"Johnny Paani" is the perfect way of introducing this exciting and innovative new artist to the Desi Urban Genre. Mr Bolly will also be releasing several singles before his LP launch. "Johnny Paani" features Punjabi artist

Ashok Gill (PMC fame), which creates a unique and clever fusion of Punjabi and Hip Hop. This Desi club banger will be shaking the clubs real soon so watch out for Mr Bolly, an up-and-coming Desi urban artist about to make noise on the international scene. "Johnny Paani" is out now via itunes.

{audio}images/stories/Bhangra09/Mera Tera Maan.mp3{/audio} (Listen to Mera Tera Maan)

Mr. Bolly (aka Bharat Kapoor) is an up-and-coming and innovative Urban Desi Artist that is creating new ways of fusing East and West. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada he has been greatly influenced by the American East Coast Hip Hop movement and inspired by such legendary artists as Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur and Nas. In 1992, during the golden period of Hip Hop, Bharat moved to Manhattan, NYC to live with his uncle for two years. It is during that time, as he attended Hip Hop concerts and events, that he decided to pick up the art of writing rhymes.

In 1999 he was approached by Radisson Records, a Montreal label, to do a Jazz-orientated single called "Peace", a dedication to baby boomers and tribute to the likes of John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix. The single appeared on a B-side vinyl release and was published, distributed and supplied across Canada to college and university radio stations across North America. The feedback was tremendous, sales took off and "Peace" in effect obtained more requests than the A-side release, which surprised Radisson Records and his peers from the compilation. Shortly thereafter he joined a group called Bad Breedz and released a mix tape in 2001 entitled "Cross Borda Connects".

In 2002 his dedication and love for the arts became so powerful and evident that he decided to continue his education and joined the Arts department at Concordia University in Montreal. He enrolled in acting, poetry, English literature, and public speaking, where he started developing an innate ability to meld the lessons from the streets with what he had learned under his professors' guidance. Mr Bolly had not only learned how to implement his street smarts but he also developed into an educated artist, which only added to his arsenal and capabilities.

Due to unfortunate circumstances in 2004 he had to leave the Arts world aside and moved on to support his family. Deep down however his fire was still burning and he maintained his musical practice part-time, sharpening his skills until the right opportunity would arise.

In 2008 he was approached by a PR agency who convinced him to start networking in the Desi Market (Bhangra, Bollywood). Shortly after he was invited to attend the UK AMA Awards (Asian Music Awards) in London, England, where he observed his peers perform and display their talents. This event instilled in him the desire and motivation to start working on his solo project again, but this time around he wanted to transform himself into a brand, a BollyHood brand to be more precise, known as Mr. Bolly, thus creating his own unique world called "BollyHood". "BollyHood is a way of living, a state of mind" became his newfound credo. Mr. Bolly further explains: "BollyHood is a fusion of Eastern and Western cultures with a blend of Hip Hop. It is a way of living in the Urban Desi Market, a world within a world". And thus he started developing his own style by carving his own niche.

As a result of his daily struggles on the streets his pen and pad have become weapons, and his diverse styles of rap and hip hop are intertwined with English, Punjabi and Hindi. His studies in institutions of higher learning have allowed Mr. Bolly to emerge as a fully-formed artist with a dynamic repertoire, capable of communicating the hardships of street life in an intelligent, compelling manner. He possesses that rare gift of story-telling that will captivate the audience.

During the last few years he refined his artistic image and created a professional relationship with fellow Montreal producer Sorin Pavelesco, together creating a signature sound, known today as "The Mr. Bolly Sound". His never-ending drive landed him a managerial partnership in Switzerland with Grace Grall Productions, who will produce and release his first four videos, a BollyHood film in the making and his first full-length LP to be released at a later date.

Mr. Bolly is the entertainer of the new evolution in the music industry today. He is bringing his influences abroad by showcasing the many different flavors of his music, which appeal to a broad demographic group. The name "Bolly" will always be a part of his brand, no matter what continent he may set foot on, as his Indian heritage will always follow him.

Mr. Bolly's 1st single is slated for release in the 4th quarter of 2011 and features a collaboration with UK producer Sunny Dee and Harv. Entitled "Johnny Paani" (whisky and water in Hindi) it features mega-artist Ashok Gill (from PMC fame).

It has been a very long journey for this artist but truth be told, the real journey is only beginning.