Meanwhile, the story's other half was taking place in America. In April 2001, the innovative hip-hop producer Timbaland sampled a tabla and a tumbi in Missy Elliott's ''Get Ur Freak On,'' and the result -- which flirts with bhangra without being bhangra -- became a huge hit. Confused American fans called it Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese. It was a pure pop moment, the facts deferring to the sounds.
Soon thereafter, DJ Quik produced a song called ''Addictive,'' which made prominent use of the Indian film song ''Thoda Resham Lagta Hai.'' (Prominent and unlicensed: the songwriter successfully sued Interscope Records and the executive producer Dr. Dre for credit.) And the hip-hop producer Just Blaze nicked a Bollywood sample for Erick Sermon's ''React.'' Then earlier this year Jay-Z, in a nightclub in Switzerland, heard Panjabi MC's sleeper hit. He decided to rap over it, and that's the song that now seems to be playing on every street corner and in every store.
MUSIC; Hip-Hop Is a Guest At the Indian Wedding
