Chani Nattan

Surrey, British Columbia-born lyricist Chani Nattan is among the few songwriters to have lead billing on his releases, and he’s got the track record to justify it. Nattan debuted in 2017 and has been at the forefront of the wave of Canadian-Punjabi hip-hop that’s swept through the global music scene since the early 2020s. His words have sparked life into hits by the likes of Diljit Dosanjh, while his list of collaborators includes Drake fave TVGUCCI. His most fruitful association by far has been with singer-rapper Inderpal Moga, with whom he’s delivered a consistent run of gangsta-rap bangers and celebrations of community pride. Their one-two punch of powerful vocals and lyrical verses is best illustrated on “Daku”, their signature 2021 tune that went viral almost a year-and-a-half after its release and brought mainstream attention to the duo who were up to that point considered a regional phenomenon.