Steel Banglez

Born and raised in Forest Gate, East London, British hip-hop producer, songwriter, and DJ Steel Banglez’s first steps into music came when his mother taught him how to play various classical Indian instruments at a young age. Picking up the music bug, Banglez was then taught how to DJ by his older brother before immersing himself in the then-growing grime and U.K. garage scenes, regularly appearing on local pirate radio stations. After studying music production and audio engineering at London’s SAE — and finding himself serving time behind bars — Banglez started producing for local talent, making a name for himself with tracks for the likes of Ghetts and Yung Meth, Wiley, and P Money. Banglez set himself apart from the standard grime production of the time, bringing in samples from Bollywood films, Jamaican dub, and Chinese music. After contacting Birmingham-based MC MIST via social media, Banglez hooked up with the vocalist to record the M.I.S. to the T EP in 2016. The standout track “Karlas Back” helped propel his production work into the spotlight. At the beginning of 2017 he issued the single Money — which featured guest spots from the likes of MoStack, Abra Cadabra, Haile, and MIST — while also signing a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell. A few months later, Banglez released “Bad,” which saw him once again teaming up with MoStack, as well as Not3s, Yungen, and Mr Eazi. By year’s end, the single reached number 50 on the U.K. pop chart. ~ Rich Wilson