Hustlers HC was an Asian hip hop group based in West London, England. The group formed in 1991, and consisted of three members: two rappers, The Hustler MC (Paul Arora) and Ski-Man (Mandeep Walia), and DJ Mitts. The trio made their first television appearance on the series Rhythm & Raag in 1992.
Music
Along with Fun-Da-Mental and ADF, Hustlers HC promotes the disruption of racial and ethnic conception of 'blackness' and 'Asianness.' With a combination of Asian instrumentation and lyrics with the "black" genre of Rap, they explain why Asians are into rap, and according to one scholar, "signify a potentiality in the disruption of essentialising racial/ethnic boundary formation and identification, and mark the possibility of a transcendence in the normative representations of both 'blackness' and 'Asianness.'"
The group released two singles through Nation Records: "Big Trouble in Little Asia" / "Let the Hustlers Play" in 1993 and "On a Ride" / "Vigilante" 1994. They are credited with being one of the first Asian hip hop groups. Their music mixes gangsta rap lyrics and stylistics with jazz like beats, which combines to form a unique hip hop sound. The group uses their lyrics to discuss political and social issues pertinent to the Asian community.
In the song "Big Trouble in Little Asia", Hustlers HC intelligently discusses the issues of post-colonial India, racism in Britain, and the richness of Asian culture.