Ikwinder Singh, a Toronto native, achieved popularity in the latter part of the 2010s by creating and producing music for prominent Indian performers including Gurnam Bhullar, Amrit Maan, and Garry Sandhu. He later started a label, 4N, and a solo career as Ikky, fusing aspects of Punjabi music with North American rap and diverse rhythms. Ikky’s first single, “80 90,” was released in 2021 with assistance from Maan and Sandhu, with whom he had previously worked.
As a child in Toronto, Singh was affected by both the hip-hop and R&B music of the city as well as the Punjabi culture of his own family. His father bought him some basic manufacturing equipment after spotting his son’s potential, and he grew quickly during his adolescent years. Singh first collaborated with emerging Indian vocalist Gurnam Bhullar through a common friend, and the two went on to work with more famous musicians like Amrit Maan and Sidhu Moose Wala, bringing North American urban flair and other global sounds to mainstream Punjabi music.
After changing his identity to Ikky and creating the ambitious 4N label in collaboration with Warner Music in 2021, Singh transitioned into a new career as a rapper and vocalist. His first hit, “80 90,” had contributions from both Maan and Sandhu.