Rikesh Chauhan (born June 5, 1990), professionally known as RKZ, is a British recording artist. Active from 2005, he had a brief two year stint with Indie label DAS Records,[1] before continuing as an independent artist. He has attained substantial fame in the Brit-Asian Music Industry since 2008 with the release of singles including ‘Mr. Entertainer’, ‘Genda Phool’, ‘Defeat Me’ and ‘Gonna Be That’, as well as various mixtapes and features.

RKZ began his career in 2008 with his debut album ‘Releas’d: Vol I’ released on DAS Records, UK. The album was relatively successful, and was pushed by the release of singles ‘Be Mine/Renegades Remix’ as a video medley. Following this, his feature on former label-mate Jus Ritz’ single Nehio Nibhani was also successful on the Brit Asia TV Chart Show, staying in the Top 5 for 7 weeks and being at #1 for four of those.
The following year, RKZ returned to record and release a 24-track mixtape entitled ‘Mr. Entertainer’ as a promotional tool for his follow-up single ‘Mr. Entertainer’. The mixtape was released under DAS Records, UK once more and was available for free download on their website. The single was later removed from YouTube and iTunes due to personal differences between RKZ and producer Dally King. Between releases, he collaborated with Bollywood/Bhangra producer Bharat Goel, and they released the single ‘Genda Phool’ – a remix of the single from Bollywood film Delhi 6. At the end of 2009, RKZ formally left DAS Records, reasons were unclear as to why both parties fell out.

In 2010, he was a featured artist for DJ Dips single This DJ, which also featured rappers MC Rax, Swami Baracus, Menis and Horizon. In March, he came out with his second mixtape entitled ‘Dark Night of the Soul’. The track Needin’ Me featuring vocalist Latala received consistent airplay on various BBC Radio platforms up until the summer, after which he released a mini-music video for the song. He featured on a charity song for the 2010 Pakistan Disasters called United We Stand, which raised just under £500 in sales for the DEC Appeal. During the final quarter of the year, RKZ released his third and fourth singles, Defeat Me and How Are You. Defeat Me was originally recorded for DAS Records debut album Definitive. There is no confirmation as to whether this album is still releasing.
Following the December release of How Are You, RKZ featured on various mixtapes up until the release of his third mixtape, 21. He released it via Twitter on June 5, 2011, to commemorate his 21st birthday. The mixtape elevated RKZ’ prominence in the Brit-Asian music scene. As a teaser, he included a ‘prelude’ to his forthcoming single, Gonna Be That. The single was eventually released a month later, and it was confirmed to be included in RKZ collaborative EP with producer ADP, entitled Power Trippin’. There is no confirmed date of release, though both artists have stated it will release at the end of 2011. RKZ has also been rumoured to be working on another collaborative project with American rapper, Kaly.