Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan. He was selected at birth by his uncle Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for teaching in the art of Qawwali Music. A bright child, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was singing at the age of just three years with his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and his father Farroukh Fateh Ali Khan, another respected Qawwali singer. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan started formal training with his uncle at the age of 6 years. By age of fifteen years, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan formally joined his uncle's renowned group of Qawwali.

No doubt Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was the acclaimed king of the qawwali music. After six weeks of the death of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in 1997, his nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan assumed his uncle’s qawwali helm. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan took Nusrat's first name in a traditional sign of respect of his music master, and in so doing was formally renowned as the new head of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's group.

Since becoming the leader of the qawwali group, Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has presented on a range of recordings and has also performed with Eddie Vedder at the Dead Man Walking Concert put on by Tim Robbins. He and his band continue to perform worldwide with numerous shows around the globe. Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's self-titled release on American Recordings is his U.S. debut. Recorded in Santa Monica, CA, its four tracks are both emotionally charged and well performed. Producer Rick Rubin, of Beastie Boys fame & Red Hot Chilli Peppers, boosts Rahat fateh ali khan's already powerful sounds by cranking up the low end and inserting the tabla way up in the mix.

Though Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is eager to play with Western pop musicians and put down tracks in state-of-the-art recording studios, he is eventually most concerned with the art of qawwali and its mystically instilled message. As he states, "qawwali music is not only music, but it is a message. It was formed by Sufis, and when one composes and practices this music, it stays eternally. Other music comes and goes, but qawwali never goes. Once you start listening Qawwali, it goes in your soul, goes in your spirit, and you become more human. I feel that this music is my duty, to go and give the message of Sufism. My outlook is that some day I will accomplish the aspiration of Ustad Nusrat Fathe Ali Khan to spread this message all around the world."