Sidhu Moose Wala

Sidhu Moose Wala
Moose Wala in 2020
Born
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu[1]

(1993-06-11)11 June 1993[2]
Moosa, Punjab, India
Died29 May 2022(2022-05-29) (aged 28)
Jawharke, Punjab, India
Cause of deathAssassination by gunshots
Other names5911[3][4]
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • politician
Years active2016–2022
Political partyIndian National Congress
Musical career
Origin
Genres
Labels
  • Sidhu Moose Wala
  • 5911 Records
  • Humble Music
  • T-Series
Formerly ofBrown Boys
Past members
Signature

Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu (11 June 1993 – 29 May 2022), known professionally as Sidhu Moose Wala,[5][6] was an Indian singer and rapper. He worked predominantly in Punjabi-language music and cinema. Moose Wala is considered to be one of the most influential and successful Punjabi rappers of all time [7][8] and to many, amongst the most controversial Punjabi artists of all time.[9][10][11][12]

In 2020, Moose Wala was named by The Guardian among 50 up and coming artists.[13] He also became the first Punjabi and Indian singer to perform at Wireless Festival and won four awards at the Brit Asia TV Music Awards.[14]

Moose Wala rose to mainstream popularity with his track "So High". In 2018, he released his debut album PBX 1, which peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. His singles "47" and "Mera Na" were ranked on the UK Singles Chart.

Born in Moosa, Punjab, Moose Wala began his career in 2016 as a songwriter for the song "License" by Ninja, and as lead artist in 2017 with Gurlez Akhtar for a duet song, "G Wagon". Following his debut, he collaborated with Brown Boyz for various tracks. Moose Wala's tracks peaked on the UK Asian Music chart. His song "Bambiha Bole" was among the top five on the Global YouTube music chart. In 2021, he released Moosetape, tracks from which charted globally including on the Billboard Global 200, Billboard Global Excl. US, Canadian Hot 100, UK Asian, and New Zealand Hot charts. He has the most number-one singles on the Billboard India Songs chart. It became the first Indian album to have more than 1 billion streams on Spotify.[15]

In 2021, Moose Wala joined the Indian National Congress (INC) political party and unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election for Mansa.

He was shot dead by unidentified assailants on 29 May 2022; a Canada-based gangster named Goldy Brar and a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility for the killing, which the police said was the culmination of an inter-gang rivalry.[16] On 23 June 2022, his first posthumous single, "SYL", was released.

Moose Wala's lyrics and themes promoting gun culture and violence were often seen as controversial in India.[17] Subsequently, he had faced legal challenges for his support of gun culture and his inflammatory lyrics.[18]

  1. ^ Grewal, Preetinder (15 November 2018). "The rise of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala". Special Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  2. ^ Kapoor, Diksha (11 June 2019). "Happy Birthday Sidhu Moose Wala: Here Are Some Lesser Known Facts About Birthday Boy". PTC Punjabi. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  3. ^ Ninog, Alex. "Fans Believe Drake Is Dropping a Posthumous Collab With Sidhu Moose Wala". Complex Networks. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  4. ^ Ami, Daljit (3 June 2022). "Sidhu Moose Wala: A Complex Character in Life, Death and Music". The Wire. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Scroll_4Jun2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Wilson, Brock (4 June 2022). "Sidhu Moose Wala's musical legacy was being a voice for his culture". CBC News. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Sidhu Moose Wala: The murdered Indian rapper who 'made sense of chaos'". BBC News. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  9. ^ Priyadharshini, Patwa. "Celebrating Sidhu Moose Wala's legacy with his 7 songs through which the singer will live on forever". GQ.
  10. ^ "16 Top Sidhu Moose Wala Songs that Cement his Legacy". Desi Blitz. Listen to the best Sidhu Moose Wala songs that show how truly innovative he was and how his legacy will be in place forever.
  11. ^ "An exclusive evening with the parents of Sidhu Moosewala by BritAsia TV". BritAsiaTV. It was clear music had crossed all boundaries and was iconic within the mainstream industry.
  12. ^ Arora, Kusum. "Sidhu Moose Wala's Death Evokes Memories of the Tragic End of Amar Singh Chamkila". The Wire. Both Moose Wala and Chamkila – which in Punjabi and Hindi means 'glistening' – had numerous similarities in terms of their music careers. Moose Wala and Chamkila both became iconic stars of Punjabi music, but both their journeys were short-lived.
  13. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Snapes, Laura (27 December 2019). "Bradford bassline and ketamine-charged punk – 50 new artists for 2020". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  14. ^ Lazarus, Neville (20 March 2023). "Sidhu Moose Wala's father accuses Punjab govt of 'suppressing' those seeking justice for murdered hip hop star". Sky News.
  15. ^ "Sidhu Moosewala's 'Moosetape' Makes History As The First Indian Album To Surpass 1 Billion Streams On Spotify". 5 Dariya News. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Sidhu Moosewala killing—The story so far". Tribuneindia News Service. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  17. ^ Chhina, Man Aman Singh (31 December 2020). "Two Punjabs sing in farmers' support — one for brotherhood, other with visuals of Bhindranwale". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Sidhu Moosewala: The Punjab Police poster boy who turned into controversy's child". 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2021.