Sidhu Moose Wala’s recent track ominously titled ‘The Last Ride’

CHANDIGARH: From singing about guns to seeking votes and talking about Panthic politics in his song ‘295’, Sidhu Moose Wala rose to meteoric heights in Punjabi music industry within a matter of five years, collaborating with established artists like Bohemia and Amrit Maan and newcomers like Wazir Patar.
All of 28 at the time of his death, Moose Wala first hit the headlines with his song ‘So High’ in 2017. In a short time, Moose Wala, or Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu as his family named him, gained millions of fans as he belted out one hit after another. One of his latest songs, ominously named ‘The Last Ride’, was released about two weeks ago. Its chorus went: “Ho chobbar de chehre utte noor dassda, ni ehda uthuga jawani ch janaja mithiye (the glow on the face of this young man shows that he will die at a young age).”
Even that song had gained 94 lakh views by Sunday evening. When he entered politics, Moose Wala did not give up on his singing and released ‘Youngest Incharge’ just before the 2022 assembly elections. He contested on a Congress ticket from Mansa seat of Punjab assembly, but lost to now-arrested AAP MLA Vijay Singla. The electoral loss did not stop him from working on his craft. He released the song ‘Scapegoat’ soon after.
In a short time, Moose Wala grew into one of the most prolific artists of his generation, beating his competition, collaborating with them and gaining crores of views on each of his songs. He invited the wrath of politicians, religious figures and social activists for the content of his music, which glorified gangsterism, gun and VIP culture, toxic masculinity, caste supremacy, and feudalism.
In fact, he had come under sharp criticism from panthic circles for the 2019 song named ‘Jatti Jeona Mor Di Bandook Wargi’ for using Mai Bhago’s name in the lyrics. Later, in a response to religious police, the ‘So High’ artist released the song ‘295’, a commentary on the Indian Penal Code section that deals with hurting religious sentiments. Four days before his fatal shooting, the artist had released the song ‘Levels’ with Sunny Malton, an artist with whom Moose Wala had collaborated several times before. His run-ins with the law were many.
According to the affidavit he filed for the 2022 assembly elections, Moose Wala was facing four police cases — two of violation of curfew during lockdown and two of singing obscene songs in a public place. All of these cases had been registered in 2020.
Condolences pour in
As news of Moose Wala’s death broke, several celebrities and politicians tweeted about his untimely passing. “He was right on top of that list. I’m without words. He’s a legend, his voice, his courage & his words will never be forgotten. What a sad day,” wrote music director Vishal Dadlani on his Twitter account. Comedian Kapil Sharma also expressed grief, tweeting: “Satnam Shri Waheguru, very shocking and very sad, a great artist and a wonderful human being.
May god give strength to his family,” he said. “He was revolutionary when it came to bringing rap and hip-hop to Punjabi industry, even his competitors cannot deny that. He wrote about guns and gangsterism, but he also raised social issues,” said Mansavi Aditya Sharma, better known as MAS, amusic producer and film director. “Love him or hate him, you could not ignore him.”