An Indian rapper who rose to fame while attending school in Toronto is remembered as a bright light on the international music scene a day after he was killed.
Born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, the 28-year-old had established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Punjabi music scene during the five years he was performing under the stage name of Sidhu Moose Wala.
Moose Wala and two others were shot while driving to their hometown of Mansa, a district of Punjab state in northern India on Sunday evening. He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
On Monday, Punjab State Police Chief VK Bhawra said the initial investigation revealed that the killing was the result of gang rivalry.
As the news of the rapper’s untimely death spread on social media, so did the tributes of some of India’s biggest stars, such as Ranveer Singh, Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil Sharma.
Like his music, the effervescence of pain crossed international lines with Nigerian singer Burna Boy, British rapper Stefflon Don and the heavyweight of Canadian hip-hop Drake, all his respects online.
Moose Wala entered the scene in 2017 with his single “So High”, which has garnered 484 million views since its release.
Her debut album, “PBX 1”, was released a year later and debuted at number 66 on Canada’s Billboard album chart.
Moose Wala’s meteoric rise to fame came as he was enrolled as an international student at Humber College. This connection to Toronto often appeared in front and center in his music videos, some of which were filmed in the city, with the Toronto Blue Jays or Raptors team in full screen.
The rapper and his lyrics were no stranger to controversy.
In 2020, Indian police charged him under the country’s Weapons Act for allegedly promoting the culture of weapons in one of his songs.
The young musician joined the Indian Congress Party last year and ran in the state assembly elections for a second seat.
A day before the attack, the Punjab government had withdrawn security coverage for more than 400 people, including Moose Wala, in an attempt to crack down on VIP culture, local media said.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said “no culprit will be spared” and that he was deeply shocked and saddened by the assassination.
With archives of Associated Press and Rahim Ladhani