NEW DELHI ( Associated Press) – Indian police are probing the murder of a popular Punjabi rapper who mixed hip-hop, rap and folk music, a day after he was shot, officials said on Monday. .
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, also known worldwide by his stage name Sidhu Moose Wala, was murdered while driving his car in Mansa, a district in the Punjab state of northern India, on Sunday evening. Moose Wala, 28, was taken to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Punjab state’s top police officer VK Bhavra said preliminary investigation revealed the murder to be a personal enmity between the gang.
Local media reports said that a day before the attack, the Punjab government withdrew the security cover for over 400 people, including Moose Wala.
Moose Wala debuted as a lyricist in 2017 before a hit song that impacted her singing career, making her famous among Indian and Punjabi expatriates in countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada.
Most of his singles have English titles, even though the songs were mainly sung in Punjabi. His flashy music videos were best known for his rap lyrics and often focused on masculine culture. In 2018, his debut album made it to the Canadian Billboard album chart.
Moose Wala was a controversial figure because of his lyrical style. In 2020, the police charged under India’s Arms Act for allegedly promoting gun culture in one of his songs.
Their latest track, “The Last Ride”, was released earlier this month.
The rapper joined the Congress Party of India last year and was unsuccessful in the state assembly elections.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that “no criminal will be spared” and that he was deeply shocked and saddened by the murder.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to condole the murder.
“Deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of a promising Congress leader and talented artist,” he said.
