Late Brampton rapper Sidhu Moose Wala debuts at No. 9 on Billboard Canadian chart

Nearly two years after his shooting death, Brampton rapper Sidhu Moose Wala has debuted at No. 9 on the latest Billboard Canada Hot 100 chart.

“Drippy” is the first single by the late Punjabi performer to reach such heights on the Canadian music chart, which monitors streaming activity and digital sales across the country.

The song features Moose Wala performing in Punjabi while Toronto rapper AR Paisley contributes a verse in English.

Moose Wala, who was born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, was killed two years ago while driving his car in northern India’s Punjab state, with police saying an initial investigation revealed an inter-gang rivalry.

Before his death, the rapper had spent years in Brampton as an international student while recording music and building his name in the United Kingdom and Canada.

The city paid tribute to Moose Wala with a mural on an exterior wall of a building at the Susan Fennell Sportsplex and a tree planting, at the request of his family.

Moose Wala’s 2018 debut album made it to the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.

Punjabi music has seen a recent surge in popularity across Canada with prominent placement on key playlists from streaming services. Last year, Warner Music Canada struck an agreement with Warner’s India operations to form 91 North Records, a joint venture to promote South Asian musicians.

Moose Wala was a controversial figure, in part due to his song lyrics. In 2020, police charged him under India’s Arms Act for allegedly promoting gun culture in one of his songs.

The rapper joined India’s Congress Party in 2021 and unsuccessfully ran in the state’s assembly elections.

— with files from The Associated Press and Insauga.com