Slain rapper Sidhu Moose Wala could get street name memorial in Brampton

Brampton could be naming a street in honour of Sidhu Moose Wala, the rapper and sometimes controversial figure in Indian politics who was shot to death last year.

Better known by his stage name Sidhu Moose Wala, Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu was killed in May of 2022 while travelling in a vehicle in the Mansa district in Punjab, India.

Born in Punjab in 1993, Moose Wala moved to Brampton in 2016 where he attended Sheridan College as an international student after studying electrical engineering in India.

His 2018 debut album made it to Canada’s Billboard Albums charts and Moose Wala went on to join India’s Congress Party in 2021, where he unsuccessfully ran in the state’s assembly elections.

The City is already working on a memorial mural to commemorate the rapper’s Brampton roots, but Brampton could also soon have a street named in honour of Moose Walla.

A notice of motion from Coun. Harkirat Singh going to a committee of council on Wednesday could see “Moosa” added to Brampton’s master street naming list in honour of the village where Moose Wala grew up.

With the one-year anniversary of Moose Wala’s death approaching, Singh said in the notice of motion that Moose Wala was an important figure to many Brampton residents. If approved by council and the Region of Peel’s Street Naming Committee, “Moosa” could be added as a future street name in Brampton.

Over 30 rounds were fired into Wala’s vehicle on May 29, 2022, by occupants of two other vehicles. Police believe there is gang involvement in the murder, according to reports on NDTV.

Moose Wala was reportedly shot 19 times in the attack and was pronounced dead a short time later.

Moose Wala was influenced by Tupac Shakur and became known for his music in 2017 with his hit song “So High.” A controversial figure in India in part due to his lyrical style, Moose Wala was charged in 2020 under India’s Arms Act for allegedly promoting gun culture in one of his songs.

Council has already approved a location for a Moose Wala memorial mural on an exterior wall of a utility building at the Susan Fennell Sportsplex. The public art piece will also have an accompanying tree planted in Moose Wala’s memory at the request of his family.

The mural project has a maximum budget of $1,500, including supplies and materials. The design was created by lead artist Jasmin Pannu, a Brampton-based artist whose clients include StreetARToronto, Adidas, and Coca-Cola among others.