Badshah (rapper)
 |
Badshah | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Badshah in 2018 | |
| Born | Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia Delhi, India |
| Other names |
|
| Alma mater | Punjab Engineering College |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006-present |
| Television | |
| Spouse |
Jasmine Masih
(m. 2012; div. 2020) |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Mafia Mundeer |
Aditya Prateek Singh[a] better known by his stage name Badshah, is an Indian rapper, singer, songwriter and music producer. Badshah has recorded his songs in Hindi-Urdu, Punjabi, English and Haryanvi languages.
Badshah gained widespread recognition after his 2012 single, "Saturday Saturday", was featured in the soundtrack of the 2014 movie, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. His notable works in Bollywood films include "Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai" from Khoobsurat (2014 film), "Kar Gayi Chull" from Kapoor and Sons, "Garmi" from Street Dancer 3D, "Naina" from Crew, "Proper Patola" from Namaste England. He has also collaborated with international artists such as J Balvin and Tainy for the song "Voodoo"[4] with a guest verse from Lil Baby.
Badshah has appeared as judge on MTV Hustle, Indian Idol, Dil Hai Hindustani, India's Got Talent, and India's Got Latent.
Early life and education
[edit]Prior to becoming a full-time musician he enrolled as a student of civil engineering at the Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh, where he was exposed to new Punjabi music which prompted him to take on rap writing.[5][6][7][8]
Career
[edit]2006-2012: Career beginnings, Soda Whiskey and Mafia Mundeer
[edit]Badshah started his career in the music industry with the name "Cool Equal", but then changed his name to Badshah on the Indian rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh's advice as according to Badshah, Singh thought that he lived like a "Badshah" (transl. king) i.e. he would wake up or call whenever he wanted to and according to his own liking.[9][10][11] In his 2024 Interview with The Lallantop, Badshah claims initially giving Singh 2 lakh rupees, followed by an additional 3 lakh rupees for doing the music production for his debut English album and subsequently, 6 lakh rupees for fulfilling the budget for the music video of the song "Get Up Jawani" which was shot in 2009. The track became a part of Singh's debut album International Villager which launched in November 2011, with the release of its music video in April 2012.
In late 2011 / early 2012, he split from Mafia Mundeer and Singh due to credit-related problems. In an earlier interview with Raaj Jones in 2015, Badshah claims to have co-written many tracks with Singh including "Brown Rang", the rap section for "Angreji Beat" and also, for Singh & Raj Brar's 2008 track; "Chandigarh De Nazareyan Ne Patteya". Badshah claims to have written/co-written almost all tracks for Singh, till the latter's album International Villager.[12] Badshah reiterated his claim in the interview with The Lallantop to have written the track "Brown Rang" and the rap section for the track "Angreji Beat" for Singh which the latter denies. Singh, in an interview with the same media outlet, has denied that Badshah was ever being a part of "Mafia Mundeer" and instead states that Badshah was just a client for him.[13]
2012-2020: Mainstream breakout, Original Never Ends and acting debut
[edit]He broke into the mainstream after his 2012 single, "Saturday Saturday", was featured in the soundtrack of the 2014 movie, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania.[10][14][15]
His track "Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai" alongside Aastha Gill and Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor in the music video was featured in the 2014 Disney film, Khoobsurat. The track became a blockbuster and has since crossed one billion views on YouTube.[16]
Badshah released his debut album, O.N.E. (Original Never Ends), on August 17, 2018.[17]
His 2019 song "Paagal" reached 74.8 million views on YouTube within 24 hours which would have set the record for the most-viewed video in 24 hours on YouTube.[18] Badshah's label then Sony Music, confirmed that they had used the help of advertisements from Google AdSense to promote the song.[citation needed] An explanation from YouTube not acknowledging the record was due to the fact that Badshah's record label Sony Music India had purchased advertisements from Google and YouTube that embedded the video or directed fans to it in some way, a common practice in the global music industry.[19]
He made his acting debut in August 2019 in the movie, Khandaani Shafakhana.[20]
2020-2023: The Power of Dreams of a Kid and Retropanda - Part 1 EP
[edit]
Occlusion Fest, 2019
On 7 August 2020, the rapper released an alternative hip-hop album, The Power of Dreams of a Kid, which had eight tracks and included features from various artists such as Lisa Mishra, Sikander Kahlon, Fotty Seven, Bali and music producer Andy Grewal. The mixing and mastering of the album was handled by Aditya Dev.[21]
His song "Genda Phool" was released by Sony Music India in 2020. It sampled a Bengali folk song "Boro Loker Biti Lo". Ratan Kahar, a Bengali artist, claimed to be the original writer and composer of the folk song.[22] Though Badshah later released a statement saying that it was a traditional Baul folk song which was not copyrighted, since folk music does not fall under copyright protections and is thus in the public domain.[23]
Badshah collaborated with Aastha Gill for the song Pani Pani. The music video featured him alongside Jacqueline Fernandez.[24] He further released the Bhojpuri version of the song, and rapped in the Bhojpuri language, alongside Khesari Lal Yadav. The Bhojpuri version got more than one million views in less than an hour and became the first Bhojpuri song to do so.[25]
Badshah released a four-track EP, Retropanda - Part 1, on 14 March 2022. The EP featured the track "Jugnu" featuring Nikhita Gandhi, which has amassed over 200 million streams on Spotify.[26]
2023-present: 3:00 AM Sessions and Ek Tha Raja albums
[edit]In 2023, Badshah released his third studio album, 3:00 AM Sessions, which featured Karan Aujla on the first track, and according to Badshah, represented his unfiltered and vulnerable side.[27]
A year later, he released his fourth studio album, Ek Tha Raja on 18 March 2024, through Universal Music Group. It features several artists including Divine, Raftaar, Karan Aujla, Ikka, Dino James, Nora Fatehi, Raga, Seedhe Maut, Aastha Gill, Arijit Singh, MC Stan, KR$NA and Nikhita Gandhi.[28] He also announced the Paagal World Tour 2024.[28][29]
In 2025, Badshah announced his EP Fitoor, which was branded as his first independent project. All the songs were released as singles before being released together as an EP on August 16, 2025. The project was his first one to include no features.[30] The track "Galiyon Ke Ghalib" attracted attention for its incisive lyricism and Badshah debuting as a dancer in the music video.[31]
Personal life
[edit]Badshah married Jasmine Masih in 2012. In January 2017, they had a daughter together named Jessemy Grace Masih Singh.[32] [33] They divorced in 2020.[34]
Badshah has also ventured into the hospitality industry with several diverse dining experiences. He co-owns Dragonfly Experience in Delhi and Mumbai, and has launched three upscale restaurants in Chandigarh — Sago Spice Symphony, Seville, and Sidera.[35] In 2025, he also introduced Badboy Pizza, a QSR brand in Mumbai.[36]
Discography
[edit]Albums and EPs
[edit]| Title | Producer(s) | Writer(s) | Label | Language(s) | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O.N.E. (Original Never Ends) |
Badshah, Sez On The Beat, The Boss |
Badshah, Various Artists | Sony Music India | Hindi, Punjabi | 17 August 2018 |
| The Power Of Dreams Of A Kid | Badshah, Andy Grewal |
Badshah, Various Artists | Badshah | Hindi, Punjabi, English, Haryanvi | 7 August 2020 |
| Retropanda - Part 1 | Hiten | Badshah, Aastha Gill, Nikitha Gandi | Universal Music India | Hindi, Punjabi | 14 March 2022 |
| 3:00 AM Sessions | Badshah, Various Artists | Universal Music India | Hindi, Punjabi | 7 February 2023 | |
| Ek Tha Raja | Badshah, Hiten | Badshah, Various Artists | Universal Music India | Hindi, Punjabi, English | 18 March 2024 |
| FITOOR | Badshah, Hiten | Badshah | Universal Music India | Hindi, Punjabi, English | 16 August 2025 |
Bollywood music
[edit]| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Movie | Song | Singer(s)/co-singer(s) | Composer(s) | Language | Label | Ref. |
| 2014 | Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania | "Saturday Saturday" | Akriti Kakkar, Indeep Bakshi | Sharib-Toshi | Hindi | Sony Music India | |
| Khoobsurat | "Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai" | Aastha Gill | Badshah | ||||
| 2015 | Bajrangi Bhaijaan | "Selfie Le Le Re" | Vishal Dadlani, Nakash Aziz, Pritam | Pritam | |||
| ABCD 2 | "Vande Mataram" | Daler Mehndi, Tanishka Sanghvi and Divya Kumar | Sachin–Jigar | Zee Music Company | |||
| Second Hand Husband | "Bad Baby" | Gippy Grewal | |||||
| All Is Well | "Chaar Shanivaar" | Vishal Dadlani, Armaan Malik | Amaal Mallik | T-Series | |||
| Jazbaa | "Aaj Raat Ka Scene" | Shraddha Pandit | Badshah | Zee Music Company | |||
| Vedalam | "Aaluma Doluma" | Anirudh Ravichander | Tamil | Sony Music India | |||
| 2016 | Sanam Re | "Akkad Bakkad" | Neha Kakkar | Badshah | Hindi | T-Series | |
| Teraa Surroor | "Teri Yaad" | Himesh Reshammiya | HR Musik Limited and T-Series | ||||
| Kapoor & Sons | "Kar Gayi Chull" | Fazilpuria, Sukriti Kakar, Neha Kakkar | Amaal Mallik, Badshah | Sony Music India | |||
| "Let's Nacho" | Benny Dayal | Nucleya, Benny Dayal | |||||
| Sultan | "Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai" | Vishal Dadlani, Shalmali Kholgade, Ishita, Neeti Mohan | Vishal–Shekhar | YRF Music | |||
| Baar Baar Dekho | "Kala Chashma" | Amar Arshi, Neha Kakkar, Indeep Bakshi | Badahah, Prem-Hardeep | Zee Music Company | |||
| Ae Dil Hai Mushkil | "The Breakup Song" | Arijit Singh, Jonita Gandhi and Nakash Aziz | Pritam | Sony Music India | |||
| Shivaay | "Bolo Har Har Har" | Mithoon, Mohit Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh Megha Sriram Dalton, Anugrah and The Vamps | Mithoon | T-Series | |||
| 2017 | OK Jaanu | "The Humma Song" | A. R. Rahman, Jubin Nautiyal, Shashaa Tirupati, Tanishk Bagchi | A.R. Rahman, Tanishk Bagchi, Badshah | Sony Music India | ||
| Badrinath Ki Dulhania | "Tamma Tamma Again" | Bappi Lahiri, Anuradha Paudwal | Tanishk Bagchi | T-Series | |||
| Noor | "Move Your Lakk" | Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha | Badshah | [37] | |||
| Mubarakan | "Mubarakan (Title Track)" | Juggy D, Yash Narvekar, Sukriti Kakar | Rishi Rich, Badshah | ||||
| Bhoomi | "Trippy Trippy" | Neha Kakkar, Benny Dayal, Brijesh Shandilya | Sachin–Jigar | ||||
| 2018 | Blackmail | "Happy Happy" | Aastha Gill | Badshah | [38] | ||
| Veere Di Wedding | "Tareefan" | Badshah | Qaran | Zee Music Company | |||
| Nawabzaade | "Tere Naal Nachna" | Sunanda Sharma | Badshah | T-Series | |||
| Stree | "Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe" | Nikhita Gandhi, Sachin–Jigar | Sachin–Jigar | ||||
| Loveyatri | "Aakh Lad Jaave" | Asees Kaur, Jubin Nautiyal | Tanishk Bagchi | ||||
| Namaste England | "Bhare Bazaar" | Vishal Dadlani, Payal Dev, B Praak | Rishi Rich, Badshah | Sony Music India | |||
| "Proper Patola" | Diljit Dosanjh, Aastha Gill | Badshah | |||||
| Villain | "Bholey Baba" | Nikhita Gandhi | JAM8 | Bengali | SVF Entertainment | ||
| 2019 | Aladdin | "Sab Sahi Hai Bro" | Badshah | Hindi | Disney India | ||
| Khandaani Shafakhana | "Koka" | Jasbir Jassi, Dhvani Bhanushali | Tanishk Bagchi | T-Series | |||
| "Sheher Ki Ladki" | Tulsi Kumar | ||||||
| "Saans To Le Le" | Rico | Badshah | |||||
| Saaho | "Bad Boy" | Neeti Mohan | |||||
| Telugu | |||||||
| Benny Dayal, Sunitha Sarathy | Tamil | ||||||
| Malayalam | |||||||
| Dabangg 3 | "Munna Badnaam Hua" | Kamaal Khan, Mamta Sharma | Sajid–Wajid | Hindi | |||
| Good Newwz | "Chandigarh Mein" | Harrdy Sandhu, Asees Kaur, Lisa Mishra | Tanishk Bagchi | Zee Music Company | |||
| 2020 | Street Dancer 3D | "Garmi" | Neha Kakkar | Badshah | T-Series | ||
| Indoo Ki Jawani | "Heelein Toot Gayi" | Aastha Gill | |||||
| 2021 | Red Notice | "Bach Ke Rehna" | Jonita Gandhi, DIVINE, Mikey McCleary | R. D Burman, Divine, Mikey McCleary, Badshah | Netflix India | [39] | |
| 2022 | Cirkus | "Aashiqui" | Amrita Singh | Badshah, Hiten Kumar | T-Series | ||
| Dhaakad | "She's On Fire" | Nikhita Gandhi | Badshah | Zee Music Company | [40] | ||
| 2023 | Bloody Daddy | "Issa Vibe" | Payal Dev | Badshah, Aditya Dev | Times Music | ||
| Jawan | "Faratta" | Arijit Singh, Jonita Gandhi | Anirudh Ravichander | T-Series | |||
| Sukhee | "Nasha" | Badshah, Chakshu Kotwal, Afsana Khan | Badshah, Hiten | ||||
| "Nasha (Badshah Version)" | |||||||
| Farrey | Ghar Pe Party Hai" | Badshah, Aastha Gill, Mellow D | Sachin–Jigar | Zee Music Company | |||
| 2024 | Crew | "Naina" | Badshah, Diljit Dosanjh | Raj Ranjodh | Tips Music | ||
| "Khwabida" | Badshah | Bharg-Rohit | |||||
| Ishq Vishk Rebound | "Gore Gore Mukhde Pe" | Udit Narayan, Badshah, Nikhita Gandhi | Badshah, Hiten | ||||
| 2025 | Mere Husband Ki Biwi | "Gori Hai Kalaiyan" | Badshah, Kanika Kapoor, Sharvi Yadav, IP Singh | Akshay & IP, Badshah | Jjust Music Label | ||
| Baaghi 4 | "Bahli Sohni" | Mani Moudgill, Badshah, Nikhita Gandhi | Mani Moudgill, Badshah | T-Series | |||
| Sunny Sanskaari Ki Tulsi Kumari | “Balma 2.0” | Badshah, Shreya Ghoshal, B Praak | TBA | Sony Music Co. | |||
Film career
[edit]As producer
[edit]| Year | Film | Language | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Do Dooni Panj | Punjabi | Harry Bhatti | Composed songs also |
Television
[edit]| Year | Show | Broadcaster |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–2023 | India's Got Talent | Sony |
| 2022–2023 | MTV Hustle | MTV |
| 2024-present | "Indian Idol" | Sony Entertainment Television |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Award ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25th IIFA Awards | Best Playback Singer - Male | Naina from Crew | Nominated | |
| Filmfare Awards | Best Playback Singer- Male | Tareefan | Nominated | [41] |
| PTC Punjabi Film Awards | Best Punjabi Music of The Year | Wakhra Swag by Navv Inder ft. Badshah | Won | [42] |
| 10th Mirchi Music Awards | Best Song Engineer (Recording & Mixing) | "Mercy" from O.N.E (Album) | Nominated | [43] |
| Brit Asia TV Music Awards 2017 | Best Bollywood Act | — | Won | [44] |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Badshah has often referred to his full name as Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodiya; however, he confirmed that his name on passport does not have Sisodiya in a The Lallantop interview.[1] His business filings also do not end with Sisodiya.[2][3] Wikipedia's introduction uses only the legal name.
References
[edit]- ^ The Lallantop (7 September 2024). Badshah ने Yo Yo Honey Singh से लड़ाई, Mafia Mundeer, Brown Rang, Angreji Beat लिखने पर ये बतायाGITN. Retrieved 8 September 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Director Master Info". www.mca.gov.in. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "ADITYA PRATEEK SINGH". IndiaFilings.
- ^ BadshahVEVO (21 April 2022). Badshah, J Balvin, Tainy - Voodoo. Retrieved 4 November 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Hebbar, Prajakta. "'If I wasn't a rapper, I'd have been an IAS officer': Everything you wanted to know about Badshah, who calls himself a 'prime-time' version of Honey Singh". IBN Live. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "I don't want to compose Bollywood albums: Badshah - Full News". kerala.indiaeveryday.in. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Packed in promise | chandigarh | Hindustan Times". archive.ph. 4 July 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Badshah: I still have my St Stephen's ID, that is something worth flaunting". The Times of India. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- ^ Badshah I Exclusive I Full Official Interview I PTC Punjabi. YouTube. PTC Punjabi. Published 5 September 2014. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXWcnBiLlRw. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b "The unstoppable boys of Punjabi Pop". caravanmagazine.in. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia Was 'Cool Equal' Before Finally Becoming 'Badshah'!". Ghaint Punjab. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- ^ "Badshah – Must Watch Interview (Talking about Bajrangi Bhaijaan & Mafia Mundeer)". YouTube. Raaj Jones. 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "यो यो हनी सिंह से लड़ाई पर बादशाह ने सारे जवाब दे दिए". 6 September 2024.
- ^ Singh, Priya (13 October 2018). "Badshah's Kingdom Of Hip-Hop". The Sunday Guardian Live. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Saturday Saturday maker Badshah: I'm an artiste, not a preacher". The Times of India. 4 July 2014. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Watch: Sonam Kapoor in 'Abhi Toh Party' from 'Khoobsurat'". 22 August 2014.
- ^ "Badshah on his debut album ONE: I've lived with the album for so long, I started to believe it is alive". The Indian Express. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Rapper Badshah becomes first Indian artist to create world record with his latest track 'Paagal' | Hindi Movie News – Bollywood". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ "Bollywood Rapper Sets Viewer Record YouTube Isn't Talking About". Bloomberg News. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ Upadhyay, Karishma (30 July 2019). "Rapper Badshah makes his acting debut with film Khandaani Shafakhana". Telegraph India. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
- ^ IANS. "Badshah set to drop new hip-hop album with eight tracks". Telangana Today. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "'আইনি লড়াইয়ে যাওয়ার আর্থিক সামর্থ্য নেই', 'বড়লোকের বিটি লো' নিয়ে আক্ষেপের সুর রতন কাহারের". Zee24Ghanta.com. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ Badshah [@Its_Badshah] (31 March 2020). "Please read" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Paani Paani song: A gorgeous Jacqueline Fernandez, and Badshah's lyrics that make no sense". The Indian Express. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Badshah recreates 'Paani Paani' in Bhojpuri". DESIblitz. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ Kappal, Bhanuj (2 May 2022). ""The race I've chosen now is to represent India on the global stage", says Badshah, India's biggest pop star who's about to get even bigger". GQ India. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ Sapra, Arun (3 October 2023). "'We're at the Cusp of a Brown Takeover': Badshah on Cultural Representation, Handling Success and More". Brown Girl Magazine. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (21 March 2024). "Indian Rapper Badshah on New Album 'Ek Tha Raja,' Working With Shah Rukh Khan, Arijit Singh: 'I'm Like This Cousin Who Starts the Party' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Rapper Badshah goes global, will head to USA, Canada with The Paagal Tour 2024". Hindustan Times. 1 March 2024. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Badshah Explosive Teaser of 'Dear Adtiya' – His First Independent Album Fitoor On 27 February". Musical Satans. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ "Badshah Stuns With His Solo Dance Moves In 'Galiyon Ke Ghalib' Entertainment". Deccan Chronicle. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ sahay, gaurav. "Singer-rapper Badshah: I hated kids... until my daughter was born". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ "'This is super lame.' Badshah says he is 'not getting married' to Isha Rikhi". The Economic Times. 3 April 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Badshah opens up on divorce from ex-wife Jasmine Masih: 'We tried our best'". Hindustan Times. 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Badshah Restaurants". NDTV Food.
- ^ "Badshah Mumbai restaurant". The Economic Times. 5 July 2025.
- ^ Move Your Lakk by Badshah, Sonakshi Sinha, Diljit Dosanjh, 29 March 2017, retrieved 28 June 2017
- ^ "Blackmail song Happy Happy: A sad Irrfan Khan, a singing Badshah and reams of toilet paper. Watch video". Hindustan Times. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
The song is a promotional video and mocks Irrfan's situation in the film. Badshah has not only lent his voice for the song, he has also penned it down and composed the number. Aastha Gill has also sung the song, along with Badshah.
- ^ "Badshah, Divine and Jonita come together for a Hollywood project". The Tribune. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Dhaakad, Song – She's On Fire, Hindi Video Songs". Times of India. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ Veere Di Wedding – IMDb, retrieved 14 March 2021
- ^ "Badshah, Divine And Jonita To Collaborate For A Hollywood Project- Checkout!". womansera.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "MMA Mirchi Music Awards". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ "BritAsia TV World Music Awards 2017 celebrated". New Asian Post. 4 March 2017. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
