In a fiery performance that electrified the Pink City of India, Badshah, along with Neeti Mohan, Dino James, and Ali Merchant, set the stage on fire at the Royal Stag Boombox hosted at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre on March 16th. However, amidst the adrenaline-fueled atmosphere, the show encountered turbulence when a faction of fans disrupted the performance by chanting the name of Badshah’s long-time rival, Yo Yo Honey Singh.

Undeterred by the interruption, the 38-year-old rap sensation didn’t hold back his feelings, taking a jab at the disruptive fans during a brief break in his performance. Badshah brazenly remarked, “Ek pen aur paper dena, gift laya hu tumhare liye…kuch lyrics likh ke de deta hu papa ka comeback ho jayega tumhara…yehi kam he na tumhara?… Aur to pale hai nahi kuch?” (Can I get a pen and paper… I have brought a gift for you… Let me write down a few lyrics so that your father can have a comeback…that’s all you can do right?…. You all don’t have anything else right?). This retort only served to escalate tensions, leading to more chants of Yo Yo Honey Singh’s name from the crowd.

The simmering feud between Badshah and Yo Yo Honey Singh, once bosom buddies, has been a saga well-documented in the annals of desi rap history. This rift came to the fore once again as Badshah’s onstage response reignited the flames of animosity between the two rap giants.

Just months prior, Badshah’s appearance on Aap Ki Adalat shed light on their strained relationship, with Badshah admitting to penning lines in his songs, subtly referencing Honey Singh. The revelation only added fuel to the fire, as did Badshah’s candid remarks in a podcast where he accused Honey Singh of being self-centered, leading to the disbandment of their collective, “Mafia Mundeer.”

Further stoking the flames, Badshah’s track “Gone Girl” contained lyrics thinly veiled in diss towards Honey Singh, insinuating his inability to stage a comeback. This storied history laid the groundwork for Badshah’s recent onstage clapback, leaving fans divided and incensed.

As the controversy rages on, Badshah has proven himself adept at leveraging even the most contentious situations to his advantage. While some angry Honey Singh fans trolled Badshah by calling him Gian, a nod to a viral Indian meme, Badshah responded cryptically on social media, teasing potential retaliation with posts featuring Gian wielding a microphone and the enigmatic caption “READY?” followed by another post featuring a car headlight captioned “G-YAAN.”

Amidst the ongoing rap rivalry, Badshah’s ability to navigate tumultuous waters with finesse ensures that he remains a force to be reckoned with in the Indian music scene.