Badshah, known for hits like Angreji Beat and Brown Rang, shared his thoughts on their collaborations and the controversies around credit. Both Badshah and Honey Singh have been two of the most prominent names in Indian rap, each with their own unique fan base. However, their relationship has been rocky for the past few years, with both exchanging accusations. In recent interviews, both artists opened up about their differences.
Badshah on meeting Honey Singh for the first time
Badshah recently appeared on our special show “Guest in the Newsroom,” where he was asked about his first meeting with Honey Singh. He shared:
“In 2006, I had just finished my engineering degree. I was working in a private company while also pursuing rap on the side. I used to visit a studio managed by Anoop Singh, who also managed Honey Singh. I had created a song back then, and when Anoop heard it, he told me it was good and suggested I work with Honey Singh. I already knew who Honey Singh was, and Anoop arranged for us to meet. That’s how we first crossed paths.”
Honey Singh’s version of the meeting
Interestingly, Honey Singh had a different version of events when asked the same question in his interview on our show. Honey Singh mentioned:
“Badshah comes from a wealthy family. His father even paid me to help launch his English video album. Badshah wasn’t some struggling artist; he came from a well-established background.”
According to Honey Singh, both Badshah and his father met him to discuss this project. When Badshah was asked about this, he explained that Anoop, the studio manager, had informed them that they needed 10 lakh rupees for the album, which led them to approach Honey Singh.
The Mafia Mundeer connection
Honey Singh also mentioned his collective, Mafia Mundeer, which included several well-known rappers. When asked if there would ever be a project featuring Honey Singh, Badshah, and Raftaar together again, Honey Singh clarified:
“Badshah was never part of Mafia Mundeer. Raftaar has released more diss tracks against me than Badshah, but I still respect Raftaar because he’s a raw talent from the streets. I picked him up, but he turned against me due to someone else’s influence. However, if I get a chance to work with Raftaar again, I’d do it because he’s a self-made artist. But I will never work with Badshah, as he was never part of Mafia Mundeer.”
The debate over Angreji Beat
There has also been ongoing debate about the song Angreji Beat. While Honey Singh claims the song is his, Badshah has a different story. When asked about who wrote Angreji Beat, Badshah said:
“Gippy Paaji wrote the song, but I wrote the rap for it.”
When informed that Honey Singh claims to have written the rap, Badshah responded:
“What can I say? Factually, I wrote it. The beat was created in front of me, and it was an incredible beat. At the time, Gippy and Honey Singh were shooting together. Gippy shared the song with Honey, and Honey shared it with me. After that, I wrote the rap. I was always happy for Honey Singh.”
Brown Rang and more credit issues
Badshah also talked about Brown Rang:
“I remember in 2011, Honey Singh called me because a song needed mixing. I had written Brown Rang. He had the beat, but the lyrics he had were a bit off. I told him we should write something more impactful, so I wrote Brown Rang.”
However, Honey Singh disagrees, maintaining that Brown Rang is his song and that he wrote it. During the interview, Badshah also added that Honey Singh often took credit for others’ work, which was why even Raftaar had turned against him. According to Badshah, Honey Singh also took Raftaar’s credit.