From rapping to joining politics, here's everything you need to know about Sidhu Moosewala

Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, on Friday, made his foray into politics by joining the Congress in Chandigarh.

Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu along with Punjab transport minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring welcomed the rapper into the party, days ahead of the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.

Born on 17 June 1993, Moosewala, whose real name is Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, belongs to the Moosewala village which is situated in Punjab's Mansa district. The singer, widely known for his gangster raps, holds a degree in electrical engineering. He learnt music during his college days and after completing his education, he moved to Canada.

During his initial days in the music industry, Moosewala penned a track titled 'Licence' which was sung by Ninja and this track kick-started his journey as a songwriter.

In 2018, he once again teamed up with Ninja by writing lyrics for 'Challenge'. He later rose to fame with his songs like 'So High', 'Issa Jatt', 'Tochan' and 'Dollar'.

Apart from singing, Moosewala has also acted in a few projects including 'Moosa Jatt' and 'Jattan Da Munda Gaun Lagya', which is set to release in March 2022.

In a career spanning only a few years, Moosewala has made headlines for promoting violence and gun culture through some of his songs. Nearly two years ago, his song titled 'Jatti Jeone Morh Wargi' came under fire for its reference to 18th-century Sikh warrior Mai Bhago.

People slammed him for portraying the Sikh warrior in a poor light. The singer later issued an apology to his fans and critics as the backlash around the song grew.

The controversies didn't end here as in July 2020, another song titled 'Sanju' similarly kicked off a controversy. In the song, he had compared himself with Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt.

Last year only, a criminal case was filed against Moosewala and five police personnel, after a video showing him shooting at a firing range went viral on social media.

Due to such controversies, the singer's entry into politics didn't sit well with a section of people with many tweeting against him. It remains to be seen how his political career will unfold. Interestingly, politics runs in his blood as his mother was a village sarpanch.

After joining the Congress party, Moosewala said that one of the reasons to join Congress is to raise the voice of Punjabis.

"It's my first press conference. Just three years back, I started singing. Now after four years I am taking a new step. Mansa is not that much developed, a part of this area raised me, I will raise my voice from here," said Moosewala.

The rapper is likely to contest the polls from Mansa, his hometown.

( With inputs from ANI )