Yo Yo Honey Singh

'''Hirdesh Singh'''{{Efn|Yo Yo confirmed that his name on passport is '''Hirdesh Singh''' while clarifying that '''Honey''' is his childhood nickname in [[The Lallantop]] interview.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP1gfUFP4go |title=Yo Yo Honey Singh ने Badshah, Raftar से असल लड़ाई, Mafia Mundeer, Shahrukh, नशे पर खुलकर बतायाGITN |date=2024-08-31 |last=The Lallantop |access-date=2024-09-01 |via=YouTube}}</ref> While Yo Yo is a slang which Singh picked up from his African-American friends which means "your very own".<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 March 2015 |title=15 facts to know about Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh |work=Hindustan Times |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/15-facts-to-know-about-rapper-yo-yo-honey-singh/story-uCB9qxZH7lh9gNfUwQsZBK.html}}</ref> Wikipedia's introduction uses only the legal name.|name=n1}} (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as '''Yo Yo Honey Singh''',<ref name="news18.com">https://www.news18.com/viral/how-hirdesh-singh-became-yo-yo-honey-singh-one-of-the-biggest-names-in-music-8617177.html</ref> is an Indian [[singer]], [[rapper]] and [[record producer]]. Regarded as one of the most popular and influential artist/rap artist emerging from India,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Melissa Ursula Dawn|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6mR2DwAAQBAJ |title=Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes] |last2=Fonseca |first2=Anthony J. |date=1 December 2018 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-35759-6 |pages=339 |language=en |quote=As of 2018, producer, singer, and actor Yo Yo Honey Singh (aka Honey Singh, Hirdesh Singh, 1983-) is the most popular hip hop artist in India. (..) Singh has become widely popular in Bollywood, where he rose to fame in late 2013.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fonseca |first=Anthony J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6rfCEAAAQBAJ |title=Listen to Rap!: Exploring a Musical Genre |date=26 September 2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4408-6566-4 |pages=224 |language=en |quote=As of 2019, producer, singer, and actor Yo Yo Honey Singh (a.k.a. Honey Singh) is the most popular rap artist in India.}}</ref> he is credited with popularizing [[hip-hop]] & [[rap]] with the mainstream Indian audience, taking the art pan-India.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdn0zq7n0zo | title=Yo Yo Honey Singh: India's rap rebel makes a comeback after battling addiction | date=9 March 2025 }}</ref> While much of his [[Transgressive art|transgressive]] work during the late 2000s, early 2010s made him a [[controversy|controversial figure]], he came to be a representation of voice of the Indian [[youth]].

'''Hirdesh Singh'''{{Efn|Yo Yo confirmed that his name on passport is '''Hirdesh Singh''' while clarifying that '''Honey''' is his childhood nickname in [[The Lallantop]] interview.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP1gfUFP4go |title=Yo Yo Honey Singh ने Badshah, Raftar से असल लड़ाई, Mafia Mundeer, Shahrukh, नशे पर खुलकर बतायाGITN |date=2024-08-31 |last=The Lallantop |access-date=2024-09-01 |via=YouTube}}</ref> While Yo Yo is a slang which Singh picked up from his African-American friends which means "your very own".<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 March 2015 |title=15 facts to know about Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh |work=Hindustan Times |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/15-facts-to-know-about-rapper-yo-yo-honey-singh/story-uCB9qxZH7lh9gNfUwQsZBK.html}}</ref> Wikipedia's introduction uses only the legal name.|name=n1}} (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as '''Yo Yo Honey Singh''',<ref name="news18.com">https://www.news18.com/viral/how-hirdesh-singh-became-yo-yo-honey-singh-one-of-the-biggest-names-in-music-8617177.html</ref> is an Indian [[singer]], [[rapper]] and [[record producer]]. Regarded as one of the most popular and influential artist/rap artist emerging from India,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Melissa Ursula Dawn|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6mR2DwAAQBAJ |title=Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes] |last2=Fonseca |first2=Anthony J. |date=1 December 2018 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-35759-6 |pages=339 |language=en |quote=As of 2018, producer, singer, and actor Yo Yo Honey Singh (aka Honey Singh, Hirdesh Singh, 1983-) is the most popular hip hop artist in India. (..) Singh has become widely popular in Bollywood, where he rose to fame in late 2013.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fonseca |first=Anthony J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6rfCEAAAQBAJ |title=Listen to Rap!: Exploring a Musical Genre |date=26 September 2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4408-6566-4 |pages=224 |language=en |quote=As of 2019, producer, singer, and actor Yo Yo Honey Singh (a.k.a. Honey Singh) is the most popular rap artist in India.}}</ref> he is credited with popularizing [[hip-hop]] & [[rap]] with the mainstream Indian audience, taking the art pan-India.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdn0zq7n0zo | title=Yo Yo Honey Singh: India's rap rebel makes a comeback after battling addiction | date=9 March 2025 }}</ref> While much of his [[Transgressive art|transgressive]] work during the late 2000s, early 2010s made him a [[controversy|controversial figure]], he came to be a representation of voice of the Indian [[youth]].

Singh commenced his career as a [[hip-hop]] [[record producer|music producer]] with his underground album titled ''Desi By Nature'' (2003), subsequently working as a session and recording artist within the underground music scene for other artists until the release of his debut studio album, ''[[International Villager]]'' (2011).<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/honey-singh-is-youtubes-most-trending-indian-of-2012-609556 | title=Honey Singh is YouTube's most trending Indian of 2012 }}</ref> After the huge success of I.V. and his mainstream breakout, he released several chartbuster singles and subsequently, his second studio album ''[[Desi Kalakaar]]'' (2014). Following another blockbuster release, Singh took a hiatus due in part to struggles with [[Bipolar Disorder]] with [[psychosis|psychotic symptoms]] which developed as a result of heavy [[alcoholism]] & [[drug abuse]].<ref name="The Times of India">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/honey-singh-breaks-silence-on-whether-shah-rukh-khan-had-slapped-him-violently-during-a-tour-nobody-knows-what-im-going-to-/articleshow/116524344.cms|title=Honey Singh breaks silence on whether Shah Rukh Khan had slapped him violently during a tour: 'Nobody knows what I'm going to...'|work=The Times of India |date=21 December 2024|via=The Economic Times - The Times of India}}</ref><ref name="tseries.com">{{Cite web|url=https://tseries.com/news/honey-singh-injured-opts-out-shah-rukh-khans-slam-tour|title=Honey Singh injured, opts out of Shah Rukh Khan's SLAM the tour &#124; T-Series|website=tseries.com}}</ref>

Singh commenced his career as a [[hip-hop]] [[record producer|music producer]] with his underground album titled ''Desi By Nature'' (2003), subsequently working as a session and recording artist within the underground music scene for other artists until the release of his debut studio album, ''[[International Villager]]'' (2011).<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/honey-singh-is-youtubes-most-trending-indian-of-2012-609556 | title=Honey Singh is YouTube's most trending Indian of 2012 }}</ref> In 2012, after the huge success of I.V. and his mainstream breakout, he set the record for the highest paid Indian artist, let alone a rap artist with charging a whopping fee of 75 lakh INR for a track in [[Bollywood]].<ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Honey Singh set to conquer Bollywood |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/honey-singh-set-to-conquer-bollywood-604827 |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=www.ndtv.com |language=en}}</ref></ref> Currently, he is also the richest Indian rapper.<ref>https://www.thedailyjagran.com/trending/list-of-top-10-richest-indian-rappers-and-their-net-worth-yo-yo-honey-singh-badshah-divine-emiway-bantai-and-others-10214630</ref> He continued releasing several chartbuster singles and subsequently, released his second studio album ''[[Desi Kalakaar]]'' (2014). Following another blockbuster release, Singh took a hiatus due in part to struggles with [[Bipolar Disorder]] with [[psychosis|psychotic symptoms]] which developed as a result of heavy [[alcoholism]] & [[drug abuse]].<ref name="The Times of India">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/honey-singh-breaks-silence-on-whether-shah-rukh-khan-had-slapped-him-violently-during-a-tour-nobody-knows-what-im-going-to-/articleshow/116524344.cms|title=Honey Singh breaks silence on whether Shah Rukh Khan had slapped him violently during a tour: 'Nobody knows what I'm going to...'|work=The Times of India |date=21 December 2024|via=The Economic Times - The Times of India}}</ref><ref name="tseries.com">{{Cite web|url=https://tseries.com/news/honey-singh-injured-opts-out-shah-rukh-khans-slam-tour|title=Honey Singh injured, opts out of Shah Rukh Khan's SLAM the tour &#124; T-Series|website=tseries.com}}</ref>

After a brief recovery in 2016 followed by a relapse, he returned to the music industry with the release of his single "Makhna" (2018) with huge acclaim.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.radioandmusic.com/entertainment/editorial/news/181226-yo-yo-honey-singhs-makhna-unbeatable-number | title=Yo Yo Honey Singh's 'Makhna' unbeatable at number one! | date=25 December 2018 }}</ref> He released his albums ''[[Honey 3.0]]'' (2023) followed by ''Glory'' (2024), with the latter breaking multiple streaming records accompanied by the lead single "Millionaire" which became a chartbuster upon its release crossing over 300 million views on YouTube under 7 months, with over 150 million Spotify streams.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://musicalsatans.com/indias-no-1-hip-hop-artist-yo-yo-honey-singh-achieves-200-million-views-for-millionaire/ | title=India's No. 1 Hip-Hop Artist Yo Yo Honey Singh Achieves 200 Million Views for "Millionaire" | date=8 December 2024 }}</ref>

After a brief recovery in 2016 followed by a relapse, he returned to the music industry with the release of his single "Makhna" (2018) with huge acclaim.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.radioandmusic.com/entertainment/editorial/news/181226-yo-yo-honey-singhs-makhna-unbeatable-number | title=Yo Yo Honey Singh's 'Makhna' unbeatable at number one! | date=25 December 2018 }}</ref> He released his albums ''[[Honey 3.0]]'' (2023) followed by ''Glory'' (2024), with the latter breaking multiple streaming records accompanied by the lead single "Millionaire" which became a chartbuster upon its release crossing over 300 million views on YouTube under 7 months, with over 150 million Spotify streams.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://musicalsatans.com/indias-no-1-hip-hop-artist-yo-yo-honey-singh-achieves-200-million-views-for-millionaire/ | title=India's No. 1 Hip-Hop Artist Yo Yo Honey Singh Achieves 200 Million Views for "Millionaire" | date=8 December 2024 }}</ref>