Yo Yo Honey Singh: India's rap rebel makes a comeback after battling addiction

Yo Yo Honey Singh, who transformed Indian hip-hop, has made a comeback after a long battle with drug abuse.

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He teased, cajoled and vexed his listeners, daring them to explore the "devilish" contours of his mind, as he sang rash rhymes about parties, drugs and "seducing" women. His songs played in clubs and weddings, blaring from stereos at big parties and roadside tea stalls alike.

Then, at the peak of his career, he vanished. Seven years later, Yo Yo Honey Singh is back - with a new album and an ongoing music tour, claiming to be a changed man after a prolonged battle with drug abuse and mental health struggles.

The 41-year-old singer and producer was once one of India's biggest music stars, a figure who "moved the cultural gravity of hip-hop music", says music journalist Bhanuj Kappal in Famous, a recent Netflix documentary on Singh.

But he was also deeply controversial - and, by his own admission, an "aggressive and reckless man", routinely accused of promoting vulgarity, debauchery and violence through his music.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdn0zq7n0zo

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