Asia
Badshah is first Asian Hip Hop artist to hit a billion views on YouTube
His 2016 hit ‘Kala Chashma’ finally broke the mark
Indian Hip Hop artists are running it up. A lot of big names like DIVINE, Emiway Bantai, MC Stan, Raftaar, and KR$NA top the charts and get over a million views on their videos on the regular. OG rapper Badshah is the first Asian or Indian Hip Hop artist to hit one billion views on YouTube, with his 2016 hit ‘Kala Chashma’ from the Bollywood flick Baar Baar Dekho.
In December of 2012, ‘Gangnam Style’ skyrocketed up the charts and gave Psy, and the world, the first-ever video with a billion views. Now, ‘Gangnam Style’ is ranked 10th with 5.22 billion views, while the top of the chart is ‘Baby Shark’ with 14.82 billion views.
While Badshah is not going to get near ‘Baby Shark’ or ‘Gangnam Style,’ it’s still an impressive feat to get into the ultra-rare billion club. As a cultural phenomenon, Badshah has become a poster boy for Pop culture by becoming the face of many brands, pushing out luxury streetwear, and investing in restaurants and sports leagues.
Badshah’s ‘Kala Chashma’ has become a must-play at all Indian-related events. Even though the song is 12 years old, people keep wanting to hear it and watch the video, which is the reason it’s the first Asian Hip Hop track to hit a billion on YouTube.
Check out Badshah’s ‘Kala Chashma’ below.