Bathinda: Amid the interrogation of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for his murder, rapper Moose Wala’s prophetic songs have become global chartbusters, with ‘295’ at number three and ‘Last Ride’ at six.

The lyrics of 295 describe how he might invite action under IPC Section 295 (outraging religious feelings) if he speaks the truth. The music video of the 2021 number has more than 195 million views, while ‘Last Ride’ has 71 million. ‘Levels’ is at number 11 in global music videos, while ‘Dear Mama’ is at 15, ‘Tibeyan Da Putt’ at 24, and ‘GOAT’ at 25. He is the second most listened to global artist on YouTube behind Bad Bunny.

For the first time, 295 is ranked 154 on Billboard’s global 200 chart, which makes him the only Punjabi artist to achieve the feat. Last Ride, one of his last songs, goes: ‘Ho chobbar de chechre utte noor dasda, ni uthuga jawani ch janaja mithiye (the glow on the face of this shows that he will die young),” which proved prophetic.

The song ‘295’ goes: “Nitt controversy create milugi, dharma de naam te debate milugi, sach bolenga ta milu 295, je karenga tarakki putt hate milugi (Every day is a controversy, you get debates in the name of religion. If you speak the truth, you get Section 295, and if you progress, you get hate).”

Moose Wala is the only singer after Puerto Rican rapper Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny to get top levels in music videos. Moose Wala’s role model, American rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur or 2Pac, had become a chart topper after being killed in September 1996.

US-based social activist Guneeta Singh Bhalla says: “All his songs were prophetic. In Last Ride, he predicts his fame post death. In Tibeyan Da Putt, he predicted that his adversaries couldn’t stop his fame.”