Young Stunners' India debut sours

Tour's fate hangs in balance after internet digs up rap duo's posts about India

Pakistan's popular rap duo, Young Stunners—Talha Anjum and Talhah Yunus—are gearing up for a groundbreaking three-city tour in India this December, marking their first-ever performances across the border. Despite the initial excitement surrounding the tour, the journey to India has already hit turbulent waters, with controversy brewing over their past social media posts.

On August 1, Rolling Stone India reported that the Karachi-based duo is reportedly scheduled to perform in Mumbai on December 13, Bengaluru on December 21, and New Delhi on December 25, accompanied by their longtime collaborator, producer Jokhay. The Young Stunners themselves have yet to confirm the news on their social media platforms, where they've been busy promoting their ongoing tours in Australia and Canada. For their Indian fans, however, the tour promises to be a landmark event.

As it happens, the silence from the rappers may be strategic as they now find themselves at the centre of a heated debate. It all began when Skillbox, a prominent ticketing platform, delisted their India concerts following an outcry over the duo's past tweets. The tweets in question, which resurfaced just as tickets were going on sale, include remarks mocking Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, the pilot captured and later released by Pakistan during a tense military standoff in 2019 and critical comments about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Hot water

Anjum had doubled down on his position in 2020 when his tweets first came to the attention of the Indian audience. It was around the time Young Stunners released a song with Indian rapper Kr$na. Now, the announcement of the new tou has led to a revival of the controversy.

Skillbox was quick to distance itself from the controversy, stating, "We take pride in being Indian, and we do not support sentiments that incite hate or violence against India. In light of recent revelations brought to our notice, we have delisted the event from our platform. It was deeply disturbing to see our team members being personally targeted. We would like to clarify that we are not and never were the promoters of the event."

This move by Skillbox has only intensified the backlash. Social media users across platforms, especially on X (formerly Twitter), have expressed their outrage, with many calling for the cancellation of the entire tour.

Organisers have opted for a new website for ticket registrations, aiming to sidestep recent controversies and ensure the shows proceed as planned. Desi Disco Entertainment, the relatively unknown promoter behind the tour, is taking a firm stance against the criticism and challenges facing their event.

'Fake websites, internet gangsters'

Desi Disco Entertainment, which has largely been involved in organising shows in Australia, made a bold statement in response to the backlash. "This will be happening cause we are 'asli hai.' These all fake websites and internet gangsters can't stop anyone from performing in India," they declared.

Despite the uproar, Desi Disco Entertainment remains unfazed. Vaheed Khan, the head of Desi Disco, has dismissed the backlash as a coordinated attack aimed at derailing the tour over disagreements about partnerships and revenue-sharing. Speaking to The Print, Khan said, "I will make sure the show happens and will not be bogged down by a few tweets. Many of these pages wanted a cut from the revenue and when we refused to put their logo, the tweets started surfacing. Half of the tweets are fake and have nothing to do with either Talha or Pakistan."

Khan also claimed that the initial response to the tour was overwhelmingly positive, with 16,000 registrations completed within the first 12 hours of the announcement on August 1. He emphasised that the concerts are still very much on, with tickets now available through a different platform for the Mumbai show.

According to Rolling Stone India, Young Stunners have amassed a significant following, with the largest number of monthly listeners on Spotify in Mumbai (152,583) and New Delhi (over 245,000, including Delhi NCR).

However, the situation remains fluid. As of now, neither Talha Anjum nor Talhah Yunus has addressed the controversy or confirmed their participation in the India tour. With growing calls for the shows to be cancelled and a volatile political backdrop, the fate of the tour hangs in the balance.

Moreover, the significance of this tour extends beyond the music scene, marking the first time in years that India will host a major Pakistani artist. Artistic exchanges between the two countries have been scarce since the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack, which led to a suspension of collaborations and performances due to heightened tensions.

As the tour dates draw closer, all eyes will be on how the situation evolves. Will the Young Stunners' India debut go off without a hitch, or will the controversy overshadow what could be a historic musical exchange? For now, the fans and critics alike await further updates from Desi Disco Entertainment and the Young Stunners themselves.