From beats to ballots: Why Balen Shah still carries the ‘rapper’ label

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah is widely recognised for his roots in rap music, but many of his supporters argue that the global media reduces his identity to just that. As one of the world’s youngest heads of government and possibly the first with a rap background, Balen may have drawn international attention beyond Nepal. Listen to this report, which explores his musical journey.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah is widely known as 'Balen,' the rapper. Credit: Skanda Gautam / SOPA Images/Sipa USA/AAP Image (R), Facebook/Balen (L)

Subscribe to the SBS Nepali podcast here.