Hirdesh Singh, who is professionally known as Yo Yo Honey Singh, is an Indian singer, music producer, and actor. He started his career in 2003 as a hip-hop music producer. In the beginning, he worked as a session and recording artist in the underground music scene until he released his first album, International Villager.
Yo Yo Honey Singh Early Life
Yo Yo Honey Singh, whose real name is Hirdesh Singh, was born on 15 March 1983 in Delhi, India, into a Sikh family with roots in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Although he was raised in Delhi, his family background remained closely connected to Punjabi culture, which later became a strong influence on his music style and identity.
Growing up in Delhi, he spent his early years in a typical middle-class environment, where education and discipline were given importance. He completed his schooling at Guru Nanak Public School, New Delhi, where he was known to be an average student but showed a growing interest in music from a young age. During his school years, he was exposed to different musical styles, especially Punjabi and hip-hop, which gradually shaped his creative direction.
Even before entering the professional music industry, Honey Singh developed a strong inclination toward beats, rhythm, and sound production. He was particularly drawn to Western hip-hop music, and this interest pushed him to explore music beyond just listening—he started understanding how music is created, produced, and performed.
His early environment—being raised in Delhi while having deep Punjabi roots—played a key role in defining his unique musical identity. This blend later became one of his biggest strengths, as he successfully combined Punjabi lyrics with modern hip-hop and international sounds, making his music stand out in the Indian industry.
These formative years laid the foundation for his future career, eventually leading him to step into the underground music scene as a producer and recording artist in the early 2000s.
Yo Yo Honey Singh Career
Music
In the early 2010s, Honey Singh became popular in the Indian music industry. He performed at several college festivals, including Ansal Institute of Technology and Ramjas College in Delhi. His collaborations with well-known artists, especially Diljit Dosanjh, helped strengthen his position in the industry. Their song “Lak 28 Kudi Da” reached number one on the BBC Asian Download Charts in May 2011 and was used to promote Dosanjh’s film Lion of Punjab.
By 2012, Honey Singh set a record for charging the highest fee for a Bollywood song at that time, reportedly earning ₹70 lakh for songs in the films Cocktail and Mastan. He also sang his first Hindi song in Mastan.
His fame grew rapidly on YouTube with songs like “Brown Rang” and “High Heels” (with Jaz Dhami), which became top trending videos. After “Brown Rang,” he released “Angreji Beat” with Gippy Grewal, which became a popular party anthem across India.
In 2013, he released “Blue Eyes”, which became an instant hit because of its catchy music and mix of Hindi and English lyrics. In 2014, he released his second album Desi Kalakaar, featuring the title track and “Love Dose.” The title track included actress Sonakshi Sinha in the video. In February 2015, he released “Birthday Bash.”
In 2024, Honey Singh released his album Glory, which had 18 tracks, including “Millionaire,” “Rap God,” and “Jatt Mehkma.” The album became very popular, with many songs trending on music platforms.
In December 2024, a documentary titled Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous was released on Netflix, and it received mixed reviews.
In 2025, he announced the Millionaire India Tour in association with Aaj Tak, covering 10 cities like Mumbai, Lucknow, Delhi, Indore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Kolkata.
In 2026, he announced the My Story India Tour in association with NDTV, where he planned to visit 10 cities.
Bollywood
His first Bollywood song was “Shakal Pe Mat Ja” with Gagan Sidhu. He charged ₹70 lakh for a song in the film Mastan, which was the highest amount paid to a singer in Bollywood at that time.
In February 2015, he released “Birthday Bash” with Alfaaz and later worked on songs for films like Gabbar Is Back and Bhaag Johnny.
The first song from Mumbai Saga, titled “Shor Machega,” was released on 28 February 2021. It was composed by Singhsta, with lyrics and vocals by Singhsta and Hommie Dilliwala.
Acting
Honey Singh started acting with a cameo in the Punjabi film Mirza – The Untold Story (2012), where he played the role of Deesha, a gangster. He won the PTC Punjabi Film Award for Best Male Debut for this role.
In 2013, he appeared in another Punjabi film, Tu Mera 22 Main Tera 22, where he played the role of Rolly alongside Amrinder Gil
Personal Life
Yo Yo Honey Singh married Shalini Talwar on 23 January 2011. The two had known each other for a long time before getting married, as they were close friends since their earlier years. Their relationship remained mostly private for a long time, even after his rise to fame, as Honey Singh generally kept his personal life away from the public spotlight during the peak of his career.
Despite being one of the most popular and talked-about music artists in India, he maintained a relatively low profile when it came to his family and personal matters. Over the years, very little was publicly shared about his married life, and he focused more on his professional growth and public image as a performer.
In November 2023, his marriage came to an end when he and Shalini Talwar officially got divorced. Before the divorce, Talwar had made allegations of domestic violence against him. Honey Singh denied these allegations. Later, after the legal settlement between both parties, the allegations were withdrawn, and the matter was resolved.
This phase of his life gained significant media attention and became one of the most discussed aspects of his personal journey. Despite the controversies, he continued focusing on his career and public appearances.
Overall, Honey Singh’s personal life has seen both long-term relationships and public challenges, but he has largely chosen to keep most of his private matters away from constant public exposure.