Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, is sworn in as Nepal's prime minister on Friday after a landslide victory in the country's first election since last year's “Generation Z” revolution, the BBC reports.
The rise of “Balen” marks an important shift in Nepali politics. His promise of change resonated with an electorate dissatisfied with corruption, nepotism and elite dominance.
Before taking office on Friday, Balen released his first post-election message in the form of a rap song urging unity.
“United Nepalis, this time history is being written,” he sang in a track that garnered over two million views within hours of its release.
This is Shah's first public message since his Rastriya Swatantra party won the March 5 election with a landslide victory.
It was the first election since a deadly youth-led uprising in September 2025 that toppled the government. At least 77 people have been killed in the anti-corruption uprising, which began over a brief ban on social media access and fueled long-standing anger over corruption, unemployment and economic stagnation, The Guardian notes.
How the rapper came to power in Nepal
After just three years as mayor of the capital Kathmandu, Balendra “Balen” Shah joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) as its prime ministerial candidate, winning a decisive victory in this month's general election.
His supporters see him as a symbol of change and a break with the old political class. However, some question whether the RSP, a party founded only four years ago, is capable of fulfilling its ambitious promises.
Shah was born in 1990 in Naradevi, Kathmandu, being the youngest child in the family. His father is a practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine, and his mother took care of raising the children. Shah is married and lives with his wife and daughter.
After finishing school, he earned degrees in engineering in Kathmandu and later in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
In 2013, he rose to prominence after winning a popular rap competition in Nepal with sharp lyrics that reflected the frustration of a generation that felt marginalized and abandoned.
Later, he released several popular songs criticizing corruption and social inequality in the Himalayan country. He had a distinct style in the videos, wearing black square sunglasses, a black jacket and black pants.
One of his most famous songs, “Balidan”, has garnered 14 million views on YouTube.
The title means “sacrifice” and a snippet of the lyrics reads: “While we sell our identity abroad, government employees earn 30,000 and have properties in 30 different places. Who will pay the debt of those who work overseas and countries?”
Shah's message continued to resonate with the youth during last September's riots
The protesters adopted his song “Nepal Haseko” (“Smiling Nepal”) as one of their anthems.
“I want to see Nepal smiling, I want to see Nepalese hearts dancing. I want to see Nepal smiling, I want to see Nepalese living happily,” the lyrics rang out in the streets and homes for weeks.
