Notorious by Wazir Patar Explained

Majha is one of the three large regions of the Indian state of Punjab, known famously for the cities of Amritsar and Gurdaspur. A number of famous Punjabi artistes have come from this region including the legend Gurdas Maan. More recently, AP Dhillon too alludes to his home region with most of his songs featuring the “Majhe aale” shoutout in the background. ↩︎

Oh where do I keep this stock
The agencies are looking for cash in my car
I am at the age where I just want to have fun
I have the bad habit of calling a spade

Wazir sets the ground by mentioning that (intelligence) agencies are looking for him. He’s probably got some illegal weapons and cash that he doesn’t know where to store. He says he’s doing it just for fun. He doesn’t care for consequences and calls a spade a spade.

Vocabulary:
• Chober (चोबर), Gabru (गबरू): a young man ↩︎

I have a hundred thousand dollar car
Raised its shockers, it bounces on the streets
So slick and clean, it’s blinding in the sunlight
Women check me out as I ride in the streets

Wazir’s got an interesting style of rap - he doesn’t care for parts of speech, but the meaning is ample clear nonetheless. Here he talks about his expensive car, bouncing on its hydraulic shockers, so clean that it attracts attention. Girls can’t keep their eyes off him. ↩︎

The world is unreal these days
They believe rumours and judge me
My hype comes from my blood, sweat and tears
That’s how I got these white Cortez
Continuing the same boastful soliloquy, Wazir takes a dig at the world for judging him on baseless rumours. He says his fame and riches come from his hard work. And then he shows off $85 Nike Cortez sneakers - which is a weird flex tbh. ↩︎

I don’t have a phone, I only have gang signs
Always on my face, you’ll find a wry smile
I don’t go around town showing off in my car
I am either in the studio or with my friends

Another weird flex - Wazir says he doesn’t keep a phone, he’s only got gang signs. He’s so confident, nothing can bother him, so he’s always got a little smile on his face. He doesn’t spend much time roaming in his car. He’s busy working in the studio or hanging out with his friends. ↩︎

I take care of the front by myself
And my brother Gurjant handles the rest
Guri Gill is my guy, my ally
My music is tight, there’s no scope for slack

Continuing to show off his confidence, Wazir says he takes care of the ‘front’ by himself. Front here could mean a bunch of things, like a battlefront or a shop front, or just operations in general. He props up his mates, Gurjant (the video director) and Guri (the lyricist), when he says that their collective efforts ensure that the music he puts out is absolute top quality. Note, this Guri Gill is not the AP Dhillon collaborator Gurinder Gill. ↩︎

Through ups and downs I keep my faith
I don’t hang out with everyone (or women specifically)
I don’t insult or get insulted
I bow down to the will of God

Conflict: Wazir literally started the rap by saying that he is prone to calling people out to their face. And now he says taht he doesn’t talk shit to people and doesn’t let anyone talk shit to him. Anyway, he says he abides by the laws of fate and keeps God in his heart. Not sure which God makes him want to smuggle ammunition and hide from intelligence agencies but well, I don’t judge. ↩︎

This is my favourite part of the song. Soon as Wazir says he doesn’t hang out just about anyone, a women in the background says - “Hey, he doesn’t even look back at us.” It’s hilarious. ↩︎

You’re looking to marry me, you Canadian lass
Well, that’s a responsibility of my mom
I do as my elders tell me to
(That’s true!)
And you see, that’s my secret to success
Again, I don’t know who the elders are who are asking him to throw gang signs instead of keeping a mobile phone. Anyway, Wazir shows off that though he lives in Punjab, women from Canada want to marry him. Which is a complete twist on the conventional trend of men in Punjab marrying women from Canada to immigrate. Good one. ↩︎

I scare the Anti with my eyes, I am afraid of destiny
I don’t talk too much on the phone
I speak colloquial lingo, I walk like royalty
I’ve got a Luger pistol and a 12 gauge shotgun
Wazir puts out the contrast here. He says he scares his enemies (anti) with just a look but he is afraid of destiny. And that though he speaks colloquial Punjabi which makes him a man from the streets, he’s got the swagger of royalty. Also strangely he doesn’t talk too much on the phone and has a 100-year old pistol and a shotgun. ↩︎

I have no links with gangs, I am my own link
I have slain giants with just my silence
You ask around about my attitude and who I hang out with
You’re asking my friends about my work and activities
Major show off here when Wazir says that he isn’t linked to any groups or gangs. He doesn’t need to. He’s his own link. Oof. And then weirdly he comes back to addressing the Canadian girl trying to marry him and tells her that he knows she’s been asking around about him. ↩︎ ↩︎