New mural featuring deceased Punjabi rapper creates controversy in Toronto

The City of Toronto’s Municipal Licensing & Standards branch is investigating a new mural brushing up controversy in a Toronto neighbourhood.

The mural is located in New Toronto at the corner of Lakeshore Boulevard West and Fifth Street. In the middle, Punjabi rapper Shubhedeep Singh Sidhu, better known by his stage name Sidhu Moose Wala, is depicted holding a gun. He was a rising artist in the South Asian music scene and lived, for a time, in Brampton, before being fatally shot in India last year.

The mural features American rappers Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, who were both also shot and killed. It also appears to feature Al Pacino as Tony Montana from "Scarface" and Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone from "The Godfather." 

The mural depicts Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Sidhu Moose Wala, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. (CTV News Toronto)

Over the past several days, many have been questioning the mural and commenting online — with some criticizing it, saying it promotes violence.

“Compared to the other one it’s really upsetting considering it doesn’t represent our neighbourhood at all,” said David Lauzon, who has lived and worked in the neighbourhood for 20 years.

The previous mural showed an old train stopping at Islington Station.

The previous mural of a train pulling into Islington Station. (Supplied)

A member of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association, the area just west of New Toronto, told CTV News Toronto, the previous mural was on the brick wall for decades. The member said the association was concerned about a lack of community consultation on the project.

“The City of Toronto has received two complaints about the mural at 2864 Lake Shore Blvd. West on July 1 and 2. The City is currently investigating this matter,” a spokesperson on behalf of Municipal Licensing & Standards told CTV News Toronto.

There are also area residents who support the mural. CTV News Toronto observed several people stopping to speak with the artist, offer praise and take pictures.

“It’s repetition of bygones. People that passed away. I don’t think it’s negative. I think it’s positive,” said area resident Shaun Broderick.

The artist told CTV News Toronto in an interview that he’s known to clients as David Ji.

He said he was hired by a friend to paint the mural which is on the same building as a Punjabi bakery and the owner of the business wanted Sidhu Moose Wala depicted. Ji said because there was extra space, he decided to include other figures from pop culture.

“The negative stuff which everyone talks about is just a small minority, they are very vocal, they are very rude, it’s a specific demographic. I don’t want to get into it,” he said. “The positive people have come up, taken pictures, bought me lunch, bought me drinks.”

Ji said the mural doesn’t depict gun violence and hopes his employers are happy with his work.

CTV News Toronto spoke with one of the bakery owners Tuesday night, who said they plan to remove the image of the gun from the mural.