Baban Hussain becomes first Kurdish artist on Billboard Hot 100

Baban Hussain, a 22-year-old Kurdish New Zealander performing under the name Fat Papi, has achieved global recognition following the viral success of his song ‘Freaked Out’. The track, produced by Australian artist Owen Omen (known as Prodshushy), has amassed over 7.5 billion views across YouTube and gained nearly 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Hussain has made history as the first Kurdish artist to appear on the US Billboard Hot 100 and is only the second New Zealand rapper to achieve this milestone. The song’s rapid ascent was driven by TikTok, where a dance video released by Omen and subsequent influencer trends led to widespread popularity among global users and artists.