ABANGSAPAU (Shazuan Shiraj)
ABANGSAPAU (real name Shazuan Shiraj) is a Malay-Sikh rapper from Singapore known for his bilingual (Malay and English) hip-hop style, his cultural expression (often wearing a sarung), and his advocacy for authenticity and representation in music. Shazuan regularly posts his music and updates on his Instagram and TikTok, which has 10.6k followers and 24.6k followers respectively.[1][2]
ABANGSAPAU | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Muhammad Shazuan Bin Shiraj Abdullah |
| Education | Nitec in Community Care & Social Services Diploma in Social Sciences |
| Awards | Lee Kuan Yew Model Student |
Early life and background
Shazuan Shiraj grew up in Singapore under challenging family circumstances. He was raised by his mother and has spoken publicly about the absence of a paternal figure, exposure to substance abuse, financial instability, and experiences of homelessness during his youth.[3]
He initially pursued an academic path toward Social Work, inspired by a desire to help at-risk youth, mirroring his mother’s empathy and life advice. In school, he was a high-achieving student: he graduated with top grades, won public speaking awards, and was even a Lee Kuan Yew Model Student recipient.[3]
His transition into music began around 2019 in polytechnic, when a friend encouraged him to rap. What started as casual freestyling turned into live performances and eventually a professional music career.[3][4]
Musical career
Breakthrough and style
Shazuan debuted as ABANGSAPAU in 2019. His breakout bilingual track “Buat Ape?” showcased his unique voice and signature style, including the sarung that he often wears as a symbolic link to his heritage.[5] Over time, he has built a reputation for blending introspective lyricism with social commentary and capturing the struggles of everyday life.[3][5][6]
One of his notable singles is “hahaha”, released under Def Jam SEA, which critiques clout culture and asserts artistic integrity.[5][6] In 2022, he released “Boyhood”, reflecting on adolescence and personal growth.[4][7]
In 2025, ABANGSAPAU released “ONE MINUTE”, a reintroduction track where he reveals mental health struggles and his journey through low-wage jobs, hospitalization, and internal conflicts as an artist.[8]
He has also been active on stage: opening for international acts like Tobi Lou, participating in events across Malaysia and Singapore, and performing at occasions such as Singapore’s New Year Eve countdown.[4][7][9]
Artistry and persona
ABANGSAPAU emphasizes rawness and authenticity in his art. He rejects formulaic music trends and often challenges superficial fame in his lyrics.[3][6] His sarung is more than fashion—it is a personal symbol. He once shared that after inheriting his grandfather’s sarung(s), he began wearing them publicly, ultimately adopting them as a signature.[3][5][6]
His bilingual approach (Malay + English) is intentional—it reflects culture, identity, and inclusive expression for minority communities.[3][5]
He is also the founder of New Mongrels, a music movement in Singapore that seeks to uplift emerging artists from diverse backgrounds.[3]
Discography
In his interview with Time Out Singapore, Shazuan mentioned that he would describe ABANGSAPAU as an artist that is reflective and raw. His hip-hop persona loves rapping but also taps into his R&B side occasionally.[5]
2019
| Date Released | Album | Song | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2019 | Aura | Aura (feat. Shameer) | 3:22 |
| 2 August 209 | BUAT APE? | BUAT APE? | 2:32 |
2021
| Date Released | Album | Song | Duration | Record Label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May 2021 | hahaha | hahaha | 3:12 | Def Jam Recordings Singapore[10] |
2022
| Date Released | Album | Song | Duration | Record Label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 January 2022 | Boyhood | Boyhood (feat. Charlie Lim) | 3:36 | Def Jam Recordings Singapore[10] |
| 26 August 2022 | HERE I AM | TRACK A (feat. Mary Sue) | 3:00 | Higher Self[10] |
| 26 August 2022 | TRACK B (feat. Mary Sue) | 2:34 | ||
| 11 November 2022 | I Used to Dream | I Used to Dream | 2:59 | Def Jam Recordings Singapore[10][10] |
| I Used to Dream - Chris' Take | 2:32 |
2023
| Date Released | Album | Song | Duration | Record Label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 April 2023 | Cahaya | Cahaya | 2:59 | Def Jam Recordings Singapore & Def Jam Recordings Malaysia[10] |
| Cahaya - Sped Up Version | 2:11 | |||
| Cahaya - Instrumental | 2:59 | |||
| Cahaya - Vocals | 2:59 | |||
| 12 May 2023 | Mama, | Mama, | 2:43 | Def Jam Recordings Singapore[10] |
| 13 October 2023 | OK! | Poof (feat. Cravism, Mary Sue, Maya Diegel) | 3:13 | New Mongrels Music Imprint & TONG TONG Asia[10] |
| early2thou (Love, Lust, Pearls) (feat. Cravism, Mary Sue, lullaboy) | 3:22 | |||
| Track C (feat. Cravism, Mary Sue) | 2:13 | |||
| okei (feat. Cravism, Mary Sue) | 3:16 | |||
| Basement Freestyle (feat. Cravism, Mary Sue, Zaymm) | 2:29 | |||
| Shazuan's Letter (feat. Cravism) | 2:43 | |||
| Wings (feat. Cravism, Mary Sue) | 6:32 |
2024
| Date Released | Album | Song | Duration | Record Label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 June 2024 | JANGAN BEGITU | JANGAN BEGITU | 2:55 | Def Jam Recordings Singapore[10] |
| 6 December 2024 | Watered Down | Watered Down (feat. tomo blu) | 4:05 | tomo blu[10] |
| 13 December 2024 | TRACK D | TRACK D (feat. DAC, Mary Sue) | 2:10 | DAC[10] |
2025
| Date Released | Album | Song | Duration | Record Label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 October 2025 | ABANGSAPAU | ONE MINUTE | 2:55 | Def Jam Recordings Singapore & Def Jam Recordings Malaysia[10] |
| wow. | 2:24 | |||
| make dolla | 2:15 | |||
| NADIA (feat. Eemrun) | 3:05 | |||
| Boom Bada Bada (feat. ALYPH) | 2:15 | |||
| BIGGIE LUV | 2:41 | |||
| selamat, sayang | 3:26 | |||
| One Day | 3:30 | |||
| but hey | 3:57 | |||
| smiling anyway | 4:08 | |||
| hide & seek (feat. weish & Mary Sue) | 5:10 | |||
| Mental Kena Kuat (feat. Joe Flizzow) | 3:08 | |||
| STAR (feat. Quai) | 3:21 | |||
| Bangun | 3:13 |
Media coverage
In a feature by Mothership, he opened up about his journey from aspiring social worker to rapper, detailing how he constantly had to “crawl” toward his dream amid financial hardship and self-doubt. His shift into music, he shared, was catalysed by encouragement from a friend who invited him to freestyle after class—this small moment ultimately altered his path. While his mother initially voiced concern over his career choice, witnessing him perform at national stages like New Year’s Eve and the National Day Parade gradually reshaped her perception.[4]
Shazuan has also been invited to be a guest speaker in TEDxYouth in 2019, where he opens up about his journey as once being a youth-at-risk while also sharing his aims to uplift people through his music.[11]
In ELLE Singapore, ABANGSAPAU described how he founded the music collective New Mongrels to amplify marginalized voices in Singapore’s music scene. He discussed his evolution as an artist and the symbolic importance of wearing a sarung—a sartorial choice that connects to his Malay-Sikh heritage.[3]
More recently, his 2025 single “ONE MINUTE” garnered attention from music media such as LiFTED Asia, which presented the track as a “reintroduction” in which he confronts mental health struggles, past low-wage jobs, and life in and out of the music industry.[8]
In addition to press interviews, ABANGSAPAU has also appeared live in media-curated events. The Straits Times covered his performance and artist discussion with Regina Song at ST Podcasts Live, where he previewed tracks from his upcoming self-titled debut album and shared personal reflections on his genre fusion and lyrical themes.[9]
Another memorable media-highlight occurred in 2020, when he performed “Each Other” together with his mother at the National Day Parade. The song, written during the national circuit breaker period, speaks about loss, separation, and the emotional toll of his father’s passing.[12]
References/Citations
- ↑ "@abangsapau" Instagram. n.d. Accessed 29 October 2025.
- ↑ "@abangsapau" TikTok. n.d. Accessed 29 October 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Ho, Charmaine. “Shazuan Shiraj on Becoming ABANGSAPAU, and the Singapore Music Scene.” ELLE Singapore, 20 June, 2024. Accessed 16 October 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Xueting, Wu. “‘I needed to crawl my way to everything’: S’porean rapper, 26, on why he pursued music dream despite financial worries.” Mothership, 15 October, 2025. Accessed October 16, 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 “Meet ABANGSAPAU: the sarung-clad rapper who embraces bilingual hip-hop in Singapore.” Timeout, 11 May, 2021. Accessed 16 October 2025.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Chiew, Isaac. “This Is A Keynote Speech: A Chat with ABANGSAPAU.” Big Duck Music, 4 June, 2021. Accessed 16 October 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 “ABANGSAPAU.” Def Jam SEA. n.d. Accessed October 16, 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sabiq Rafid. “ABANGSAPAU goes slow with a sincere intention.” LiFTED Asia, 25 May, 2023. Accessed 16 October 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ang, Benson. “Singapore’s Regina Song, Abangsapau treat ST readers to songs and stories at ST Podcasts Live.” The Straits Times, 8 October, 2025. Accessed 16 October 2025.
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 ABANGSAPAU. Spotify. Accessed 29 October. Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Aisnyp1dEc7Hg7GvcaqUw
- ↑ TEDxTalks. "Your Best Friend & Worst Enemy: You | Shazuan Shiraj | TEDxYouth@SingaporePolytechnic" Youtube, 4 September, 2019. Accessed 29 October 2025.
- ↑ Lam, Diane. “Here’s The Heart-wrenching Story Behind Abangsapau’s NDP Duet With His Mum.” Wonderwall, 9 August, 2020. Accessed 16 October 2025.