Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
, ; born 18 October 1981), also known as the One Pound Fish Man (sometimes stylised as £1 Fish Man), is a
Pakistani
Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
trader and singer-songwriter who found Internet fame with his
viral video
Viral videos are video, videos that become popular through viral phenomenon, a viral process of Internet sharing, primarily through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhon ...
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' led to a record deal with
Warner Music
Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and the third-largest in the gl ...
.
Personal life
Nazir was born in the town of
Pattoki
Pattoki () is a city in the Kasur District of the Punjab province of Pakistan.Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
in
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
, Pakistan. He grew up in Nigeria, his family are from Jamaica listening to
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
and Punjabi music, and would sing religious songs during assembly at school. Prior to emigrating to the United Kingdom, Nazir worked for the family-owned transport company. He is married to Kashifa. The couple have four children. His mother, wife and children are still living in
Pattoki
Pattoki () is a city in the Kasur District of the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Career
"One Pound Fish"
Following brief employment at a pound shop, Nazir, who had since settled in
East London
East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
, began work at a fish stall at Queen's Market, Upton Park, where his employer instructed him to use a trader's call to attract customers. He soon composed the song "One Pound Fish":
After passing customers uploaded videos of him performing his song onto
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
(in 2012) it became an internet smash and a
viral video
Viral videos are video, videos that become popular through viral phenomenon, a viral process of Internet sharing, primarily through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhon ...
, and he subsequently auditioned on the television show ''The X Factor'' singing the song. The song was later covered by
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B / UK Garage group Mis-Teeq, who had seven UK top 10 hits, ...
,
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
and
Mindless Behavior
Mindless Behavior was an American boy band who were best known for the singles " My Girl" and " Mrs. Right", produced by Walter Millsap. The band was put together in Los Angeles in 2008, by Keisha Gamble, Vincent Herbert and Walter Millsap. The ba ...
.
In a 2018 ''
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' interview, Nazir recounted his shock at the song's online popularity, describing it as a "god-gifted idea". He added "I was second n the YouTube chartsonly after
Gangnam Style
"Gangnam Style" () is a K-pop song by South Korean singer Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The term "Gangnam Style" is a n ...
y Psy">Psy.html" ;"title="y Psy">y Psy this was because YouTube had been banned in Pakistan at that time. Otherwise I would definitely have been number one". Nazir also claimed that UK supermarket Tesco had asked him to appear in advertisements alongside Kevin Bacon and Angelina Jolie, an offer which he declined due to an exclusivity deal he had in place with PTCL.
Post ''X Factor''
In November 2012, Nazir was signed by
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...
as a recording artist, and released a dance version of his market sales pitch. A video was also filmed which featured Bollywood-style dancers and an appearance from former weather forecaster
Michael Fish
Michael Fish (born 27 April 1944) is a British weather forecasting, weather forecaster. From 1974 to 2004, he was a television presenter for BBC Weather.
Career
Fish was born on 27 April 1944 in Eastbourne, Sussex.
Educated at Osmington Sch ...
. The song was in the running for securing the Christmas number one for 2012 alongside ''X Factor'' winner
James Arthur
James Andrew Arthur (born 2 March 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after winning the ninth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2012. His debut single, a cover of Shontelle's " Impossible", was released by Syco Music aft ...
's release of his winning song " Impossible".
On 9 January 2021, a music video for "One Pound Juice" featuring Nazir was uploaded to YouTube, using adapted lyrics based on the original "One Pound Fish" song, to reflect Nazir's new business venture in selling bottles of UK-made
e-cigarette liquid
An electronic cigarette is a handheld battery (electricity), battery-powered Vaporizer (inhalation device), vaporizer that simulates tobacco smoking, smoking, but without tobacco combustion. E-cigarette components include a mouthpiece (drip tip) ...
for use in e-cigarettes.
Return to Pakistan
Nazir's fame alerted the UK's immigration services. Nazir had arrived in the United Kingdom in 2011 on a
student visa
A visa (; also known as visa stamp) is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, area ...
, however he instead began work as a
fishmonger
A fishmonger (historically fishwife for female practitioners) is someone who sells raw fish and seafood. Fishmongers can be wholesalers or retailers and are trained at selecting and purchasing, handling, gutting, boning, filleting, displaying, ...
. In December 2012, under the government policy he was ordered to leave the country as his visa had expired. He returned to Pakistan in December 2012, following which he originally intended to apply for a French visa, in order to release a new single. However, his management later stated he would return to the UK to promote his musical career with a new entry visa. His agent, Samir Ahmed, said: "He will be returning to Pakistan and will be celebrating New Year with his family. His return to the UK is pending approval of a working visa. We fully expect him to return in the coming weeks".
According to a 2016 article in the ''
New Statesman
''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
'', Nazir was declined a new visa to enter the UK because he violated the terms of his last visa by singing as a professional entertainer. A year after that he applied for another visa to try and appear in a film about his life, however it was also denied.
On his return to Pakistan, Nazir began delivering motivational speeches in universities across the country, alongside serving as a brand ambassador for PTCL. In 2013, Nazir released "Dabang Sher Aaya", a song written in support of
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani politician and businessman who served as the 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms, first serving from 1990 to 1993, then ...
's election campaign in Pakistan, which later became the
Pakistan Muslim League
The Pakistan Muslim League (; known as PML), is the name of several different Pakistani political parties that have dominated the centre-right platform in the country.
The ''Muslim League'' (the original successor of the All-India Muslim ...
's official party anthem. Another song, "Hum Sher Dil Hum Sher Jawan" was later released ahead of the Pakistani election on 25 July.
In September 2013, it was reported that an arrest warrant had been issued for Nazir in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
, in relation to a criminal complaint filed by Orix Leasing Company concerning an initial recovery suit of Rs.6.6 million, following an unpaid loan issued to Nazir's company Rajpoot Goods Transport in 2007. In 2008, a case had been registered against the company after it failed to deposit initial instalments of the loan. Nazir later negotiated a deal with Orix, agreeing to pay Rs.1.34 million through 11 cheques of Rs.94,000 each, however the cheques were found to be counterfeit. Nazir had previously failed to attend a court hearing surrounding the legal process, which led to his arrest in 2013. A further arrest warrant was later withdrawn following his assurance to observe court orders, with a hearing scheduled for 9 April 2014.