Azad (rapper)

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Azad
Azad after Show.JPG
Azad in 2006
Background information
Birth nameAzad Azadpour
Born (1973-11-24) 24 November 1973 (age 50)
Flag of Kurdistan.svg Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, Imperial State of Iran
Origin Frankfurt, Germany
Genres German hip hop
Years active1988–present
LabelsBozz Music
Website azad.de

Azad Azadpour (born 24 November 1973), known professionally by the mononym Azad, is a German rapper of Kurdish descent based in Frankfurt. [1] As one of the first German street rappers who become successful, he strongly influenced the German rap scene.

Contents

Career

Azad's logo Azad-logo.svg
Azad's logo

After having arrived in Germany from Sanandaj in Iranian Kurdistan at the young age of 10, he was into hip hop, rap, beatboxing, and graffiti. In 1988, he joined D-Flame (Daniel Kretschmer), A-Bomb, and Combad in Cold-N-Locco. The group was renamed Asiatic Warriors in 1990 and mixed songs in German, English, Persian and Kurdish and achieved great fame through signing with Ruff'n'Raw Label and the EP Told Ya!. Internal differences between the band members resulted in the Asiatic Warriors breaking up. [2]

In 1999, Azad signed as a solo artist with Pelham Power Productions. He became a sensation on the hip hop scene winning "Da Swing DJ Battle". The single "Napalm" followed by his self-produced solo album Leben and the follow-up album Faust des Nordwestens firmly established him as a successful artist and a cult figure.

Azad performing in 2001 Azad Azadpour aka Azad.jpg
Azad performing in 2001

In 2004, Azad founded his own production company "Bozz Music", [1] [3] the urban music wing of Universal Music. He formed the group Warheit together with Sezai, Lunafrow, Jeyz, and Chaker. Soon, a rivalry erupted between Azad and Bozz Music label on the one side and Aggro Berlin label on the other. This put Azad even more in the spotlight as the rivalry escalated.[ citation needed ]

Azad released his third studio album Der Bozz in 2004, reaching the German Albums Top 10 and outselling his first two albums by far. However, the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons slammed the album as too violent and a "danger to youth".[ citation needed ]

Oddly enough, Azad's biggest commercial success was a joint effort with German rapper Kool Savas in One, released via BMG and hitting the top 5 on the German Albums Chart. Game Over, his fourth album, reached number 8. He has released further albums but with relative success (Blockschrift in 2007, Azphalt Inferno, and Assassin both in 2009)

He is also known for his collaborations with various artists like Belarusian rapper Seryoga. [4]

Azad's German number 1 hit single is "Prison Break Anthem (Ich glaub' an dich)", featuring Adel Tawil of Ich + Ich. It is a German-language theme song for the popular American television series Prison Break broadcast with German voiceover on RTL. [5]

The follow up to his debut Leben, Leben II, was released on 15 January 2016. [6]

Discography

Albums

YearTitleChart positions
DE
[7]
AT
[8]
CH
[9]
2001Leben46
2003Faust des Nordwestens24
2004Der Bozz1066
2005One(with Kool Savas)53233
2006Game Over84828
2007Blockschrift375939
2009Azphalt Inferno245529
2009Assassin315227
2010Azphalt Inferno II185019
2016Leben II154
2017NXTLVL395
2019Der Bozz 22193
2020Goat84415

Singles

YearTitleChart positionsAlbum
DE
[7]
AT CH
2001NapalmLeben
Gegen den Strom
Leben
2003A65Faust des Nordwestens
Faust des Nordwestens
Mein Licht
2004Phoenix65 Der Bozz
Kopf hoch (feat. Jonesmann)57
2005Signal (J-Luv feat. Azad)52
Locked Up (Akon feat. Azad & Styles P.)15Trouble(Akon)
Monstershit (with Kool Savas)29One
All 4 One (with Kool Savas)42485
2006Guck My Man (with Kool Savas)27
Alarm48Game Over
Eines Tages (feat. Cassandra Steen)28
2 Kaiser (with Seryoga)85
2007 Prison Break Anthem (Ich glaub' an dich)
(feat. Adel Tawil)
11213Blockschrift
Zeit zu verstehen (This Can't Be Everything)
(feat. Gentleman)
3072
2008Alles Lügen/ Ghettobass74
On Top (with Kool Savas)78Tot oder Lebendig(Kool Savas)
2009Klagelied (wie lang) (with Tino Oac)92Assassin
2010Fly Away/Immer wenn es regnet (with Francisco & Kool Savas)Azphalt Inferno 2
2012Alle Mann (with J-Luv & DJ-Teddy-O)
2015Dreh' ab92Leben 2
RAP (with MoTrip)83
2016Triumph (with Kool Savas, Sido & Adesse)282831Essahdamus(Kool Savas)
2018Hände an der 9 (with Olexesh)94Rolexesh(Olexesh)
2019Dieser Weg77Der Bozz II
2020Headshot-Goat
Azzazzin-
My Eyes-
Zu wild (feat. Farid Bang)79

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References

  1. 1 2 "Azad - Fan Lexikon". www.fan-lexikon.de. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  2. "Azad". Azad – laut.de – Band (in German). laut.de. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. Official website of Bozz Music Archived 9 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Seryoga & Azad - 2 Kaiser (Video)". YouTube (in Russian). Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  5. Music video for "Ich Glaub an Dich"
  6. "Endlich: Azad veröffentlicht neues Album "Leben 3" im Januar!". RapUpdate - Immer auf dem neuesten Stand! (in German). RapUpdate. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Discographie Azad". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  8. "Discographie Azad". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  9. "Discographie Azad". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 28 August 2019.