Kelvyn Colt

Last updated

Kelvyn Benbella Ajala, (born January 23, 1994, in Fulda, Hesse), is known by his stage name Kelvyn Colt. He is a German-Nigerian rapper, musician, songwriter, model, and entrepreneur.

Contents

Life

Colt was born in 1994 as Kelvyn Benbella Ajala in Fulda, Hesse, Germany, as the son of Daniela Ajala, an office manager, and Pedro Ajala, a supervisor at Frankfurt Airport. In 2000, the family moved to Wiesbaden, a city known primarily for its large US military base. Colt started studying law at the law faculty of the European Business School in Wiesbaden in 2013. [1]

Shortly after, Ajala dropped out of law school and moved to the United Kingdom to study business administration. He completed his studies with a Bachelor of Science with honors at the University of Buckingham. [2] Colt's music career had previously started in his bedroom [3] and led him to his first casting in the role of Romeo in the KiKa television series "Romeo feat. Juliette" in 2014. [4]

Career

2015-2016: First independent releases

In 2015, Colt released his first independent tracks, "Narcotic" and "Traded For You," which caught the attention of the YouTube platform Colors, founded around the same time. In collaboration with Colors, he performed a freestyle to Hucci & Stooki Sounds' "Ball So Hard" on the channel, which became the first viral hit in Germany, with over 2 million views, bringing both Colors and Colt significant attention. [3] This helped establish Colt as an artist on various music platforms, including Vice's Noisey, which referred to him as "our new hope in hip-hop", [5] and the German Vogue, which described Colt as the "future of hip-hop". [6]

2016-2020: Collaboration with Sony Music Germany

In December 2016, Colt signed his contract with Four Music, a subsidiary of Sony Music Germany. After sold-out shows in London, Colt began traveling between Berlin, London, Paris, and Los Angeles for recording sessions, gigs, and shoots. He toured with hip-hop colleagues such as RIN, Gashi, Ocean Wisdom, and Chase Atlantic. [7]

In 2017, Colt released his first project with Sony, the five-track EP "LH914," named after the one-way ticket he arrived in London with a few years prior. [8] Colt then performed "Bury Me Alive" in his second collaboration with the music platform Colors, leading the track to become a viral hit with several million views in the first weeks after its release. In 2019, his song "Bury Me Alive" appeared on the soundtrack of the Netflix series "Wu Assassins," reaching the top of the American Shazam trend charts. [9]

Colt released another EP titled "Mind of Colt, Pt. 1" under Sony Music Germany in 2018 and two singles in 2019. His European tour in the same year was sold out. [2] He also performed at the annual established arts and media event SXSW and became the first German rap artist to tour China. [10]

2020-present: Independent career with TBHG Records

In early 2020, Colt parted ways with Sony after securing the rights to his entire music catalog to establish his own independent record label. [11] [12] In September 2020, Colt announced his collaboration with Mercedes-Benz and became the face of the "EQC" project. [13] As part of the collaboration, the single "BENZ | I Know" was released, which remains Colt's most well-known single to date<. [14] The accompanying video was released on the Mercedes-Benz YouTube channel. [15]

In 2021, Colt independently released his first EP, "Love Before Death". He also released the collaborative single "No One" with wavvyboi, which brought attention to the breaking of traditional gender roles in society through a collaboration with About You and Levi's. [16] Another song, "Emotions", was released in the same year.

After releasing three standalone singles, "INTO THE LIGHT," "Hot Girl Summer," and "Problem, Yeah I Know," in 2022, Colt started off 2023 with the release of his new EP "GERMAN ANGST," which garnered media attention through a protest march for mental health in Berlin. [17] In May 2023, Colt appeared as a guest on the ZDFNeo show "Studio Schmitt," where he discussed his career path, cultural differences in international hip-hop, and his experiences in the music industry, while also premiering his single "RAGE" on German television. [18] In July 2023, Kelvyn Colt also appeared on the ARD show "ttt – titel, thesen, temperamente," where he reflected on his career and discussed the societal influences of "GERMAN ANGST". [19] In the same year, Colt began a collaboration with US based distribution and publishing company Create Music Group, through which he released the singles "RAGE" and "ENORMOUS" in joint collaboration. [20] [21]

Artistic vision and international collaborations

Kelvyn Colt's lyrics touch on various social and socio-critical topics, like mental health, self-care and his view on masculinity. [22] Apart from his music, Colt is artistically involved in various other forms as a multi-sensory artist. He conceptualizes and directs his own music videos, [23] designs his own merchandise, and creates custom fragrances for the venues of his live shows. [24] The artist is also known for his sense of fashion and has collaborated with luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, [25] Cartier, [26] and more in the past.

Discography

EPs and Mixtapes

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bizarre (rapper)</span> American rapper

Rufus Johnson, better known by his stage name Bizarre, is an American rapper, best known for his work with the Detroit-based hip hop group D12.

Labinot Gashi, known mononymously as Gashi, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Quiett</span> South Korean rapper

Shin Dong-gab, better known by his stage name The Quiett, is a South Korean rapper, composer, lyricist and record producer. He is widely known within the South Korean hip hop community for founding several major hip hop record labels, including co-founding record labels Soul Company in 2004, Illionaire Records in 2011, and Ambition Musik in 2016, the latter two with fellow rapper Dok2. He founded label Daytona Entertainment in 2020 and has remained since after Illionaire Records closed its doors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casper (rapper)</span> Musical artist

Benjamin Griffey, better known by his stage name Casper, is a German and American rapper signed to Sony Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiphop Tamizha</span> Indian musical duo

Hiphop Tamizha is an Indian musical duo based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The duo consists of Rangadhithya "Adhi" Ramachandran Venkatapathy and R. Jeeva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shindy</span> German rapper

Michael Schindler, better known by his stage name Shindy, is a German rapper. He is currently signed to record label Sony Music Entertainment after leaving Friends with Money and ersguterjunge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bia (rapper)</span> American rapper and singer (born 1991)

Bianca Miquela Landrau, known professionally as Bia, is an American rapper and singer who debuted on the Oxygen reality television series Sisterhood of Hip Hop. She signed to Pharrell's I Am Other record label, in partnership with RCA Records in 2014. Her first EP, Nice Girls Finish Last: Cuidado, was released in 2018. She is best recognized for featuring on the 2016 single "Safari" by J Balvin and "Best on Earth" by Russ in 2019. In early 2020, Bia signed a new record deal with Epic Records, releasing her second EP, For Certain, on December 11, 2020. The EP spawned the single "Whole Lotta Money", which later was released as a remix featuring Nicki Minaj and reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tee Grizzley</span> American rapper (born 1994)

Terry Sanchez Wallace Jr., known professionally as Tee Grizzley, is an American rapper. He first began posting music online in 2011; following a two year prison sentence, he released the song "First Day Out" in 2016. The song quickly gained viral status—earning two million views on YouTube in under three weeks—due to a social media challenge enacted by basketball player LeBron James, when it was soon re-released commercially by 300 Entertainment and reached the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. It was followed by his debut mixtape My Moment (2017), as well as his follow up single "From the D to the A", which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His collaborative mixtape with Lil Durk—Bloodas (2018)—preceded the release of his debut studio album, Activated (2018).

Simmie Sims III, known professionally as Buddy, is an American rapper, singer, and dancer. Previously on the I Am Other label, he is now signed to Cool Lil Company and RCA Records. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with JID, Smino and Guapdad 4000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezhel</span> Turkish rapper

Sercan İpekçioğlu, better known by his stage name Ezhel is a Turkish rapper singer whose music blends trap, hip hop and reggae. His song "AYA" has been streamed more than 80 million times on Spotify. He has been given the title "Freestyle King" by Hip Hop Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Bra</span> German rapper

Vladislav Balovatsky, known professionally as Capital Bra, is a German rapper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Bra discography</span>

German rapper Capital Bra has released eight studio albums, four extended plays (EPs) and seventy singles. In 2016, he premiered his first studio album Kuku Bra which debuted at number 32 on the German and at number 61 on the Austrian album charts. In February 2017, Capital Bra released his second studio album Makarov Komplex which peaked within the top five in Austria, Germany and in Switzerland, spawning four singles of which "Es geht ums Geschäft" entered the charts at number 76 in Germany. The limited box set of Makarov Komplex included his first EP Oh Kolleg. In May of the same year, he distributed his second EP Ibrakadabra to minor commercial success in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mero (rapper)</span> German rapper of Turkish descent

Enes Meral, better known by his stage name Mero, is a German-Turkish rapper. He rose to prominence in 2018 on Instagram and his debut single "Baller los", which debuted at the top of the German and Austrian single charts. His follow-up singles "Hobby Hobby" and "Wolke 10" also topped the German and Austrian charts. In 2019, he was featured in the hits "Ferrari" by Eno and in "Kein Plan" by Loredana both topping the German chart. Mero has released three albums: Ya Hero Ya Mero and Unikat in 2019 and Seele in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luciano (rapper)</span> Musical artist

Luciano is a German rapper of Mozambican descent from Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apache 207</span> German rapper

Volkan Yaman, known professionally as Apache 207, is a German rapper from Ludwigshafen. He became best known for his breakthrough hit "Roller" in August 2019, which would be the first of several more Top 10 hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaqbonez</span> Nigerian rapper and singer (born 1996)

Emeka Akumefule, known professionally as Blaqbonez, is a Nigerian rapper and singer signed to Chocolate City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loredana Zefi</span> Swiss-born rapper (born 1995)

Loredana Zefi, also known mononymously as Loredana, is a Swiss-born Kosovo Albanian rapper. Her debut single, "Sonnenbrille", was a commercial success in Albania and German-speaking Europe, and received two gold certifications in Austria and Germany. In September 2018, Loredana signed with German subsidiary of Sony Music and released the commercially successful single "Bonnie & Clyde" with husband Mozzik. Her debut studio album, King Lori, followed in September 2019 and reached the top three in the latter countries and Switzerland. It featured several successful singles, including "Eiskalt", "Genick", "Jetzt rufst du an", as well as the rapper's first number-one single in Germany, "Kein Plan".

Thomas MacDonald is a Canadian rapper, songwriter, and former professional wrestler. He first rose to prominence with the release of his 2017 debut single "Dear Rappers". His 2021 single, "Fake Woke" marked his first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2024 single, "Facts" peaked at number 1 on the chart for 10 days. He is known for his extensive tattoos and political lyrics, which often employ anti-establishment rhetoric and criticize "woke culture".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roshelle</span> Italian singer-songwriter

Rossella Discolo, best known as Roshelle, is an Italian singer-songwriter.

References

  1. ↑ Ajala, Kelvyn. "LinkedIn" . Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "FROM WIESBADEN WITH LOVE". Forbes (in German). 2019-06-27. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  3. 1 2 Dazed (2023-03-17). "Kelvyn Colt: 'I want to do more than be a rapper'". Dazed. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  4. ↑ "Rap und Hip-Hop: Schüler tanzen Romeo und Julia in Freiburg". Der Spiegel (in German). 2012-07-22. ISSN   2195-1349 . Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  5. ↑ Damsch, Nina (2016-07-04). "London und Berlin haben ein Kind gezeugt: Kelvyn Colt, unsere neue Hoffnung im HipHop". Vice (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  6. ↑ "Kelvyn Colt ist die (deutsche) Zukunft des Hip Hop". Vogue Germany (in German). 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  7. ↑ "Ljubav Open Air: Die Special Guests von RINs Festival stehen fest". Hiphop.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  8. ↑ "Kosmopolit mit Anliegen - Wiesbadener Rapper Kelvyn Colt für New Music Award nominiert". sensor Magazin - Wiesbaden - Fühle deine Stadt (in German). 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  9. ↑ "Deutscher Rapper Kelvyn Colt rockt Shazam-Trends in den USA". Hiphop.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  10. ↑ "Kelvyn Colt". SXSW 2023 Schedule. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  11. ↑ "Kelvyn Colt kauft sich aus Major-Deal raus". Hiphop.de (in German). 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  12. ↑ Colt, Kelvyn (2020-03-24). "I Left Sony Music with My Entire Catalog. Here's Why". DJBooth. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  13. ↑ "Kelvyn Colt im Mercedes-Benz EQC: "Mein Job ist mein Leben."". www.mercedes-benz.com (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  14. ↑ "Kelvyn Colt". Spotify. 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  15. ↑ Kelvyn Colt "BENZ | I Know" – Official Video , retrieved 2023-07-20
  16. ↑ Philippe, Yannick (2021-08-20). "wavvyboi und Kelvyn Colt releasen die gemeinsame Single "no one"". The Postie (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  17. ↑ "Kelvyn Colt mit Demo gegen "German Angst"". www1.wdr.de (in German). 2023-01-13. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  18. ↑ "Studio Schmitt vom 4. Mai mit Kelvyn Colt". www.zdf.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  19. ↑ "Kelvyn Colt startet durch - ttt – titel, thesen, temperamente - ARD | Das Erste". www.daserste.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  20. ↑ RAGE, 2023-05-04, retrieved 2023-07-18
  21. ↑ ENORMOUS, 2023-06-02, retrieved 2023-07-18
  22. ↑ Cattermole, Liam (2023-04-21). "For Kelvyn Colt, Humanity Is The Motivator". Notion. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  23. ↑ Cole, Sam. "Watch Kelvyn Colt's New Self-Directed Video For "Savage"". Complex. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  24. ↑ Woods, Thomas (2023-05-31). "Cover Story- PAUSE Meets: Kelvyn Colt". PAUSE Online | Men's Fashion, Street Style, Fashion News & Streetwear. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  25. ↑ MusikWoche, jk. "Kelvyn Colt macht mit Sony Music Mode für Louis Vuitton". www.musikwoche.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  26. ↑ "Iconic Moments". VOGUE (in German). 2022-08-01. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.