Kollegah

Kollegah, born Felix Martin Andreas Matthias Blume on August 3, 1984, in Friedberg, Germany, is a prominent rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur who helped shape the landscape of German hip-hop. Raised by a single mother in Simmern, he found solace in music at a young age and converted to Islam at 15, influenced by his Algerian stepfather. His lyrical talent began to shine in the early 2000s through online rap battles on the Reimliga Battle Arena (RBA), where he gained recognition for his sharp wordplay and complex rhyme schemes.

In 2005, Kollegah dropped his first mixtape, Zuhältertape, which led to a deal with Selfmade Records. He quickly followed up with albums like Alphagene (2007), Kollegah (2008), and Bossaura (2011), establishing a unique style that merged gangsta rap with intellectual, layered lyrics. His 2014 album King was a massive success, topping charts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and going platinum in Germany.

A key chapter of his career involved collaborations with fellow rapper Farid Bang, especially the Jung, brutal, gutaussehend series, which further cemented his status in the scene. Not just a musician, Kollegah also launched his own label, Alpha Music Empire, and the fashion brand Deus Maximus, extending his influence beyond music.

In 2024, after a two-decade run, he announced his retirement with the release of his final album Still King. Love him or hate him, Kollegah remains one of the most technically gifted and controversial figures in German rap history.