Bushido (rapper)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bushido

Background information
Birth name Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi
Also known as Sonny Black
Born September 28, 1978 (1978-09-28) (age 29)
Origin Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany
Genre(s) German rap
Occupation(s) Rapper,
entertainer,
entrepreneur
Years active 1998 to present
Label(s) ersguterjunge (Sony BMG)
Associated acts Baba Saad, Eko Fresh, Chakuza
Website http://www.kingbushido.de

Bushido (born Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi, September 28, 1978 in Bonn, Germany), is a German rapper whose style is strongly influenced by arabian culture andGangsta rap. He also uses the pseudonym Sonny Black.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Bushido was born to a Tunisian father, whom he first came to know at the age of 26, and a German mother, with whom he grew up in the Tempelhof district of former West Berlin. He left school early, the German Gymnasium, and accumulated a criminal record for drug possession and vandalism. A judge ordered him to attend vocational training as a painter or face a jail term. During this training he met future Aggro Berlin partner Fler.

[edit] Musical career

In 1999 he began his musical career as a rapper. His first release was on the Frauenarzt-Tape with King Orgasmus One for "I Luv Money Records". Soon he released his first tape King of KingZ. This led to him moving to a new label Aggro Berlin, where he worked with Sido, B-Tight, and Fler. The album was later released on CD in 2003 as King of KingZ (Digital Remastered) and in 2004 as the King of KingZ 2004 Edition with some remixes. In 2002 he released the album Carlo, Cokxxx, Nutten under his pseudonym, Sonny Black (arguably in the same manner as Eminem), in which he worked with Fler. The name would appear to be a nod towards his American musical influence; in that country, Sonny Black was the mafia nickname of notorious Bonanno crime family mobster Dominick Napolitano. In 2003 he released the solo album Vom Bordstein bis zur Skyline. It was an enormous success for what was still basically an underground release. Because of artistic differences regarding his future solo career, he left his label, Aggro Berlin, in the summer of 2004 and was taken under contract by Urban/Universal. In 2004, together with DJ Ilan, he produced a remix of the industrial metal group Rammstein's song Amerika. In October 2004 he released his third album Electro Ghetto which reached number six on the German charts. On April 4, 2005 he released his fourth LP in two and half years, Carlo, Cokxxx, Nutten 2, once again using his alter ego Sonny Black and working with Baba Saad (his cousin) in replacement of Fler. At the beginning of September, his new LP was released. The name of it is Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück. It contains no features and the Singles are: Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück (which was released at the 18th of August), Sonnenbank Flavour (which was released at the 27th of October) and Janine (which released at the 9th of February). The Sampler "Vendetta" was released the 1st of December. It features artists who are signed to his Label "ersguterjunge". The only single of the Sampler is called "Vendetta" and features Bushido, Eko Fresh and Chakuza.

In the winter of 2004/2005, he played a central role in a dispute with the rapper Eko Fresh and also made the song "FLERräter" against his former colleague at Aggro Berlin Fler (a play on the word Verräter, which means traitor).

Bushido won an ECHO(German music award) as the "Best Live Act" and a MTV Europe Music Award in the category 'Best German Act' in both 2006 and 2007. In 2007 he won another ECHO-award as best hip hop/rap artist. His albums have earned platinum status in Germany, making him the most successful rapper ever in his homeland.

Bushido's admirers include both immigrants and Germans, which has drawn caution and criticism in Germany. He is often criticized in the media for his allegedly sexist, nationalist and racist lyrics and for refusing to reject some of his controversial fans.

In the past, Bushido has made sexual comments and insinuations regarding Tokio Hotel lead singer Bill Kaulitz. However, he has since apologized and Tokio Hotel and Bushido have a very amicable relationship. During awards-voting times, Bushido has encouraged his fans to vote for Tokio Hotel, and they have supported each other artistically. Though Bushido has mentioned hoping to collabourate musically with the band in the future, nothing is set.

All genres of music has always been an expressive outlet for people across ethnic lines; primarily the unprivileged in the United States. However, in the beginning German hip hop fans gravitated toward this "foreign" form of expression and related towards their oppression as citizens of a communist dictatorship. This may give reason or parallel between the United States and it's macho persona in rap/hip-hop music and Bushido's image or glorification of so-called Gangsta Rap.[1] [2] However, some point to his partial North African ethnicity and collaboration with minority artists, like Azad, Eko Fresh, and Cassandra Steen, as evidence Bushido is not racist. The Controversy was magnified by the line: "salutiert, steht stramm, ich bin der Leader wie A" (salute, stand to attention, I am the leader like A). The A is interpreted by many as referring to Adolf Hitler. According to Bushido "salutiert, steht stramm, ich bin der Leader" is a citation from a rap by Azad and A stands for Azad, who often calls himself A. Bushido also called this a "welcome chance to provoke" ("eine willkommene Provokationsmöglichkeit").[3]

More legal trouble found its way into his life following a party in Linz, Austria on July 30, 2005. Upon discovery that his tires had been slashed, he and two of his bodyguards were involved in a physical altercation with a 19 year old Austrian male from Linz, who was left with severe head injuries. Bushido blames the victim for damaging all tires of his BMW 7 Series. Bushido spent 15 days (August 3rd-18th) in jail before being released on €100,000 bail. He ended up paying 20,000 Euro to the Austrian government and another 1,000 Euro to the victim. It was during this time that it became publicly known that Bushido had been married for several years when the judge questioned him on the topic. Bushido later denies the claims of his marriage.

Bushido also garnered some press coverage when his record company, Universal Music Group, sued EMI over an alleged copyright violation that derived from similarities between the cover of Deutschland Gib Mir Ein Mic and Music Is My Savior, an album by American rapper MIMS.[4]

The album, "7" was released on August 31st, 2007 in Germany. As of August 24th, "7" has already pre-sold 100,000 copies in Germany, making it a gold record. [5]

In 2007, Bushido earned more international press coverage when he was threatened with legal action by the symphonic metal band Dimmu Borgir, who claimed that Bushido had sampled two of their songs without permission - "Mourning Palace" and "Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen". The Bushido songs named were "Mittelfingah" and "Engel". Dimmu Borgir's manager was quoted as saying that '...since we were not contacted by Bushido through proper channels and told about his desire to do this, it is clear that Bushido has seriously infringed our intellectual property rights.' No case has yet been brought.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Solo albums

Year Title Chart Positions Sales IFPI Certifications
GER AUT SWI
1998 030 (with King Orgasmus & Vader)
1999 Demotape
2001 King of KingZ
2003 Vom Bordstein bis zur Skyline 88
2004 Electro Ghetto 6 Gold
2005 Staatsfeind Nr. 1 4 Gold
2006 Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück 2 2 15 Gold/Platinum
2007 7 1 1 2 Gold/Platinum
Das Beste 26 30 69

[edit] Compilation albums

Year Title Artists Chart Positions Sales IFPI Certifications
GER AUT SWI
2002 Carlo, Cokxxx, Nutten Sonny Black & Frank White
Aggro Ansage Nr. 1 ("Aggro Announcement No. 1") Sido, Bushido & B-Tight
2003 Aggro Ansage Nr. 2
Aggro Ansage Nr. 3
2005 Carlo, Cokxxx, Nutten 2 Sonny Black & Baba Saad
2006 Ersguterjunge Sampler Vol. 1 - Nemesis Various Artists
Ersguterjunge Sampler Vol. 2 - Vendetta
2007 Ersguterjunge Sampler Vol. 3 - Alles Gute kommt von unten

[edit] Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
GER AUT SWI POL FIN NED EU
2004 "Electro Ghetto" 31 Electro Ghetto
"Nie wieder" 53
2005 "Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt" (feat. Cassandra Steen) 29
"Schmetterling"
"Nie ein Rapper" (aka Sonny Black with Baba Saad) 24 Carlo, Cokxxx, Nutten 2
"Worldwide" 49
"Endgegner" 13 Staatsfeind Nr. 1
2006 "Augenblick" 17
"Gheddo" (Eko Fresh feat. Bushido) 15
Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück" 14 Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück
"Sonnenbank Flavour" 15
"Vendetta" (with Chakuza & Eko Fresh) 32 Ersguterjunge Sampler Vol. 2 - Vendetta
2007 "Janine" 23 Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück
"Eure Kinder" (Chakuza feat. Bushido) 25 City Cobra
"Alles Verloren!" 4 7
"Reich mir nicht deine Hand" 23
2008 "Regen" (Saad feat. Bushido) 67 Saadcore
2008 "Unter der Sonne" (Chakuza feat. Bushido) 43 Unter der Sonne

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Brown, Timothy. ‘Keepin it Real’ in a Different ‘Hood: (African-) Americanization and Hip Hop in Germany.
  2. ^ Hip hop in Germany : Nomadic Wax
  3. ^ September 2005 interview in Welt Online [1]
  4. ^ Universal lawsuit against EMI[2]
  5. ^ Kingbushido.de News for 24.08.07 [3]

[edit] External links