Kollegah

Also known under the guises of T.O.N.I. and Der Boss, Kollegah's rhythmic and humorous "pimp rap" sound has seen him emerge as one of most inventive talents on the German hip-hop scene. Born Felix Antoine Blume to a Canadian father and German mother in Friedberg, Hesse, in 1984, he began competing in various rap battles from a young age, and following stints working for a bus company and as a translator, he signed to Selfmade Records in 2005. After releasing mixtapes Zuhältertape X-Mas Edition and Boss der Bosse, his debut studio album, Alphagene, was issued in 2007, and was quickly followed by 2008's self-titled sophomore outing. In 2009, he became involved in a public feud with several artists from the influential Aggro Berlin label and collaborated with Düsseldorf rapper Farid Bang on the joint album Jung Brutal Gutaussehend. While studying for a law degree at Johannes Gutenberg University, he released his third effort, Bossaura, in 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi