Fard

Renowned for tackling issues such as poverty, xenophobia, and cultural differences, rapper of Iranian descent Fard is one of many figures on the German hip-hop scene inspired by an immigrant background. Growing up in the North-Rhine Westphalia city of Gladbeck, he began developing his MC skills at age ten and, after competing in various rap battles as a teenager, released his first mixtape, Blut, Schweiss, Tranen & Triumph, in 2006. Following 2008's Omerta and 2009's collaborative effort with Snaga (Talion), he teamed up with the likes of Kollegah, Summer Cem, and Farid Bang to record his debut solo album, Alter Ego, in 2010. A year later he troubled the German charts for the first time with his sophomore album, Invictus. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi