Samy Deluxe

All Music Guide:

German rapper and producer Samy Deluxe earned media comparison to American superstar Jay-Z for his eloquent and imaginative rhymes. Born Samuel Sorge in Hamburg on December 19, 1977, he discovered hip hop as a teenager, finding it the perfect outlet for his angst and frustration. After a stint with the No Nonsens collective, in 1997 Deluxe (aka Sam Semlia, Wickeda MC, and the Big Baus of the Nauf) began recording for Jan Eißfeldt's Eimsbush label, issuing a series of mixtapes as well as several recordings as a member of the trio Dynamite Deluxe. His breakthrough effort was 2000's "Füchse," a collaboration with the group Absolute Beginner, followed a year later by the release of his first full-length LP, a self-titled release credited to Samy Deluxe. In 2003 he resurfaced alongside rapper Afrob as ASD, releasing the album Wer Hätte das Gedacht? The solo Verdammtnochma! appeared a year later, in conjunction with Deluxe's guest appearance on the Christina Milian hit "Dip It Low." After forming his own Deluxe Records label in 2005, the rapper followed a clutch of singles and mixtapes with the full-length Splash Exclusive.

Wikipedia:

Samy Sorge (born 19 December 1977), commonly known as Samy Deluxe, Wickeda MC or Sam Semillia is a German rapper, and hip hop artist from Hamburg. He is one of Germany's most successful solo rap musicians and also releases albums as a member of two separate groups, Dynamite Deluxe (with DJ Dynamite aka Joni Rewind and Tropf) and ASD (with Afrob). He was the founder of record label Deluxe Records, which exist from 2003 to 2009.

Youth and early life

As his Sudanese father left Germany when Samy Deluxe was just two years old, Samy grew up with his mother's family. His half-sister was born shortly after his father left. The family lived in Barmbek for many years, then moved to Eppendorf, a better-off part of Hamburg, where he attended the Wolfgang-Borchert-Schule and attained the Realschulabschluss.

Music career

1996-2000: First experiences and Deluxe Soundsystem

At the beginning of his career Samy Deluxe rapped in English. Eventually he also became known for his singing and rapping in German. He founded the duo "No Nonsens" with DJ Dynamite, where he gained his first experience on-stage. The duo had some minor performances at the Hamburg airport. After the duo split up, Samy Deluxe was supported by Jan Eißfeldt (better known as Jan Delay), member of hip-hop group Absolute Beginner (later known as Beginner) and founder of record label Eimsbush Entertainment, to continue his stage performance.

In 1997, Samy Deluxe founded Dynamite Deluxe with partners DJ Dynamite and Tropf, and the group produced and released a demo tape on Eimsbush Entertainment. Absolute Beginner featured Samy Deluxe on their 1999 single "Füchse" from their album Bambule (1998). The success of Deluxe Soundsystem by Dynamite Deluxe and the following live performances at the festivals Splash and Flash brought Samy Deluxe into the public eye.

2001-2003: Debut album and rise to fame

In 2001, Samy Deluxe released his self tilted debut album, which ranked #2 in the German Album Charts for the 19th calendar week of 2001. The first single from the album, "Hab' gehört...", ranked #26. However, the second single, "Internetional Love", failed to enter the charts. The final single, "Weck mich auf", peaked at #4 in Germany, becoming a national hit and the album's most successful single. Following the success of his solo debut, Samy Deluxe became a highly acclaimed hip hop artist in German rap and internationally.

In 2003, Samy Deluxe founded the rap duo ASD with fellow rapper Afrob. They released their debut Wer hätte das gedacht. The lead single from the album, "Sneak Preview", ranked successfully on the German charts. Most of the beats on this album came from American producers, including J Dilla, Diamond D and Waajeed.

2004: Verdammtnochma!

In August 2004, Samy Deluxe released his second solo album, Verdammtnochma!. The album peaked at number 2 on the German album-charts shortly thereafter and stayed for three weeks in the Top 10. In the same year, he was featured on the German remix of "Dip It Low" by American singer Christina Milian, which was an commercial success.

Musical style

Samy Deluxe is famous for his flow. Audacious and eloquent, he initially chose an aggressive style, based on imaginative use of metaphors, complex overlapping rhymes and his own melodic flow. For this reason, he is sometimes called the "German Jay-Z". He favors constructing constantly changing pictures rather than telling long stories. This has caused some critics to find fault with his lyrical style.

Business ventures

In 2006 designed Samy Deluxe in collaboration with Reebok a sneaker and a cap with New Era Cap Company. On the cover of his mixtape Deluxe von Kopf bis Fuß, he worn for him designed clothes. In 2007 followed two more sneakers until 2008; as total result were four Reeboks sneakers developed of the Samy Deluxe series.

Awards

PEWF!

Literary works