Casper (rapper)
Casper | |
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![]() Casper at the 2018 Splash! festival | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Benjamin Griffey[1] |
Born | 25 September 1982 Lemgo, West Germany (now Germany) |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 2003–present |
Labels | Four Music |
Benjamin Griffey (born 25 September 1982), better known by his stage name Casper, is a German and American rapper and singer signed to Sony Music.[2]
Early life
[edit]Casper was born in Lemgo in North Rhine-Westphalia to a German mother and an American father, Arlen Griffey, who was a soldier stationed in Lemgo.[3] His family moved to Augusta, Georgia, in the United States, when he was two weeks old, where he lived in a trailer park.[3][1] At the age of 11, he moved back to Germany and settled in Bielefeld with his mother and younger sister.[4] Despite his mother being German, he had not been raised bilingually and therefore struggled at school initially.[3]
Career
[edit]Casper was involved in many studio recordings with other German rappers, such as Abroo and Separate. Together they founded the hip-hop group Kinder des Zorns. In 2004, they released Rap Art War, their first and only album.
In 2006, he released a mixtape called Die Welt hört mich with the label 667 – One More Than the Devil. In the two years following the release of Die Welt hört mich, he toured through Germany, and on 9 May 2008, he released his first album, Hin zur Sonne via the 667 record label.
In February 2009, he left 667 Records and signed a contract with Selfmade Records. Together with Kollegah, Favorite and Shiml, who were also signed to Selfmade Records, they released Chronik 2 in April 2009.
In October 2010, Casper left Selfmade Records and signed a new contract with Four Music.[5] His second album, XOXO, was released on 8 July 2011.[2]
Casper is known for his slightly hoarse sounding voice: this was as a result of him having played in punk/hardcore bands in the early days of his music career which resulted in some damage to his vocal cords.[6]
Reception in the German rap scene
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Casper_at_Southside_Festival_2014_in_Neuhausen_ob_Eck.jpg/220px-Casper_at_Southside_Festival_2014_in_Neuhausen_ob_Eck.jpg)
Casper has often been labelled as an "emo rapper", which he also uses to describe himself, stating that he was fed up of being asked about his style.[7] His lyrics are mainly autobiographical, in particular in the song "Hin zur Sonne", describing his early life in America.
Discography
[edit]- Albums
- 2008: Hin zur Sonne
- 2011: XOXO
- 2013: Hinterland
- 2017: Lang lebe der Tod
- 2018: 1982 together with Marteria
- 2022: Alles war schön und nichts tat weh
- 2023: Nur Liebe, immer.
- Mixtapes
- 2006: Die Welt hört mich
- 2007: Exclusive Mixtape (online mixtape)
- EPs
- 2003: Grundstein
- 2011: Auf und davon - EP
- Freetracks
- 2006: Kann nicht verlieren
- 2006: Sie lieben mich jetzt
- 2007: Party wie die Rockstars
- 2008: Nie wieder (feat. Prinz Pi)
- 2011: Nie Wieder (Akustik Version) (feat. Prinz Pi)
- 2012: Nie Auf (with Cro feat. Timid Tiger)
- 2012: Halbe Mille
- Collaborations
- 2004: Rap Art War (Kinder des Zorns album)
- 2009: Chronik 2 - sampler with Kollegah, Shiml and Favorite
- 2018: 1982 - album with Marteria
- Singles
- 2009: Herz aus Holz 2009
- 2009: Mittelfinger hoch feat. Kollegah, Shiml and Favorite
- 2011: So perfekt
- 2011: Michael X
- 2011: Auf und davon
- 2013: Im Ascheregen
- 2013: Hinterland
- 2013: Jambalaya
- 2014: Alles endet (aber nie die Musik)
- 2016: Lang lebe der Tod feat. Blixa Bargeld, Dagobert & Sizarr
- 2017: Keine Angst feat. Drangsal
- 2017: Alles ist erleuchtet
- 2018: Champion Sound with Marteria
- 2018: Supernova with Marteria
- 2018: Chardonnay & Purple Haze with Marteria
Trivia
[edit]- Casper is a fan of the football club Arminia Bielefeld. His song "Eines Tages" is dedicated to Arminia Bielefeld.[8][9]
- In the 1LIVE Schulduell (School duel), the winning school, Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium in Düsseldorf, won an exclusive concert with Casper.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "DER EMO-RAPPER KOMMT". (German). einslive.de. Retrieved 29 July 2012
- ^ a b "Casper signt bei Four Music". (German). hiphop.de. Retrieved 29 July 2012
- ^ a b c "Casper Interview". (German). juice.de. Retrieved 29 July 2012
- ^ "Casper - Interview". (German). allschools.de. Retrieved 29 July 2012
- ^ "Casper nun offiziell bei FOUR Music". (German). rap4fame.de. Retrieved 29 July 2012
- ^ "Casper-Interview@zdf@bauhaus 2012". (German). YouTube. Retrieved 29 July 2012
- ^ "Casper - Interview mit dem 'Emo-Rapper'". (German). burnyourears.de. Retrieved 29 July 2012
- ^ "11 Freunde Interview". (German). 11freunde.de. Retrieved 9 November 2012
- ^ "NW Interview". (German). nw-news.de. Retrieved 9 November 2012
- ^ "1LIVE SCHULDUELL 2012". (German). einslive.de. Retrieved 29 July 2012