Eko Fresh

German rapper Eko Fresh rose to prominence under the guidance of hip-hop icon Kool Savas. Ekrem Bora, born to Turkish parents on September 3, 1983, in Mönchengladbach, Germany, dropped out of school during his teenage years to chase a music career and took a job at a shoe store for income. It was during those retail shifts that Bora first encountered Kool Savas, who went on to helm production for the 2001 Royal Bunker EP debut Jetzt Kommen Wir auf die Sachen. Eko Fresh joined forces with vocalist Valezka and Kool Savas to launch the Optik Records label, which put out the follow-up album König von Deutschland. The romantic relationship that developed between Eko Fresh and Valezka prompted Kool Savas to cut connections with both, sparking a prolonged rivalry between the former mentor and his former protégé. Eko Fresh promptly established his own imprint, German Dream, and secured a Sony BMG distribution agreement that enabled the 2003 album Ich Bin Jung und Brauche das Geld. Around the same period Kool Savas collaborated with American rap heavyweight 50 Cent on “Das Urteil,” a track that included Fitty’s pointed barb aimed at Eko Fresh: “You are now tuned in to my man Kool Savas/Optik boom/Destroy the German Dream, ya heard?” Eko Fresh answered with two 2004 projects, L.O.V.E. and Dünya Dönüyor: Die Welt Dreht Sich. Hart(z) IV arrived in 2006, and the Tupac-inspired Ekaveli followed the next year. From 2010 onward Eko Fresh entered a period of heightened output, issuing four albums across the subsequent three years. His 2013 release Eksodus achieved major commercial success, claiming the top spot on the German charts while landing inside the top ten in both Austria and Switzerland.