Fard

Issues of poverty, xenophobia, and cultural differences define the work of Iranian-born rapper Fard, whose immigrant background places him among numerous contributors to the German hip-hop scene. His formative years unfolded in Gladbeck, a North-Rhine Westphalia city, where MC skills first emerged at age ten; after entering multiple rap battles during his teens, he issued the 2006 mixtape Blut, Schweiss, Tränen & Triumph. Omerta surfaced in 2008, followed in 2009 by the joint release Talion with Snaga. The 2010 debut solo album Alter Ego brought together Kollegah, Summer Cem, and Farid Bang. His sophomore album Invictus arrived a year later and registered his first German chart impact, while the third album Bellum et Pax, released in 2013, reached a career-best position of number three on those same charts.