GIMMA

Gimma emerged as a leading voice among Swiss dialect rappers when his 2006 single “Hymna” reached the national Top Ten, lifting his fourth album I Gega d’Schwiiz into widespread attention. Beyond solo work, he participates in the collective OBK and maintains ties to the Bauers crew, whose roster also features Luut & Tüütli, X-Chaibä, Breitbild, and Sektion Kuchikäschtli. Born Gian-Marco Schmid in Chur, Graubünden, Switzerland, he confronted multiple psychological challenges during adolescence, notably substance dependency and the separation of his parents. These experiences inform the frequently humorous yet occasionally provocative Swiss-German lyrics that define his style. His first recordings appeared in the late 1990s alongside the group TAO, and he issued his initial solo project, Droga, Sex, Gwalt, Rap, in 2001. Subsequent releases Wissa Müll in 2003 and Mis Leba Isch So Scheisse in 2005 achieved only modest notice. The breakthrough arrived with I Gega d’Schwiiz, whose additional singles “Superschwiizer” and “Iisziit” further expanded his reach. His 2007 album Panzer became his biggest commercial success, attaining a number-six peak on the Swiss albums chart and yielding the tracks “Links, Rechts,” “Hol dr an Politiker,” and “Chef vo dr Schwiiz.” The following record, Hippie, appeared in 2009, matched that level of popularity, and featured the single “Iar Sind Alles Hippies.”