RAF Camora

Although born in the Swiss town of Vevey during June 1984, Berlin-based rapper RAF Camora achieved his greatest commercial breakthroughs in Germany. Raphael Ragucci, the name given to him by his Italian mother and Austrian father, began absorbing hip-hop during his early teenage years in Austria and initially delivered rhymes in French. He participated in several local crews such as Rapatoi, French Connection, and Assaut Mystik. His first recording, the 2006 project Skandal issued with Emirez under the alias Raf0Mic, also bore his production credit. Demand for his beats soon led to work on Austrian rapper Chakuza’s debut album City Cobra, released in 2007. Camora’s own introductory mixtape, Therapie Von Dem Album, arrived the next year, followed in 2009 by the studio debut Nächster Stopp Zukunft. Two further 2010 releases—the mixtape Therapie Nacht Dem Album and the joint effort Artkore with Austrian MC Nazar—preceded his 2011 announcement that he would henceforth record as RAF 3.0 to accommodate an expanded palette that now embraced dancehall and reggae alongside hip-hop. The 2012 album RAF 3.0 became his first to reach the Austrian and German charts, peaking at number five and number seven respectively. Its 2013 successor, Hoch 2, issued on his own Indipendenza imprint, topped the German listings while also registering in Switzerland and Austria. After additional guest appearances, Camora rejoined Chakuza for the 2014 collaborative album Zodiak and simultaneously reinstated his original RAF Camora moniker. In 2016 he paired with Bonez MC for Palmen Aus Plastik before issuing his fourth solo studio album, Ghøst.