Kontra K

Born in Berlin as Maximillian Diehn on July 3, 1987, chart-topping German rapper Kontra K was a frequent troublemaker who left school at 16, enjoyed rapping in the same American gangster rap style as his idols, and later found a passion for kickboxing. Launching his career as a member of the rap duo VollKontakt with Kiezspezial, he was signed to Kaisa's label Hell Raisa and made his name as an aggressive, confrontational voice on his first mixtape, Fight Club. He went on to found DePeka Records with fellow rap entrepreneurs Skinny Al and Fatal, and established his unique mix of razor-sharp put-downs and industrial dubstep beats on the solo EP Chrome & Crime and his debut album, Dobermann, in 2012.

As his career continued, his aggressive sound gave way to themes of aspiration, survival, and pride, with Kontra K billing himself as a kid from the ghetto shooting for the stars on his 2015 breakthrough album, Aus Dem Schatten Ins Licht. The follow-up albums Labyrinth (2016), Gute Nacht (2017), and Erde und Knochen (2018) all topped the German charts, and Kontra's mix of positive-minded rap-rock and dance influences made him a big draw at festivals across Europe. After launching a new label, Tag1er Records, and contributing the track "Power" to the video game Need for Speed, Kontra K topped the charts once again with 2020's Vollmond, a double-album whose hits included "Tiefschwarz" and "Sirenen."