Thomas Dürr, known by his stage name Thomas D, was born on December 30, 1968 in Ditzingen. He is a German rapper, singer, producer and member of the hip-hop group Die Fantastischen Vier. The band was founded in Stuttgart in 1989. In addition to Thomas Dürr, other members include Michael Beck, Andreas Rieke and Michael Schmidt. Thomas D is one of the pioneers of German-language rap and has had a decisive influence on the genre. Stylistically, he moves between hip-hop, rap and pop. Thomas D celebrates great success with Die Fantastischen Vier. The debut album Jetzt geht's ab! was released in 1991. The breakthrough came in 1992 with 4 gewinnt, which reached number 3 in the German album charts. Die 4. Dimension followed in 1993 and Lauschgift in 1995, both of which were successful in the charts. In 1999, 4:99 was released, which reached number 1 in the German charts. Other important albums include Viel (2004), Für Dich immer noch Fanta Sie (2009) and Rekord (2014). At the same time, Thomas Dürr launched a solo career. In 1997, he released his solo album Solo, which reached number 6 in the charts in Germany. The successful single "Liebesbrief" is taken from this album. Lektionen in Demut (Lessons in Humility) was released in 2001, followed by Kennzeichen D in 2008 and Lektionen in Demut 11.0 in 2010. His music combines socially critical lyrics with catchy beats. Thomas D is also committed to causes outside of music, including environmental and animal welfare projects. He lives and works on the M.A.R.S. organic farm in the Eifel region. Most recently, Die Fantastischen Vier released the album Captain Fantastic in 2018. The single "Zusammen" feat. Clueso reaches high chart positions. Important awards for Thomas D and Die Fantastischen Vier include the Echo in the "National Group" category (1996), the MTV Europe Music Award for "Best German Act" (2000) and the German Music Author Award for Pop/Rock Lyrics (2009). In April 2026, Thomas D returns with the album Neocortex, which reaches number 16 in Germany.
