One of the most inventive players in the German Hip-Hop game.

“If you have a voice you should use it,” says Serious Klein. That’s what he’s been doing since the tender age of 12 years old, writing explosive rap music that speaks to his lived experience as a young German-Ghanaian artist. Since releasing his first mixtapes back in 2010, he’s performed with Alicia Keys, worked with DJ Khalil (Eminem, A$AP Rocky, Drake), and cemented himself as one of the most inventive players in the German hip-hop game.

The production on a Klein song is always unmistakable. It has a rich and textured feel, preferring to layer on more instruments and create an atmosphere, rather than just spit over the same beat for three minutes. This comes from a childhood love for soul music. Klein grew up in the post-industrial Ruhr region of north-west Germany. He was raised on a diet of Tupac, but also the classics coming from his mother; legends like Luther Vandross, Kool & The Gang, and Salt-N-Pepa.

“I started making music after hearing a Luther Vandross CD my mum was listening to, the one with ‘Never Too Much’ on,” explains Klein. “That was the first time I really dived into music and got influenced and inspired. I started writing when I was 12 and started recording when I was 14.”

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