Massiv

A Berlin-based rapper of Palestinian heritage, Massiv was born Wasiem Taha on November 9, 1982 in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. As a teenager, Taha developed a passion for hip-hop, and with little chances to perform in Pirmasens, he moved to Berlin to attend college and make a name for himself on the city’s rap scene. After struggling to support himself and dropping out of school, Taha released a demo called Zahltag under the name Pitbull, presumably unaware of the Miami rapper of the same name. A copy of Zahltag made its way to MC Basstard, head of HorrorKore Entertainment, who signed the rapper, now known as Massiv, to his label. The label debuted its new talent on the July 2006 mixtape release HorrorKore Mixtape, Pt. 1. A few months later, Massiv dropped his first full-length album, Blut Gegen Blut; the album was only a minor success at first, but when it was reissued in 2007 with bonus tracks and new artwork, it gave Massiv his first chart success, rising to the Top 50. That same year, Massiv broke ties with the independent label and signed a lucrative deal with major Sony BMG. In 2008, Massiv released his first new album for the label, Ein Mann ein Wort (A Man Is a Word), which peaked at 18 on the German album charts. In 2009, Massiv left Sony BMG; he then signed with Fight 4 Music, a Berlin-based independent label, which released Der Ghettotraum in Handarbeit later the same year. In 2011, Massiv issued a follow-up to Blut Gegen Blut, titled Blut Gegen Blut II, which soared to 22 on the German charts. By 2012, Massiv established his own Al Massiva label, and the album Solange Mein Herz Schlägt topped out on the German charts at 18. But Massiv learned that the third time’s the charm in 2013 when Blut Gegen Blut III hit number four on the German charts and reached number seven in Switzerland. ~ Chris True