Kool Savas & Optik Records

Rapper Kool Savas emerged as one the most controversial German pop stars of his generation via misogynistic and homophobic lyrics that followed in the divisive traditions of American hip-hop. Born Savas Yurderi in Aachen, Germany, on February 10, 1975, he was the son of Turkish immigrants that returned to their homeland shortly after his birth. There his father was imprisoned for political activism, forcing his mother to return to Aachen alone. The family reunited in 1987 and relocated to Berlin, where 12-year-old Yurderi first discovered rap. He also pursued acting, and in 19...