KC Rebell is one of Germany's most successful rappers. But his story begins far removed from sold-out tours and the top of the charts: as the child of a Kurdish family living in various asylum shelters.

KC recounts his experiences of fleeing, homelessness, and racist violence. He tells of an arson attack on an asylum center, a Molotov cocktail, and the night his family had to escape from the second floor using bedsheets while a neo-Nazi tried to break down their apartment door. At twelve, KC moved to the Ruhr region and met KIA. At the same time, he was torn between soccer and music. He became team captain at Rot-Weiss Essen and played alongside Mesut Özil. Looking back, he says he would have stuck with soccer.

But his first lyrics written in his childhood bedroom turned into daily studio sessions and eventually a major career. KC talks about the Essen rap scene, Pottweiler, Farid Bang and his move to Banger Musik, all the way to hundreds of thousands of albums sold and reaching the top of the German rap scene.

KC Rebell speaks with rare candor about the darker side of fame. He discusses yes-men, his growing ego, the death of his father, and a public diss track he never responded to. He's never spoken about some of these things before. He reflects on broken friendships, his own mistakes, and the question of whether reconciliation is still possible after so many years.

"We started with a completely different motivation. There was real love involved."

This episode is part 1 of the conversation with KC Rebell. It covers escape and survival, football and German rap, fame and ego, loss and forgiveness, and his extraordinary journey from an asylum to the top of the charts. Part 2 will follow in the coming weeks.
... CHAPTERS:
00:00 KC Rebell: From the asylum center to the top of the charts
05:47 Neo-Nazis wanted to storm his apartment
08:08 Molotov cocktail at the asylum center
10:11 KIA and KC Rebell: Best friends with a shared dream
15:18 On the road to becoming a professional soccer player with Mesut Özil
19:23 "I would have preferred to become a soccer player"
22:19 KIA and KC: First lyrics, first songs, and the start in the music industry
34:03 Why KC Rebell rejected German Dream
35:36 Why Pottweiler broke up and the split with Manuellsen
41:08 KIA and KC: From the classroom to their own call center
47:18 How Farid Bang opened a crucial door for KC Rebell
52:28 The truth about his move to Banger Musik
58:45 Was KC Rebell number one back then?

01:03:22 How fame and yes-men changed his ego
01:07:37 KC Rebell on the beef with Xatar
01:11:32 The truth behind the feud with PA Sports

PODCAST: SOMETHING ABOUT CULTURE
YouTube: @irgendwasmitculture
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033qdtv...
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HOST: KIA
Instagram: Instagram: kia.zo
TikTok: TikTok: kia.zo
LinkedIn: LinkedIn: kzolfaghari
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/arti...

GUEST: KC REBELL
Instagram: Instagram: kcrebell
TikTok: TikTok: kcrebell
Youtube: @kcrebell
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5p7mW...