DJ Tomekk

A DJ and hip-hop producer based in Germany, DJ Tomekk was born in Poland to strict parents who didn't appreciate his love of urban music. He asked for turntables and a mixer at a young age, but his father forbade it. While living in Berlin, Tomekk was only 15 when his father died and he soon found himself in one of the city's group homes. While the friends he made there were current or future criminals, Tomekk was busy chasing his dream of being involved in Germany's rising hip-hop scene, practicing on the turntables he had wanted since he was 11. His rise was rapid, as he was only 16 when he landed a show on Berlin's Kiss FM. The show, Boogie Down Berlin, had many special guests pass through, and over the years Tomekk was introduced to Jermaine Dupri, Grandmaster Flash, Eric B. & Rakim, and his hero, Kurtis Blow. In 1993 he made his first visit to America, attending the Rap Music Awards in Las Vegas and watching Snoop Dogg, the Wu-Tang Clan, and Run-D.M.C. live. It only influenced him to dream bigger, and when he returned to Berlin he opened his own club, Tabou. In 1998 a remix for the Los Angeles group Foesum became his first official release, and a year later he released his own single, "1, 2, 3... Rhymes Galore" with special guests Grandmaster Flash and Flavor Flav. It was a massive German hit, staying on the Top Ten singles chart for over five months. His debut album, The Return of Hip-Hop, landed two years later and featured KRS-One, GZA, Tony Touch, and MC Serch. His next album, SMG. Sex, Money and Gunz, Vol. 1, was dedicated to another hero, Ice-T, and featured Lil' Kim and Kurupt. The year 2005 saw the release of the album Numma Eyns with help from Xzibit, Noreaga, and Sido. His 2006 mixtape The Next Generation featured up-and-coming artists. It helped strengthen Tomekk's reputation in Germany, after he had suffered accusations of plagiarism and non-support of the German scene in favor of Americans. ~ David Jeffries