Bushido

by Evan C. Gutierrez
 
German gangsta rap trailblazer Bushido was born Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi on September 28, 1978, in the Templhof district of West Berlin. Of Tunisian and German decent, Anis left school early, becoming involved with crime and drugs. A court-ordered painting apprenticeship alongside future labelmate Fler turned the corner for the young artist. He released a mixtape in 1999 that never saw major distribution, but paved the way for a relationship with the Aggro Berlin label. With Aggro Berlin, Anis, taking the name Bushido (ancient code of the Samurai), worked with Germany's rising stars of hip-hop like Sido, B-Tight, and Fler. King of Kingz was released in 2003, followed by a remixed release a year later. In 2004 he jumped labels to Universal, with whom he released Electro Ghetto later that year, which reached number six on German charts. Bushido used the pseudonym Sonny Black to release other works, including 2002's Carlo Cokxxx Nutten, which he then re-released during his time with Universal. Bushido's hard-edged, racist, and nationalistic lyrics caught the attention of both neo-Nazi audiences and government officials alike. His material brought questions about content control to the forefront of Germany's attention. His 2005 release Von der Skyline zum Bordstein Auruck (From the Skyline Back to the Curb) ensured his status as Germany's number one proponent of the thug life, with its raw, crime-themed lyrics. The German public has never had any cause to doubt Bushido's authenticity, with a string of indictments for violent offenses running the length of his career.