Claydee
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{{Short description|Greek-Albanian singer and producer (born 1985)}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Claydee Lupa
| image = Claydee Lupa B&W.jpeg
| caption = Claydee Lupa
| birth_name = Klejdi Lupa
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|6|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = Tirana, Albania
| other_names = Claydee
| module = {{Infobox musical artist |embed=yes
| instrument = Vocals
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| years_active = 2008–present
| occupation = {{hlist|Producer|singer|songwriter|music executive}}
| label = {{flatlist|
- Down2Earth Music
- Ultra Music
- Sony
- Minos-EMI
- Universal
}}
| website = {{URL|claydee.com}}
}}
}}
Klejdi Lupa (Greek: Κλέιντι Λούπα; born 7 June 1985), known professionally as Claydee, is a Greek-Albanian singer, songwriter and producer.{{cite web |publisher=TeksteShqip |title=Claydee–Biografia |url=https://www.teksteshqip.com/claydee/biografia |access-date=13 February 2021 |language=sq}}{{cite web|last=LAST|first=FM|title= Claydee's Biography |url=http://www.last.fm/music/Claydee/+wiki}} He has produced works that fall into the dance-pop, RnB and house music categories. His songs have charted as Top 10 hits in countries such as Greece, Spain, Serbia, Russia, Poland, Cyprus and Albania.{{Cite web|date=22 July 2021|title='Detente' {{!}} Το νέο hit του Claydee|url=https://www.yupiii.gr/news/c321360/detente-to-neo-hit-tou-claydee|access-date=7 December 2021|website=Yupiii.gr|language=el}} His songs have also surpassed 582 million streams and YouTube views combined.
Life and career
Lupa was born in Tirana, People's Socialist Republic of Albania (present-day Albania) and moved to Athens, Greece, with his family at the age of four.{{cite web|title=Γεννήθηκα στην Αλβανία και ήρθα στην Ελλάδα σε ηλικία 4 ετών|url=https://vipnews.gr/lifestyle/claydee-%ce%b3%ce%b5%ce%bd%ce%bd%ce%ae%ce%b8%ce%b7%ce%ba%ce%b1-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b7%ce%bd-%ce%b1%ce%bb%ce%b2%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%af%ce%b1-%ce%ba%ce%b1%ce%b9-%ce%ae%cf%81%ce%b8%ce%b1-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b7/|accessdate=18 October 2013|website=vipnews.gr}} Graduating from high school, he pursued a degree in Audio Engineering at SAE (International Technology College) that he completed in 2006. A year later, he obtained a BA in Recording Arts from Middlesex University. After concluding his degrees, in 2008, he went on to work at MTV Greece.
Lupa released his first personal track "Call Me" which was awarded the Best Dance Video Clip at the MADTv Awards in 2011.:el:Mad Video Music Awards His second track, "Deep Inside", was a pop-dance track.{{cite web|title=Claydee Lupa – Deep Inside δείτε το video clip!|date=7 December 2011|url=https://www.bizznews.gr/claydee-lupa-deep-inside-dite-to-video-clip|accessdate=6 July 2022|website=bizznews.gr}} In the summer of 2012 he released the international hit "Mamacita Buena" which became the first song produced in Greece to have the most views on YouTube{{cite web|last=E-go|first=.gr|title=20.000.000 Youtube views για το Mamacita Buena|url=http://www.e-go.gr/music/article.asp?catid=23834&subid=2&pubid=129301392|accessdate=19 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019135533/http://www.e-go.gr/music/article.asp?catid=23834&subid=2&pubid=129301392|archive-date=19 October 2013|url-status=dead}} and reached No.1 at the airplay chart in Greece while simultaneously being released internationally by Ultra Music.{{cite web|last=tralala|first=.gr |title= Το Mamacita Buena κυκλοφόρησε με το μεγαλύτερο dance label Ultra Music|date=14 November 2012 |url=http://www.tralala.gr/to-mamacita-buena-kikloforise-me-to-megalitero-dance-label-ultra-music/|accessdate=19 October 2013}} The song was also featured in the NBC TV series Telenovela, which stars Eva Longoria.{{Cite web|title=Music by Claydee|url=https://www.tunefind.com/artist/claydee|access-date=7 December 2021|website=Tunefind}} He was nominated for Best Greek Act Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.{{cite web|last=tralala|first=.gr |title= Ο Claydee υποψήφιος για το φετινό MTV Best Greek Act|date=12 October 2012 |url=http://www.tralala.gr/o-claydee-upopshfios-gia-to-fetino-mtv-best-greek-act/|accessdate=19 October 2013}}
His single "Sexy Papi" reached the No.1 in the airplay charts in countries such as Greece, Poland and Serbia{{cite web|last=tralala|first=.gr |title= God is a DJ: Claydee International με … Ν#1!|date=16 October 2013 |url=http://www.tralala.gr/god-is-a-dj-claydee-international-me-n1/|accessdate=19 October 2013}} while Coca-Cola in Greece chose him to go on tour with the brand for the summer of 2013. He performed in a number of countries, including Cyprus, Albania, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Canada, United States, Sweden and Italy and at Athens Arena.
In 2010, Claydee co-created "Down2Earth Music", a music industry consulting and artist development company, with his friend Evan Klimakis. It launched Down2Earth Records, a mainstream dance label. Since then, the label has amassed on the YouTube channel over 1 billion views and 1 million subscribers.
In 2015, Lupa released the song "Utopia" with his side project Bang La Decks.{{Cite web|title=Jaxsta|url=https://jaxsta.com/release/2a39df8b-eb07-49cd-af90-99803c014982/4c0a50c7-caae-4112-8879-db9dd0842737/overview|access-date=7 December 2021|website=jaxsta.com}} The song was featured in the video game FIFA 15 and the TV series Power and Teen Wolf. An adaptation of the song titled "How Bad Do You Want It" with vocals by Sevyn Streeter was also included in the soundtrack for the film Furious 7.{{Cite web|date=13 August 2020|title=Bang La Decks and Wiwek release powerful visual from the townships of Cape Town for 'GQOM' [NEWS]|url=https://www.abouttoblow.com/bang-la-decks-wiwek-release-powerful-visual-townships-cape-town-gqom-news/|access-date=7 December 2021|website=AboutToBlow|language=en-US|archive-date=7 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207215301/https://www.abouttoblow.com/bang-la-decks-wiwek-release-powerful-visual-townships-cape-town-gqom-news/|url-status=dead}}
File:Claydee Lupa recording album.jpeg
In 2018, Lupa released the song "Later Bitches" with his musical side project The Prince Karma. It reached #12 on the Worldwide Shazam Chart and amassed more than 150 million Spotify streams.{{Cite web|title=The Prince Karma drops new video for raucous club smash 'Later Bitches' • WithGuitars|url=https://www.withguitars.com/the-prince-karma-drops-new-video-for-raucous-club-smash-later-bitches/|access-date=7 December 2021|website=WithGuitars|language=en-GB}} The song was later used for the beer company Desperados' "We Are the Party" advertising campaign in 2020.{{Cite web|title=Taneczna energia w reklamie "We Are the Party". - Papaya.Rocks|url=https://papaya.rocks/pl/news/taneczna-energia-w-reklamie-we-are-the-party|access-date=7 December 2021|website=papaya.rocks|language=pl}} It was eventually certified Platinum in France and Gold in Germany.
Claydee collaborated with Greek singer Eleni Foureira on the song "Loquita" in 2019.{{Cite web|date=5 July 2019|title=Eleni Foureira collaborates with Claydee on new single 'Loquita'|url=https://escxtra.com/2019/07/05/eleni-foureira-collaborates-with-claydee-on-new-single-loquita/|access-date=7 December 2021|website=ESCXTRA.com|language=en-GB|archive-date=7 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207200759/https://escxtra.com/2019/07/05/eleni-foureira-collaborates-with-claydee-on-new-single-loquita/|url-status=dead}} The song won the "Best Duet" award at the MAD Video Music Awards in 2020.{{Cite web|title=MAD VMA 2020: Το κοινό βράβευσε τους καλύτερους και εκείνοι ανταπέδωσαν με μοναδικές ερμηνείες|url=https://www.in.gr/2021/01/02/entertainment/music/mad-vma-koino-vraveyse-tous-kalyterous-kai-aytoi-antapedosan-ton-kalytero-tropo/|access-date=7 December 2021|date=2 January 2021|work=in.gr|language=el}}
Claydee released the single "Detente" in 2021. The song became viral on TikTok, amassing more than 9 million views.
Claydee collaborated with Greek pop sensation Josephine on the song "Babe ti Exeis?"
Producer and songwriter
Experience he gained while working for MTV Greece led to work as a producer and a songwriter, under his alias Beetkraft, beginning with the song "The End" by Reckless,{{cite web|last=Music|first=Press|title= Claydee Lupa Σύντομο Βιογραφικό|url=http://musicpress.gr/claydee-lupa-%CF%83%CF%85%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%BF-%CE%B2%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF/|accessdate=18 October 2013}} which was released by Sony Music Greece and reached a top-rank position in the UK Club Charts. He went on to write and produce, under his real name, "Last Summer" sung by Nikos Ganos, the Track of the Year at the 2011 MAD TV Awards. The track was released by Heaven Music in Greece and in 35 countries internationally.
In 2011, he co-wrote "Tonight" with Playmen, sung by Tamta, which reached No.1 in the airplay charts in Greece. Songs under his alias Beetkraft include "Agries diatheseis" by Kostas Martakis, "Niose tin Kardia" by Tamta (in which he raps as well) and "To allo sou miso" for Sakis Rouvas, featured in his double platinum album Parafora.
Personal life
Some years after his establishment in Greece, Lupa legally took the name Nikodimos.{{Cite web|title=MAD VMA 2020: Claydee Lupa Interview|url=https://www.hiphop.gr/page/2322|access-date=6 July 2022|date=8 December 2010|work=hiphop.gr|language=el}} He is also a professional Latin dancer. He has a son, born in 2016.{{cite web|last=this|first=.gr |title= Απόψε στο "Βράδυ" με τον Πέτρο Κωστόπουλο O Στάνκογλου, ο Claydee και οι εξωτικές χορεύτριες!|url=http://www.fthis.gr/article/302240/o-stankogloy-o-claydee-kai-oi-exotikes-xoreytries-|accessdate=19 October 2013}}
Awards
Discography
= Producer and Songwriter =
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Work |
| 2008
|Christos Hatzinasios and Nancy Alexiadi – "Kakomathimeno" |
| 2009
|Taki Tsan – "Akoma Zontanos" |
| 2010
|Nikos Ganos – "Last Summer" |
| 2010
|Reckless – "The End" |
| 2010
|Sakis Rouvas – "To allo sou miso" |
| 2011
|Beetkraft ft.Rukus – "Player" |
| 2011
|Kostas Martakis – "Agries diatheseis" |
| 2011
|Stratos STAN Antipariotis – "Taxidepse Me" |
| 2011
|Dimension X feat. Nikki Ponte – "Hey You" |
| 2011
|Dimension X – "Na m'agapas" |
| 2011
|Playmen & Claydee feat. Tamta – "Tonight" |
| 2012
|Tamta – "Niose tin kardia" |
| 2012
|Dimension X – "Thelo" |
| 2012
|Katerina Stikoudi – "Mi" |
| 2012
|Nikki Lee – "Chiki Chiki" |
| 2013
|Nikki Lee – "Heleya" |
| 2013
|Eleftheria Eleftheriou – "Teliosame" |
| 2014
|Eleftheria Eleftheriou – "Gia Sena" |
| 2019
|Eleni Foureira – "Barcelona" |
| 2019
|Era Istrefi feat. Nora Istrefi – "Nuk E Di" |
| 2020
|El Capon – "Shut Up Chicken" (co-written with Basshunter, Thomas Jules and Ilkay Sencan) |
| 2020 |
| 2022
|Josephine - Kathrefti Kathreftaki Mou |
= Claydee Singles =
= As The Prince Karma =
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Song |
| 2018 |
| 2019
|No More{{cn|date=December 2023}} |
| 2020 |
| 2020 |
| 2020 |
| 2021 |
| 2021 |
= Work with Bang La Decks =
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Albanian music}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:21st-century Albanian male singers
Category:21st-century Greek male singers
Category:Albanian emigrants to Greece
Category:Albanian record producers
Category:Greek house musicians
Category:Greek people of Albanian descent
Category:Greek record producers
Category:Greek male songwriters
Category:Musicians from Athens