Serious Klein
{{Short description|German rapper}}
{{notability|1=Music|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Serious Klein
| image = 2022 Rock im Park - Serious Klein - by 2eight - 9SC4480.jpg
| caption = Klein in 2022
| birth_name = Kelvin Boakye
| alias = Seri The King
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1991|6|6}}
| birth_place = Hannover, Germany
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Rapper
- singer
- songwriter
}}
| years_active = 2009–present
| label = Majestic Casual Records
| associated_acts = {{hlist|Denzel Curry|Mick Jenkins (rapper)|The Underachievers|Anderson Paak|Alicia Keys}}
| website =
}}
Kelvin Boakye (born 6 June 1991), known by the stage name Serious Klein, is a German rapper who has emerged from the underground hip-hop scene in Germany.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/10/18/serious-klein-i-am-here-the-seed-film|title=Watch a new short film starring Ghanaian-German rapper Serious Klein|website=The FADER|language=en|access-date=2019-06-03}}
Early life
Serious Klein was born in Hannover, Germany to Ghanaian parents.{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2018/06/premiere-serious-klein-coochie-money|title=Premiere: Serious Klein Lays Down Bars For New Track "Coochie Money"|website=Complex|language=en|access-date=2019-06-03}} His mother (a single mother) works in kindergarten and his father is a businessman. His parents separated when he was two years old and they moved to Duisburg, Germany at the age of four. He later moved to Oer-Erkenschwick. Serious started writing music at the early age of 12. He recorded his first song when he was 14 years old through a school project with the former music label VJ-Style.{{Cite web|url=https://schonmagazine.com/serious-klein/|title=interview {{!}} serious klein|website=Schön! Magazine|date=30 June 2017 |language=en-GB|access-date=2019-06-07}}
Career
Serious Klein began performing under the name “key bee” which is short for his birth name Kelvin Boakye and changed his name to the present one in 2012. His mentor Ross Osei and his former in house producer Johannes "Shove Island" Altendorf took him under their wings and made him part of their own label DSTY records in 2009. He later formed the collective/label the family tree / 555 together with his manager Teddy Sarpong, His Tour Dj Dominik “Dayson” Antwi (in 2015) & his producer & long time collaborator Rascal.{{Cite web|url=https://www.majesticjournal.com/coochie-money|title=Faith, Friendship, and False Idols with Serious Klein|website=majestic® Journal|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-04}}
Serious recorded his first EP "The Serious Outlook" in 2012 which helped him get recognized locally in Germany. After his first EP he did the following EPs "The Introduction“ in 2015 and “Summer 03's Problem" in 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.okayafrica.com/serious-klein-voodoo-money-video/|title=You Need to Stop and Watch Serious Klein's Epic Video for 'Voodoo Money'|date=2018-09-10|website=OkayAfrica|language=en|access-date=2019-06-03}}
Serious released his debut album You Should've Known in 2018, out via Majestic Casual.{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2018/06/premiere-serious-klein-coochie-money|title=Premiere: Serious Klein Lays Down Bars For New Track "Coochie Money"|website=Complex|language=en|access-date=2019-06-03}}
In November 2024 it was announced that Serious had signed to Nas' Mass Appeal Records.
Discography
=Studio albums=
=EPs=
- The Introduction (June 17, 2015) {{Cite web|url=http://juice.de/erious-klein-the-introduction-ep/|title=$erious Klein – The Introduction|last=Paur|first=Jakob|date=2015-06-17|website=JUICE Magazin|language=de-DE|access-date=2019-06-27}}
- Summer 03’s Problem (August 2, 2016) {{Cite web|url=http://stillvibin.com/2016/08/03/serious-klein-summer-03s-problem/|title=Still Vibin » Serious Klein – Summer 03's Problem|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-27}}
=Singles=
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Ref |
| 2017
|Try Me |
| 2018
|Boy Boy |
| 2018
|91 Flex |
| 2018
|Coochie Money |
| 2018
|Should’ve Known |
| 2018
|Voodoo Money |
| 2018
|Junior feat Ahmaad Mateen | |
| 2018
|These Days | |
| 2019
|On a Goat |
| 2019
|No Drill (Frizzo feat. Serious Klein) | |
| 2019
|Lil Capo | |
| 2019
|Die For You (Amilli feat. Serious Klein) |{{Cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/track/4ZwWHEhdxsVOsVaF4TMrMD?si=NQPMThALQViEC1-sLdRYVg|title=Die For You|website=Spotify }} |
| 2020
|Everyday Thursday (Drunken Masters & Serious Klein) |{{Cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/6UJxURtSw0YOt9OZm3Wr4Q?si=bdRhesroSva6KpE55azoqg|title=Everyday Thursday|website=Spotify }} |
| 2021
|Straight Outta Pandemic (feat. Anaiis) | |
| 2021
|The Shaw | |
| 2023
|White Knight (feat. Josh Kye) | |
| 2023
|Up | |
| 2023
|Peek a Boo - A Colors Show | |
| 2024
|stronger | |
| 2024
|Pencils | |
| 2024
|Ohene |
Notable performances & concerts
Serious Klein has also performed at the Esquire Awards which is to celebrate achievement of men and women in the middle east in Dubai 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.esquireme.com/content/25509-esquire-man-at-his-best-awards-after-party-gallery|title=Esquire Man at His Best Awards After Party [Gallery]|website=Esquire Middle East|date=10 December 2017 |language=en|access-date=2019-06-28}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commonscat}}
- {{Discogs artist|Serious Klein}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Serious}}
Category:Alternative hip-hop musicians
Category:German people of Ghanaian descent
Category:Musicians from Hanover
Category:21st-century German male musicians
{{Germany-singer-stub}}