Edo Maajka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edo Maajka
Edo Maajka on the Exit festival in Serbia
Background information
Birth name	Edin Osmić
Born	(1978-12-22) 22 December 1978 (age 46) Brčko, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, synthesizer, keyboards, turntables, drum machine, sampler, drum kit
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Menart, Fmjam, Hayat Production
Associated acts	Frenkie, HZA, Disciplinska Komisija

Edin Osmić (born on December 22, 1978), known as Edo Maajka, is a famous Bosnian rapper, music producer, and songwriter. He became very popular and helped his group Disciplinska Komisija become well-known. Today, he lives in Zagreb, Croatia, with his family.

Biography

Early Life and Music Start

Edin Osmić was born in Brčko, which was part of Yugoslavia at the time. He finished elementary school there. In 1992, when the Bosnian War began, he moved to Zagreb, Croatia. There, he started high school, studying mechanical engineering. After the war, he went back to Bosnia to study in Tuzla, but he didn't finish his studies.

Edin became interested in hip-hop during high school. He started rap battling when he was about 15 years old. He even made his own music for his demo songs by beatboxing. Later, in Tuzla, he joined a rap group called Diskord, which later changed its name to Odbrana (meaning "Defence"). This group became one of the best in Tuzla and all of Bosnia. Their song "Odbrana '99" was a big hit on a local radio station.

After a year of college, Edin left school because of money problems. He returned to Zagreb and met a friend from the group Elemental. He recorded his first two songs, "Minimalni rizik" (Minimum Risk) and "Mahir i Alma." These songs quickly became popular on a Zagreb radio station called "Radio 101." "Mahir i Alma" was even named the hit of 2001 by another radio show.

Music Career

First Album: Slušaj mater (2002-2004)

Edo Maajka announced his first album with the song "Znaš me" (You Know Me). His first album, Slušaj mater (Listen to Mom), came out in the spring of 2002. It was released by Menart and Fmjam. He released two more songs from the album: "Jesmo'l sami" (Are We Alone) in late 2002 and "Prikaze" (Spectres) in early 2003. Edo also worked with other artists, like on the song "Teško je ful biti kul" with Hladno Pivo.

Second Album: No Sikiriki (2004-2006)

In April 2004, Edo released his second album, No Sikiriki (No Worries). It sold 5,000 copies on its first day! He spent the rest of the year touring to promote the album. In 2005, Edo Maajka toured the United States and Canada. He visited cities like Toronto, New York, and Detroit. This was the first time a Bosnian hip-hop artist had toured North America.

Third Album: Stig'o Ćumur (2006-2008)

Edo started recording songs for his third album, Stig'o Ćumur (Coal's Arrived), in August 2005. The album was released in March 2006. The first song from the album was "To mora da je ljubav" (It Must Be Love), which featured Remi from Elemental. They filmed a music video for this song in Sarajevo. Edo began promoting his album right after it was released.

In the summer of 2007, Edo Maajka and his band decided to go their separate ways, but they remained good friends.

Fourth Album: Balkansko a naše (2008-2012)

Edo's fourth album came out on March 25, 2008. Its name was changed from Sjeti Se to Idemo Dalje, and finally to Balkansko a naše (Balkan and Ours) in December 2008. In June, he announced he had formed a new band called TRNOKOP. They performed for the first time at the Rokajfest music festival.

At the end of 2008, Balkansko a naše was ranked among the top albums of the year. In June 2010, he released a "best of" album called Spomen ploča 2002-2009. He later re-recorded this album with his new band, using live instruments and softer vocals.

Edo Maajka was also a judge and performer at the first Red Bull MC Battle in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in April 2010. The next year, he hosted the Bosnian Red Bull MC Battle in 2011.

Fifth Album: Štrajk mozga (2012-2018)

Edo Osmić's fifth studio album, Štrajk mozga (Brain Strike), was released in April 2012. The first song from the album was "Imaš li ti šta para" (Do You Have Any Money). The second song and first music video was "Panika" (Panic), released in December 2011. The third song was "Džigera beat," followed by the fourth song and second music video, "Facebook," released in November 2012. The director of both music videos said that the "Facebook" video was a continuation of "Panika," set in the same world, and part of a three-video series from the Štrajk mozga album.

Artistry

Influences and Rapping Style

Edo Maajka has mentioned many artists who inspired him, including Rambo Amadeus, TBF, Safet Isović, Miladin Šobić, Azra, Zabranjeno Pušenje, and others.

People describe his rapping style as having a "perfect flow." He talks about many different topics in his songs and connects well with his audience. He is also praised for his amazing lyrics. His lyrics are known for making listeners feel a range of emotions. As one person said, "once you start listening to a Edo Maajka song, it hits you, gives you goosebumps and grabs you by the throat, then the very next verse makes you laugh."

MC Berbo: Edo's Alter Ego

Edo Maajka has a playful alter ego, or different personality, named MC Berbo. This character is described as someone who loves fast cars and pop music, and is a bit wild. Edo has said that MC Berbo is the complete opposite of himself and is more of a joke than a serious character.

Song Themes and Stories

Edo Maajka started his career with songs that told stories, like his early demos "Minimalni rizik" (Small Risk) and "Mahir i Alma." He is well-known for his excellent ability to tell stories through his music.

Personal Life

Business Ventures

In September 2006, Edo Osmić opened a cafe bar called "No sikiriki," named after his second album. Besides drinks, the cafe also serves his favorite food, ćevapi. He also planned to publish a weekly magazine that would focus only on positive things happening in daily life and the music world.

Music Sampling and Copyright

Edo Maajka released his song "To mora da je ljubav" before his album came out. In this song, his producer used a part of the 1969 song "Cissy Strut" by The Meters. Some people criticized him, saying it was copying. Edo explained that "sampling" is a common practice in hip-hop music. It means taking a small part of an existing song and using it in a new song. He said they waited for permission to use the song and gave credit to the original artists on his album cover. This shows that sampling is different from stealing when done correctly and with permission.

Concert Sponsorship and Criticism

In 2005, Edo Maajka held a concert in the Sports Hall in Zagreb. The concert was sponsored by T-mobile Croatia. Before the concert, Edo spoke out against his sponsors for firing workers after changing their brand. He explained that he chose to work with a large company because he wanted to keep ticket prices low, around 45 kuna (which was about $7 at the time). He pointed out that other popular bands also had big sponsors, and it was a way to make concerts affordable for fans.

UNICEF's Education Program

Edo Maajka was one of three artists who participated in UNICEF's education program in Bosnia. This program aimed to teach people about important health topics.

Music Video Controversy

In November 2005, a month after Edo Maajka's music video for "Mater Vam Jebem" premiered on MTV Adria, two Croatian TV stations, HTV and Nova TV, refused to show it. They said it was because of the song's title. Some people also thought it was because the song's lyrics were critical of the country's leaders and the media.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Slušaj mater (2002)
• No sikiriki (2004)
• Stig'o ćumur (2006)
• Balkansko a naše (2008)
• Štrajk mozga (2012)
• Put u plus (2018)
• Moćno (2022)

Compilation Albums

• Spomen ploča 2002-2009 (2010)

Singles

• Znaš me (2001)
• Jesmo'l sami (2002)
• Prikaze (2003)
• Zlatna dolina (2003)
• No sikiriki (2004)
• Pržiiiii (2004)
• Obećana riječ (2005)
• Ne-mo-žeš (2005)
• Mater vam jebem (2005)
• To mora da je ljubav (2006)
• Bomba (2006)
• To što se traži (2006)
• Rek'o sam joj (2007)
• Gansi (2008)
• Svi su ošli na more (2008)
• Sve prolazi (2008)
• Ove godine (2010)
• Fotelja (2011)
• Imaš li ti šta para (2011)
• Panika (2011)
• Džigera beat (2012)
• Facebook (2012)
• Ojojoj (2014)
• Ne mogu disat (2017)
• Bolje je Bolje (2018)
• Kreator (2020)
• I like to dance (2021)
• Moćno (2022)
• Zlatni koker (2022)
• Svaki čovjek (2022)
• Letimo iznad (2022)

Filmography

Documentaries

Several documentaries have been made about Edo Maajka's life and career. The Croatian Radiotelevision documentary Edo Maajka - Sevdah o Rodama was shown for the first time on July 27, 2007, at the Motovun Film Festival.

Movies

Animated Movies (Voice Acting)

Edo Maajka has also lent his voice to characters in several animated movies, often for the Bosnian or Croatian versions.

Awards and Achievements

Edo Maajka has won many awards for his music and performances. Here are some of them:

Davorin/Indexi Awards

Porin Awards

Zlatna Koogla Awards

Crni Mačak Awards