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 22 December 1978), better known by his stage name Edo Maajka, is a Bosnian rapper, record producer and songwriter. His popularity brought his group Disciplinska Komisija to the mainstream. He lives in Zagreb, Croatia, with his wife and children.

Biography

Early life

Edin Osmić was born to Bosniak parents Azemina and Fehim, and raised in Brčko (at the time SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia) where he finished elementary school. In 1992, when the Bosnian War started, he left Bosnia and Herzegovina and went to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, where he began attending high mechanical engineering school. After the war, he returned to Bosnia to study criminal law in Tuzla, but never graduated.

He took an interest in hip-hop when he was in high school and began to do rap battling at the age of fifteen. He also recorded a few demo tracks, creating his own instrumentals by beatboxing. He went to Tuzla and became a member of the hardcore rap group Diskord, later named Odbrana (Defence in Bosnian). The group became one of the best in the city of Tuzla and all of Bosnia. Their demo single "Odbrana '99" (Defence '99) was the hit of the year on the "Radio Hit" station in Brčko.

After a year of studying, he left school due to financial problems and returned to Zagreb to meet a friend (from the group Elemental) and recorded his first single "Minimalni rizik" (Minimum Risk) and, a month later, "Mahir i Alma". The songs were top hits on the Zagreb "Radio 101" station's show "Blackout" and the response was enthusiastic. The demo, "Mahir i Alma", became Kameleon's hit of 2001.

Career

Debut album (2001-04)

Osmić announced his debut album with the single Znaš me. He released his debut album, Slušaj mater, in the spring of 2002 under the Menart and Fmjam label. He released two more singles, Jesmo'l sami (Are we alone) at the end of 2002 and Prikaze (Spectres) at the beginning in 2003, which officially closed the album. He was featured by other artists, such as in "Teško je ful biti kul" by Hladno Pivo, "Rat" by Pioniri among others.

Second album (2004-06)

In April 2004, he released his second album No Sikiriki. On day one, the album sold 5,000 copies. He toured until the end of the year to promote his second album. In 2005, Osmić toured the US and Canada, visiting cities including Toronto, St. Louis, New York, Atlanta and Detroit, first time a Bosnian hip hop star has toured North America.

Third album (2006-08)

Recording of songs for the third studio album Stig'o Ćumur (Coal's Arrived) started in August 2005, and the album was released in March 2006. The first single was "To mora da je ljubav" (It Must Be Love) featuring Remi from Elemental), for which he shot the music video in Sarajevo. He started the promotion of his third album at the end of March, the day his album was released.

In January 2007, Osmić 's single "Bomba" was featured in an episode of the TV series Sleeper Cell. In the summer of 2007, Maajka and his band decided to part, but remained good friends.

Fourth album (2008-12)

His fourth album was released on 25 March 2008. The album's name was changed from Sjeti Se to Idemo Dalje. In December 2008 the album received the name Balkansko a naše. At the beginning of June he announced that he created a new band called TRNOKOP and the band premiered at the Rokajfest.

At the end of 2008, "Balkansko a Nase" came at number 36 of the year's top albums.

In June 2010, he released his best off album Spomen ploča 2002-2009, but he redid the album with his newly formed band, where they would use band instruments as the music and softer vocals.

Osmić was also featured as a judge and performer in the first Red Bull MC Battle that was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia on 23 April 2010. The next year, he was the host for the Bosnian Red Bull MC Battle 2011.

Fifth album (2012-18)

Osmić's fifth studio album, Štrajk mozga, was released in April 2012. The first single was Imaš li ti šta para, followed by the first music video and second single Panika, released on 26 December 2011. The third single was Džigera beat, followed by the fourth single and second music video "Facebook", released on 19 November 2012. The director Filip Filkovic Philatz, who directed both music videos, described the video being a sequel to "Panika" because it is set in the same universe, and is second part of the music video trilogy from the "Štrajk Mozga" album.

Artistry

Influences and rapping technique

Osmić has named several artists that have influenced him, including Rambo Amadeus, TBF, Safet Isović, Miladin Šobić, Azra, Zabranjeno Pušenje, Disciplina Kičme, Atomsko Sklonište, Majke, Rupa u Zidu among others.

His rapping technique is described as having a perfect flow, also his varied subject matter, connecting with his audience, carrying a concept over a series of albums and got most praised for his ability to write brilliant lyrics.

His lyrics have also been described as a variation in connecting emotionally to the viewer. As Anur Hadžiomerspahić says "once you start listening to a Edo Maajka song, when you first start listening it hits you, gives you goosebumps and grabs you by the throat, then the very next verse makes you laugh.

Alter ego

Osmić has an alter ego or pseudonym that he names MC Berbo. He is described as a man who loves fast and expensive cars, women and pop music. Osmić stated that the character of Berbo is the complete opposite of himself and that it is more of a joke than taken seriously.

Themes and lyrical content

Osmić started his career with storytelling songs with the demo songs of "Minimalni rizik" (small risk) and the storytelling/love songs "Mahir i Alma". He is known for his brilliant storytelling ability.

Personal life

Business ventures

In September 2006, Osmić opened up a cafe bar called "No sikiriki", named after his second album. Along with beverages, the cafe also serves his favorite food, ćevapi.

Along with the cafe bar, he also plans to publish a weekly magazine which will only focus on positive things that are happening in everyday life and the music scene.

Sports Hall Incident

Osmić held a concert in the Sports Hall (Dom sportova) in 2005. The sponsor for the concert was T-mobile Croatia. Osmić held a press conference before the concert where he criticized his sponsors for the firing of workers after they changed their "brand". He also explained his decision to work with a telecommunications monopoly by saying that he wanted his ticket for his concert to be 45 kuna or less. He added "you can only do that with a compromise, no one is criticizing Hladno Pivo that they sold out because their sponsor for the tour was Ozujsko beer, whose owners are also foreigners".

UNICEF's Education Action in Bosnia

Osmić was one of three artists that was featured in UNICEF's education program in Bosnia against HIV/AIDS.

Refusal to air music video

At the end of November 2005, a month after Osmić premiered his video for the single Mater Vam Jebem on MTV Adria, HTV and Nova TV refused to air that video spot based on the name of the song and some theorized because the song's lyrics were critical of the countries 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 were made on Osmić's life and career. Croatian Radiotelevision's documentary Edo Maajka - Sevdah o Rodama premiered 27 July 2007 at the Motovun Film Festival.

Movies

Animated

Awards

Davorin/Indexi Awards

Porin Awards

Zlatna Koogla Awards

Crni Mačak Awards