Casper (rapper)

Casper was born in Lemgo in North Rhine-Westphalia to a German mother and an American father, Arlen Griffey, who was a soldier stationed in Lemgo.^[3] His family moved to Augusta, Georgia, in the United States, when he was two weeks old, where he lived in a trailer park.^[3][1] At the age of 11, he moved back to Germany and settled in Bielefeld with his mother and younger sister.^[4] Despite his mother being German, he had not been raised bilingually and therefore struggled at school initially.^[3]

Casper was involved in many studio recordings with other German rappers, such as Abroo and Separate. Together they founded the hip-hop group Kinder des Zorns. In 2004, they released Rap Art War, their first and only album.

In 2006, he released a mixtape called Die Welt hört mich with the label 667 – One More Than the Devil. In the two years following the release of Die Welt hört mich, he toured through Germany, and on 9 May 2008, he released his first album, Hin zur Sonne via the 667 record label.

In February 2009, he left 667 Records and signed a contract with Selfmade Records. Together with Kollegah, Favorite and Shiml, who were also signed to Selfmade Records, they released Chronik 2 in April 2009.

In October 2010, Casper left Selfmade Records and signed a new contract with Four Music.^[5] His second album, XOXO, was released on 8 July 2011.^[2]

Casper is known for his slightly hoarse sounding voice: this was as a result of him having played in punk and hardcore bands in the early days of his music career which resulted in some damage to his vocal cords.^[6]

Casper has often been labelled as an "emo rapper", which he also uses to describe himself, stating that he was fed up of being asked about his style.^[7] His lyrics are mainly autobiographical, in particular in the song "Hin zur Sonne", describing his early life in America.

Albums

• 2008: Hin zur Sonne
• 2011: XOXO
• 2013: Hinterland
• 2017: Lang lebe der Tod
• 2018: 1982 together with Marteria
• 2022: Alles war schön und nichts tat weh
• 2023: Nur Liebe, immer.

Mixtapes

• 2006: Die Welt hört mich
• 2007: Exclusive Mixtape (online mixtape)

EPs

• 2003: Grundstein
• 2011: Auf und davon - EP

Freetracks

• 2006: Kann nicht verlieren
• 2006: Sie lieben mich jetzt
• 2007: Party wie die Rockstars
• 2008: Nie wieder (feat. Prinz Pi)
• 2011: Nie Wieder (Akustik Version) (feat. Prinz Pi)
• 2012: Nie Auf (with Cro feat. Timid Tiger)
• 2012: Halbe Mille

Collaborations

• 2004: Rap Art War (Kinder des Zorns album)
• 2009: Chronik 2 - sampler with Kollegah, Shiml and Favorite
• 2018: 1982 - album with Marteria

Singles

• 2009: Herz aus Holz 2009
• 2009: Mittelfinger hoch feat. Kollegah, Shiml and Favorite
• 2011: So perfekt
• 2011: Michael X
• 2011: Auf und davon
• 2013: Im Ascheregen
• 2013: Hinterland
• 2013: Jambalaya
• 2014: Alles endet (aber nie die Musik)
• 2016: Lang lebe der Tod feat. Blixa Bargeld, Dagobert & Sizarr
• 2017: Keine Angst feat. Drangsal [de]
• 2017: Alles ist erleuchtet
• 2018: Champion Sound with Marteria
• 2018: Supernova with Marteria
• 2018: Chardonnay & Purple Haze with Marteria

• Casper is a fan of the football club Arminia Bielefeld. His song "Eines Tages" is dedicated to Arminia Bielefeld.^[8][9]
• In the 1LIVE Schulduell (School duel), the winning school, Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium in Düsseldorf, won an exclusive concert with Casper.^[10]