Kolja Goldstein

The gruff and declamatory Kolja Goldstein is among Germany's most commercially successful rappers. Depending on the source, he was born in either Valletta, Malta, or Augsburg, Germany, and was raised in both countries. The back story he claims includes prison stints and involvement with drug trafficking, and his lyrics have been reflective of that lifestyle since his 2016 debut with the single "Bereit." After releasing well over a dozen additional singles, Goldstein first reached the German chart as the featured artist on NGEE's "Von da wo ich komme" (2022), and this set the stage for the Top Ten success of Global (2023), his first album. The subsequent full-length projects Interpol (2024) and Kouwe Ouwe (2025), along with the Dú Maroc collaboration Effectif, have made him a regular presence in the upper reaches of the album chart.