Sifu VERSUS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sifu VERSUS | |
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| Origin | Thessaloniki, Greece |
| Years active | 1996 - Present |
| Genres | Hip-Hop |
| Labels | Boom Box Ent. |
Born Nikolaos Domvros (Νικόλαος Δόμβρος) in Thessaloniki, Greece, Sifu VERSUS is one of the most well known names in Greek hip hop, both in and out of the country.
Considered by many as one of the most influential underground artists, Sifu VERSUS is part of the so-called Second Wave of Hip Hop in Greece, being active since 1996.
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[edit] Early Years
Sifu VERSUS made his first appearance under this handle in November of 1996 at a freestyle rapping session, during a Greek group's concert. Earlier recording attempts under different aliases never really saw the light, but his mini performance that night was what marked the official beginning of his endeavor in music. Hip Hop was virtually an infant in Greece back then, and Sifu VERSUS quickly embarked on a live performance saga, as well as the traditional hand-to-hand circulation of his demo tapes. Being a member of ICU (Ill Crew Universal) at that time, he contributed the track E Arkhi tu Telus su (Η Αρχή του Τέλους Σου/The Beginning of Your End) in the organization's third compilation, ICU 3: The Death of Hip Hop (1997), right before winning a freestyle rapping contest, hosted by Coolio. This led to his appearance in Greece's premiere television music show of the time, Jammin', subsequently gaining more exposure to the local media.
[edit] Athens Era
Sifu VERSUS was a firm supporter of Imiskoumbria during a time when Hip Hop cores in Greece were fighting against the group's popularity. This landed him on a guest appearance in Imiskoumbria's fourth album, 2030 (1999) (the first Greek release through legendary Hip Hop label Def Jam), and on a record deal with Universal Greece. After moving to Athens and while working on his first official solo album, he joined forces with Imiskoumbria, Dr. Dreez, Sexpyr & Vanilla and Mariletta to form La Klikaria, the first super group in the short history of Greek hip hop, leading to the release of the self titled album in 2000. Under circumstances that still remain unknown to the public, Sifu VERSUS left the group and set his work on his solo album aside.
[edit] Bobby Dega
Bobby Dega was an alias Sifu VERSUS went by between 1999 and 2003. Initially used as a gimmick (the name is a pun on the word bodega), the Bobby Dega identity eventually became an alter ego. As the artist himself explained, Bobby Dega would be the one keeping the balance by recording underground type of material, at a time when Sifu VERSUS was getting lost in the pursue of fame and money, eventually locking the latter in a cellar.[1] After his departure from Athens, Sifu VERSUS participated in Thessalonian rap collective 031, using the Bobby Dega handle (notably, recording in English), while making sporadic appearances as a performer.
The Bobby Dega saga ended in 2003, when Sifu VERSUS made a rather strong comeback (more details below). The self-produced Doppelgänger chronicles the final confrontation of Sifu VERSUS with Bobby Dega, in the form of a much heated conversation between the two characters. In the track, the artist is directly criticizing his own decisions and actions, also giving one of the best recorded performances in Greek hip hop till date, succesfully playing the roles of both Sifu and Dega. Critics, peers and audience consider Doppelgänger to be Sifu VERSUS' magnum opus.
It is alleged that a full length Bobby Dega album had been recorded during that period. However, this has been unconfirmed by the artist.
[edit] The Comeback
Between 2001 and 2003, Sifu VERSUS' appearances were scarce, mainly due to his service in the Hellenic Air Force. June 2003 was marked by his official comeback on stage, at the No Borders festival in Sofia, Bulgaria. He crossed roads with Coolio once more, opening for him in Sofia, shortly after his performance at No Borders. The Internet release of Hip Hop Dhidhakhi (Hip Hop Διδαχή/Hip Hop Teachings) in January of 2004 was nothing but a success, scoring more than 20,000 downloads. He contributed the face off with his alter ego, Bobby Dega, titled Doppelgänger, in the 2004 compilation, To Dhiastimoplio (Το Διαστημόπλοιο/The Spaceship), receiving critical acclaim and wide fan acceptance for the lyrical content and his performance. He released the Yeerasko Ai Dhidhaskomenos EP (Γηράσκω Αεί Διδασκόμενος/I Grow Old, Always Learning) independently later that year, while he extensively performed in and out of Greece. He was featured as a guest rapper in German rap group Soda Rap Set's Ausfahrt Freihalten (2004), while he served as a hypeman for Boston based Hip Hop group, 7L & Esoteric.
[edit] New Era
In 2005, Sifu VERSUS became the first Greek to perform at the Hip Hop Kemp, Europe's leading Hip Hop festival (and still remains the only Greek hip hop act to hold a show on the festival's prestigious Bbaràk Main Stage). Later that year, the Greek audience experienced the first large scale MC battle, The Ultimate Battle of MCs (in the fashion of the equivalent aspect of the Scribble Jam). Sifu VERSUS left as a winner that night, leading to new found media interest. He participated as a guest rapper in Goin' Through's Vendetta (2006), while he has announced his next project, an album titled To Pempto Stikhio (Το Πέμπτο Στοιχείο/The Fifth Element). Rumor has it that he has joined Greek Hip Hop label Family, but according to the artist's myspace page, his album will be released independently.
[edit] References
2nd Interview in hiphop.gr (17/01/2006): [1]
- ^ Interview with Sifu VERSUS (10.17.2003), found at http://www.hiphop.gr/page/442.cfm, retrieved on 08.26.2006
