Bligg

by Evan C. GutierrezMarco Bliggensdorfer, better known to Swiss and German rap audiences as Bligg, first emerged as half of the popular hip-hop duo Bligg 'n' Lexx. The pair were among the very first German-language hip-hop recording artists, making their recording debut in 1999 with Schnitzeljagd, followed the next year by their sophomore effort, Nahdisnah. Bligg 'n' Lexx's final joint venture, entitled Du und lch, was released in 2000. Bliggensdorfer wasted no time in reappearing as a solo artist, releasing his debut solo record, Normal, in 2001. On the strength of the single "Alles Schomal Ghort," the album had a strong presence on Swiss charts from its very first week on the market. Bligg rode the wave of success created by Normal for a full three years before releasing the strong follow-up Odyssey (2004). Bligg's most significant success came the following year with the mixtape-style project Okey Dokey, Vol. 1, which featured some of the German language's best-known rap artists, including Stress, Kool Savas, and more. Though Bligg had long enjoyed a large and loyal base of listeners, the Okey Dokey albums (Vol. 2 was released in 2007) claimed fans from across the genre. The Euro-rap veteran released his fifth original solo album, Yves Spink, in the summer of 2007. In the face of rapid growth and stylistic development, German-language rap artists and fans alike continue to look to Bligg as one of the genre's trendsetters and founding fathers.