Ģirts Rozentāls (born July 21, 1979), better known by his stage name Ozols (in
Latvian –
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
) is a Latvian
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, writer, record producer and entrepreneur from
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
. His musical career began in 1995, with the first
hip hop group in
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
called ''FACT''.
Music career
Ozols is regarded as one of the founders of hip hop music in Latvia in the mid-1990s. After spending six years in a hip hop group called ''FACT'' where he wrote songs together with
Gustavo
Gustavo is the Latinate form of a Germanic male given name with respective prevalence in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. It has been a common name for Swedish monarchs since the reign of Gustav Vasa.
It is derived from Gustav /ˈɡʊstɑːv/, a ...
and Čižiks, he started his solo career at the beginning of the 2000s with his debut single "Neko 2005" (2000), followed by his debut album ''
Cieņa un mīlestība'' (2001; Respect and Love). His appearance using shiny accessories, baggy clothes, and a "gangster image" was a shock to local musicians and listeners at the time. In 2009 Platforma Music label released Ozols' 19-track album ''Neatkarība'' (Independence) featuring Nātre, Rays, Kurts, Pikaso, A.G., b-ūš and New York rapper
Afu-ra
Aaron Phillip (born January 31, 1974), better known by his stage name Afu-Ra, is an American underground rapper. A member of the Gang Starr Foundation, he has worked closely with its members, including Gang Starr, Jeru the Damaja, Big Shug an ...
.
In 2015, after a few years of silence, Ozols returned to the Latvian music scene with his fifth studio album ''
Atpakaļ nākotnē'' (Back to the Future).
On November 12, 2018, Ozols released his sixth studio album ''
Neona pilsēta'' (Neon City).
During his career, Ozols has performed in the
Latvian Song and Dance Festival
The Latvian Song and Dance Festival ( lv, Vispārējie latviešu Dziesmu un Deju svētki) is one of the largest amateur choral and dancing events in the world and an important event in Latvian culture and social life.
As one of the Baltic song ...
, reached the status of the "Golden disc" with the album ''Cieņa un mīlestība,'' and received the Latvian Music Records Annual Award four times.
Business career
In 2014, Ozols founded the clothing shop "Hoodshop," which sells clothes, shoes books and vinyl records. Earlier, the musician owned the shop "Street shop."
Personal life
In 2016, he married "Promoart.lv" artist Eva Rozentāle (''née'' Poņemecka). He has a daughter named Naomi from a previous relationship.
Discography
Singles
* "Neko 2005" (2000)
* "O.Z.O.L.S" (2001)
* "OzRaps/O'79" (2002)
* "Mirāža" (2012)
* "Piemēri" (2013)
* "Sapņotājs" (2013)
* "Ilgojos" (2014)
* "Superhaips" (2015)
* "Situācijas" (ft. Edavārdi) (2016)
* "Laika kapsula" (2016)
* "Pasaule" (ft. Tehnikums) (2017)
* "Personības rekords" (2018)
* "Stils" (2018)
* "Zapte" (2019)
* "Levitē" (2019)
Albums
* "Cieņa un mīlestība" (2001)
* "Augstāk, tālāk, stiprāk" (2002)
* "Dūzis" (2003)
* "Neatkarība" (2009)
* "Cieņa un mīlestība" (2015)
* "Atpakaļ nākotnē" (2015)
* "Semestris" ft. Tehnikums (2017)
* "Neona Pilsēta" (2018)
Annual Latvian Music Recording Awards
Nominations
* "Salauzta sirds" ft. Dons (song of the year 2019)
* "Semestris" ft. Tehnikums (best hip hop album 2018)
* "Tu vari tēlot" ft. Tehnikums (best music video 2018)
* "Situācijas" ft. Edavārdi (best music video 2017)
* "Atpakaļ nākotnē" (best music video 2016)
Received awards
* "Neona pilsētas" (best hip hop album 2019)
* "Salauzta sirds" ft.
Dons (best radio hit 2019)
* "Salauzta sirds" ft. Dons (best song 2019)
* "Atpakaļ nākotnē" (best hip hop album 2016)
References
{{reflist
1979 births
Living people
Latvian rappers
Latvian songwriters
Latvian hip hop musicians