Shocking News: Rapper Xatar, Age 43, found Dead in Cologne Apartment
Rapper Xatar, known for his crime-themed lyrics, has passed away.
Social media is buzzing with the sad news of German-Kurdish rapper Xatar's (born Giwar Hajabi) sudden demise. At 43, the musician, label founder, and entrepreneur is no more. The authorities are yet to reveal the cause of death.
A spokesperson from the Cologne Public Prosecutor's Office has confirmed the rapper's death, which occurred in a Cologne apartment on Thursday evening. No external factors or violent signs were discovered during the autopsy, but the investigation into his death is still ongoing, searching for possible criminally relevant external influences.
Xatar was born in 1981 to a renowned composer and conductor and a musician in Iran. His family moved to Iraq and then Bonn in the 1980s, where he spent his childhood. Later, he settled in Cologne. In 2008, he founded the label Alles oder Nix Records, which swiftly rose to success in the rap scene, signing talents such as SSIO and Schwesta Ewa.
Notorious Heist and Album from Prison
Xatar made headlines in 2009 when he and accomplices robbed a money transporter, leaving with gold worth €1.7 million. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2011, and his time in prison boosted his popularity as a rapper. His album "Nr 415," named after his prison cell, was recorded in the JVA Rheinbach prison. He was released early in 2014. His 2015 album "Baba aller Babas" reached the top of the German charts.
Xatar was also an active businessman, involved in jewelry, doner kebabs, and shishas. In 2022, he founded the Goldmann Tower in Cologne, envisioning it as the heart of his music label, Goldmann Music. Unfortunately, the company filed for insolvency in 2023. Director Fatih Akin's film "Rheingold" provides a glimpse into Xatar's life story.
Rolling Stone magazine reported that Xatar had recently been battling health issues. He took a day off each week and lost 50 kilograms after a health scare in 2021.
Xatar's former promoter, Marina Buzunashvilli, and fellow rappers Haftbefehl and Farid Bang paid tribute to him on their respective social media platforms.
Source: ntv.de, mdi/dpa
- Rap
- Music
- Crime
[1] As of the latest available information on May 9, 2025, the cause of Xatar's death remains unknown, and there is no public knowledge of any ongoing investigations related to external influences.
- Despite his troubles with the law, such as the notorious heist in 2009 that resulted in an eight-year prison sentence, Xatar's music career continued to thrive, culminating in the top-charting album "Baba aller Babas" in 2015.
- After battling health issues, Xatar took a more careful approach to his life, even taking a day off each week and shedding 50 kilograms following a health scare in 2021.
- Despite his premature demise, Xatar's influence on the rap and music industry remains significant, as evident in the labels he founded, such as Alles oder Nix Records and Goldmann Music.
- It is crucial to note that, at present, the cause of Xatar's death remains a mystery, with no confirmed investigations or findings linking his death to any criminal activity.
