ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Xatar, a Kurdish rapper based in Germany, has died, a close friend confirmed to Rudaw on Friday.
“I am now at his home. Unfortunately, the news is true and Xatar has left us,” the friend said, asking to remain anonymous.
Bild, Germany’s daily newspaper, reported the news on Friday, saying he died overnight in Berlin and the cause is unknown.
Fans and fellow artists have posted messages of condolence on the rapper’s final social media posts.
Giwar Hajabi, known professionally as Xatar, was born on December 24, 1981, in Sanandaj, Iran, to Kurdish parents who later sought asylum in Germany.
He developed an interest in music early in life, taking piano lessons as a child. Despite the challenges of growing up as an asylum seeker, he pursued his passion for music throughout his teenage years.
“As a teenager, Hajabi suffered from poverty and marginalization, which he experienced at high school. These difficult circumstances led him to become involved in crime as a young adult, culminating in 2009, when he and three accomplices robbed a gold transport truck,” said Budde Talent Agency (BTA), who represented the rapper.
Xatar continued to pursue his musical ambitions, founding Alles oder Nix Records in 2007 and releasing his debut album in 2008. The label grew into a leading German rap indie brand, BTA said.
Xatar’s songs garnered millions of views, earning him widespread fame.
One of his most well-known tracks, Bayda, a collaboration with Navid Zardi, has amassed over 24 million views on YouTube.