DJ Tomekk

Tomacz Kuklicz (born 11 October 1975), known professionally as DJ Tomekk, is a Polish-born German-based hip hop DJ and record producer. Rappers who have featured in his songs include Ice-T, Fatman Scoop, Khia, Xzibit, Fler, Sido, Kurupt, Lil' Kim, KRS-One, Torch, Afrob, Flavor Flav, and GZA.

DJ Tomekk
DJ Tomekk in 2007
Background information
Birth nameTomasz Kuklicz
Born (1975-10-11) 11 October 1975
Kraków, Poland
OriginGermany
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)
Years active1999–present (solo)

DJ Tomekk's debut album, Return of Hip Hop, was released in 2001, and was followed by Beat of Life Vol. 1 in 2003 and Numma Eyns ("Number One") in 2005.

Early life

Tomekk was born in Kraków, Poland. His father was a Moroccan pianist and his mother a visual artist. At the age of 10, Tomekk met a DJ for the first time and was inspired by his work. That same year, his father emigrated to Germany and Tomekk followed him to West Berlin, where he lived in Berlin's Wedding district and attended the Diesterweg High School. His father died five years later. Tomekk lived in the children's home "Frohsinn" in Wedding from the age of 15 to 18. During this time he met the rapper Sido, five years his junior. Sido would later dedicate one of his songs to Tomekk. As a teenager, Tomekk got his own radio show on 98.8 KISS FM Berlin called "Boogie Down Berlin". At 17, he made his first recording contract with Stuff Records, and in 1991 released the single "OC featuring MC Mis One".[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Career

1992–2002

In 1993, DJ Tomekk invited Kurtis Blow to Kiss FM Berlin. Coincidentally, Kurtis Blow needed a short-term replacement DJ and offered the position to Tomekk. After that, Tomekk toured with him for a year through the east and west coast of the US, the east coast and west coast. While he was barely known in Germany, he already appeared in the US together with Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Ice-T, the Wu-Tang Clan, LL Cool J and KRS-One. After their US tour, Tomekk returned to Europe where he continued to tour with Blow.[8]

In November 1993, Tomekk was honored for his work by the City of Los Angeles for Peace and International Understanding.[9] In 1994, DJ Tomekk became the first non-US American to be nominated for the 1st Annual Rap Music Award.[10][11] 5. Juli 1996 that year he toured with the band Reality Brothers and acts as opening act at Reggea Summer Jam by Ziggy Marley.

From the mid-nineties DJ Tomekk produced his first compilations and mixtapes, where he frequently integrated American and German artists together in his songs. In 1998, he founded one of the first hip hop labels "Hip Hop Büro Berlin" with Ronny Boldt, a roommate of his flat-sharing community in Berlin Mitte. Here, first mixtapes were produced on a cassette copying machine.

In 1999, Tomekk produced the single "1, 2, 3, ... Rhymes Galore", which featured Grandmaster Flash, Flavor Flav, Afrob, Jazzy Jeff, and MC Rene. The song stayed in the German Top 10 charts for several weeks, peaking at number 6 in the German charts. 1999 he produced a remix for Jay Z's "Anything", which rose to number 9 in the US charts on the 12" vinyl "Anything (The Berlin Remixes)". His second single, "Ich lebe für Hip Hop", featured GZA, Prodigal Sunn, Curse and the Stieber Twins, and reached number 11 in Germany. In 2000, DJ received a Comet award as the best national newcomer.[12] In 2001, he released the single "Return of Hip Hop (Ooh, Ooh)", featuring KRS-One, Torch and MC Rene, and later that year, released his first album. A short time later, DJ Tomekk released his first album, also entitled Return of Hip Hop.

In 2001 he went to the studio with Shaquille O'Neal. Their music was used for the America-wide advertising campaign against drink driving.[13] That same year, he produced the single "Beat of Life" with Ice-T, which stayed in the German charts for 9 weeks, peaking at number 12.

From July 2001 Tomekk ran a biofarm near Berlin with guest apartments and studios. Here artists from all over the world produce and young musicians are supported. Under his label Boogie Down Berlin he was booked by many American hip hop and RNB artists as a producer. In 2002, his song "Kimnotyze" with Lil' Kim reached number 6 in Germany.

2003–2013
DJ Tomekk in 2005

In 2003, DJ Tomekk released with American rapper Kurupt the single "Ganxtaville Pt. III", which placed fifth on the German charts, as well as in the charts of Austria and Switzerland. He toured with his Boogie Down Berlin crew (DJ Noppe, Saeed, Trooper Da Don), where he completed about 150 appearances.

In 2008, Tomekk featured in the third series of German reality show Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! but was evicted by RTL Television for making a Nazi salute and singing "Deutschland über Alles". In response, Tomekk stated his actions were clearly a joke that was not intended to incite racism, noting among other things that his wife is African.[14]

On the occasion of their 20th stage anniversary, DJ Tomekk and Kurtis Blow jointly released the single "The Legendary Hip Hop Sway" about 20 years DJ Tomekk and MC Kurtis under the label "Boogie Down Berlin" with a video[15] and won the Music recording certification in gold.[16]

2013–present

DJ Tomekk renounced all drugs and began campaigning against drug use as a speaker, author and sponsor.[17]

In 2016, he released the single "Lonely" with Dante Thomas.[18] and in 2019 the single "Never Give Up" with M.O.P.

Discography

Albums
Year Album Chart Positions
GER
[19]		 AUT
[20]		 SWI
[21]
2001 Return of Hip Hop 5 49 27
2003 Beat of Life Vol. 1 55 — —
2005 Numma Eyns 39 67 96
2006 Best of DJ Tomekk — — —
2007 The Next Generation Mixtape — — —
"—" denotes a record that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles
Year Single Chart Positions
GER
[19]		 AUT
[20]		 SWI
[21]		 BEL
[22][23]
1999 "1, 2, 3, ... Rhymes Galore" (featuring Grandmaster Flash, Flavor Flav, MC Rene and Afrob) 6 9 34 —
2000 "Ich lebe für Hip Hop" (featuring GZA, Curse, Prodigal Sunn and Stieber Twins) 11 31 17 —
2001 "Return of Hip Hop (Ooh, Ooh)" (featuring KRS-One, Torch and MC Rene) 13 64 22 —
2002 "How You Like That (Ja, Ja, Ja)" (featuring Shaquille O'Neal) 68 — — —
2002 "Kimnotyze" (featuring Lil' Kim and Trooper Da Don) 6 31 43 38
2003 "Beat of Life" (featuring Ice-T, Sandra Nasić and Trigga tha Gambler) 12 52 100 —
2003 "Ganxtaville Pt. III" (featuring Kurupt, G-Style and Tatwaffe) 5 30 22 —
2003 "Dankbar" (featuring Trooper Da Don, G-Style, Tatwaffe and Said) 31 56 72 —
2004 "Party" (featuring Lil O) 45 — — —
2005 "Jump, Jump" (featuring Fler and G-Hot) 3 17 25 —
2005 "Eey Yo (Eeeeins)" (featuring Das Bo) 64 — — —
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.

Remixes

Awards

Juice Awards

  • 1999: Category Best Producer

1 Live Krone

  • 2000: in Category Best Producer

Bravo Otto

  • 2000: Gold in Category HipHop National
  • 2002: Silber in Category HipHop National
  • 2003: Silber in Category HipHop National

Comet Award

  • 2000: Category "Best Newcomer"

Other awards

  • 2003: Rap Music Award
  • MC Mega Music Award

References
  1. Childhood: … Tomekk lived the children's home "Frohsinn", Father was Moroccan Pianist ... on Website from "TAZ", Retrieved 25 January 2019
  2. Tomekk lived the children's home "Frohsinn".on Website from "BILD" , Retrieved 25 January 2019
  3. SIDO about Tomekk, Tomekk remixed SIDOs first great HIT in Germany "Mein Block" (my block), on RAP.de, Retrieved 25 January 2019
  4. SIDO record a song "T.O.M.E.K.K." with verses like "… dj's of germany: here is your king!" on YouTube, Retrieved 25 January 2019
  5. Single "OC featuring MC Mis One" on mp3flac, Retrieved 25 January 2019
  6. JAM FM announces a regular program with Tomekk and writes: even as a teenager, he presented his own radio show at Berlin's Kiss FM with "Boogie Down Berlin.", Retrieved 25 January 2019
  7. Autograph card by Tomekk at Kiss FM on official Website from DJ Tomekk, Retrieved 22 January 2019
  8. Note on official Website from DJ Tomekk, Retrieved 22 January 2019
  9. Certification on official Website from DJ Tomekk, Retrieved 22 January 2019
  10. be nominated for the 1st Annual Rap Music Award on Website from "Morgenpost", Retrieved 22 January 2019
  11. be nominated for the 1st Annual Rap Music Award on Website from "BILD", Retrieved 22 January 2019
  12. "Gestern wurde der Viva Comet verliehen". Intro.de (in German). 29 September 2000. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019.
  13. Interview with Tomekk about his work with Shaq O’Neal "Don't drink and drive"-radio campaign, Retrieved 25 January 2019
  14. "TV Show Kicks Out Contestant for Making Hitler Salute". Spiegel. 23 January 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012.
  15. The Text of the song is just about Kurtis Blow and DJ Tomekk, Retrieved 25 January 2019
  16. Photography with Kurtis Blow and DJ Tomekk with the golden album on official Website from DJ Tomekk, Retrieved 22 January 2019
  17. DJ Tomekk renounced all drugs and began campaigning against drug use as a speaker, author and sponsor. on Website from "STERN", Retrieved 22 January 2019
  18. DJ Tomekk and Dante Thomas single "lonely"on abnewswire, Retrieved 22 January 2019
  19. "DJ Tomekk - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  20. "Discographie DJ Tomekk - austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  21. "Discographie DJ Tomekk - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  22. Steffen Hung. "DJ Tomekk feat. Lil' Kim & Trooper Da Don - Kimnotyze". swisscharts.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  23. "Discografie DJ Tomekk". ultratop.be. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
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