German rap: Xatar is dead – he was 43 years old

Rapper Xatar has died at the age of 43. The musician, whose real name was Giwar Hajabi, was found dead in a Cologne apartment on Thursday evening, a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office said. Numerous associates of Xatar are mourning the musician on social media.

The public prosecutor's office has initiated an investigation into the rapper's death. It aims to clarify whether there are any indications of "criminally relevant third-party negligence" in the rapper's death. An autopsy was also conducted for this purpose. "No external signs of violence were found," it stated. However, the investigation is ongoing.

Xatar was born in Iran to a composer and conductor father and a musician mother and came to Germany with his parents in the 1980s. In 2009, Xatar and his accomplices robbed a gold transporter, stole gold worth around €1.7 million, and fled abroad. He was later arrested in Iraq, extradited to Germany, and sentenced to prison. He was released early in 2014, but the stolen gold never resurfaced. Xatar subsequently enjoyed success as a rapper. He has collaborated with the musician Haftbefehl, among others. Xatar's last album, "Hrrr," was released in 2021.

In 2022, Fatih Akin's film "Rheingold," which explores Xatar's life story, was released in cinemas. Xatar was also a busy businessman. He also earned money in the jewelry business and owned a kebab shop and a shisha bar. The musician leaves behind a wife and several children.