Gru (rapper)

Gru
Гру
Gru at the Ultimate Collection promotion in 2009.
Born
Dalibor Andonov

(1973-03-08)8 March 1973
Dimitrovgrad, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Died9 September 2019(2019-09-09) (aged 46)
Zemun, Serbia
Occupations
  • Musician
  • DJ
  • rapper
  • producer
  • television personality
  • actor
Years active1990–2019
SpouseDanica Prvulović
Children2
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Guitar
  • Drums
  • Bass Guitar
  • Keyboards
Labels

Dalibor Andonov (Serbian Cyrillic: Далибор Андонов, pronounced [dǎliboːr andǒnov]; 8 March 1973 – 9 September 2019), known professionally as Gru,[needs Serbian IPA] was a Serbian musician, DJ, rapper and actor.[1] His song Biću tu from the 1996 album Gru 2, gained him popularity in Eastern Europe, as well as the 2010 release I dalje me žele alongside Serbian rapper Ajs Nigrutin.[2][3] His album Gru 2 is the most commercially successful album in Serbia, selling four million copies, and reaching certified gold status in Serbia.[4] Other than his immense popularity in the Balkans, he is well known in other countries of Eastern and Northern Europe.[5] He has been dubbed The Serbian Rap Machine.[6]

A native of Dimitrovgrad, Andonov started his career in Belgrade, with his earliest demos in 1994, but rose to prominence with his music work in early 1996. Marking the first wave of Serbian hip hop with his debut album Da li imaš pravo?, Andonov produced five albums as a solo artist, out of which four reached gold and platinum status in Serbia.[7][6] The albums included critically and commercially acclaimed songs that topped the Balkan charts, including Srce, Biću tu, Kad se popnem na binu, Kiša, and Da li imaš pravo?, winning him three Serbian Oscars of Popularity, an Indexi Award and a World Music Award.[7] The songs were noted as traditional hip-hop compositions with elements of funk and soul. Since Beograd in 2003, Andonov has stepped down from making albums and has been producing singles.[8] His more recent work incorporates radio friendly melodies, which embarked commercial success, including I dalje me žele, Plan B, Kilo koke and Biću tu (20 godina kasnije), winning an Index Award, an Oscar of Popularity and an MTV Platinum Award.[9][10]

Andonov also had done work for television and film, including appearances in Operacija trijumf, Veliki Brat VIP All Stars and Tvoje lice zvuči poznato.[11] He made his film debut in 1997 as Vanja in Land of Truth, Love & Freedom, and actively composed films, including Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Dorćol-Manhattan. He died on 9 September 2019, following a kite-surfing accident.[12]

  1. ^ "Dalibor Andonov Gru Biografija". poznati.info. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Gru izdao novu verziju Bicu tu". kurir.rs.
  3. ^ "I dalje ga zele! DJ Gru na Uranku". kurir.rs.
  4. ^ "Gruov album najuspesniji u Srbiji". Weebly.com.
  5. ^ "Bila je top riba, a gde je sada?". blic.rs.
  6. ^ a b "Gru 2". discogs.
  7. ^ a b "World Music Awards; section entitled "The Awards"". Archived from the original on 3 October 2000. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Saši čestitala cela estrada". Večernje novosti (in Serbian). 30 June 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Klubu "The Bank" uručena prestižna svetska nagrada za NAJBOLJI KLUB u istočnoj Evropi". Blic.rs.
  10. ^ "VEČERAS U BANK-u PRAVA ADRENALIN DŽANKI PRIČA! DALIBOR ANDONOV GRU OBEĆAVA DOBAR PROVOD!". Dnevnimagazin.rs. 9 December 2018.
  11. ^ "MAJSTORI SINHRONIZACIJE: Ko se krije iza Duška Dugouška, Šilje, Popaja, Sunđera Boba? (FOTO) (VIDEO)". telegraf.rs.
  12. ^ "POGINUO GRU Slavni reper Dalibor Andonov stradao u nesreći u Zemunu". Blic.rs.