Azis hop biography

“Gypsy music makes you feel things that you wouldn’t have expected that kind of music to make you feel. You know the saying ‘if you’ve never made love to a Gypsy, you’ve never made love?’” Bulgaria’s biggest musical star, Azis, is talking about his taboo-breaking career. Today, the word “gypsy” is heard less and less. Yet, Azis is fiercely proud of his heritage and he refers to himself as such throughout this interview.

His popularity has reached dizzying heights; he was the most Googled name in Bulgaria in 2015 and the YouTube video of his latest release ‘Habibi’ has reached over 27 million views. Back in March the New York Times’ put “Habibi” alongside tracks from musical giants like David Bowie and Justin Bieber on its list of “25 songs that tell us where music is going”.

As recently as five years ago it would’ve been unlikely that an artist from Eastern Europe presenting a very specific musical genre, as Azis does, would have gained recognition from a major international publication. But things have changed. “The publicity around me and my song ‘Habibi’ gave me wings that no other singer in Europe has been given,” he says. “That’s a fact, because the only non-English speaking performer on that list is me,” the si