Sagopa Kajmer

Sagopa Kajmer — Biography

Born Yunus Özyavuz on 17 August 1978 in Samsun, Sagopa Kajmer began his career as a local radio DJ before moving to Istanbul to study Persian language and literature at Istanbul University. He first performed under the names DJ Mic Check and Silahsız Kuvvet, forming the group Kuvvetmira in 1998 and appearing on the 1999 compilation Yeraltı Operasyonu.

Adopting the stage name Sagopa Kajmer in the early 2000s, he released albums such as On Kurşun and Bir Pesimistin Gözyaşları and became one of the leading figures of Turkish rap, also contributing music to the film G.O.R.A. In 2005 he founded his own label, Melankolia Müzik, and the following year married fellow rapper Kolera (Esen Güler); the pair went on to record the duet albums İkimizi Anlatan Bir Şey and Bendeki Sen.

He has remained prolific in the years since, releasing albums including Kötü İnsanları Tanıma Senesi, Saydam Odalar, Kalp Hastası, Ahmak Islatan and Kağıt Kesikleri, and is noted as the first rapper to have performed concerts in all 81 provinces of Turkey. In summer 2026 he continued touring as part of the Kültür Yolu Festivali, performing in Van and other cities.