Gru (rapper)

This article is about Serbian rapper. For other uses, see Gru (disambiguation).

Gru
Born	Dalibor Andonov (1973-03-08) 8 March 1973 Dimitrovgrad, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Occupations	Musician Disc Jockey Rapper Producer Television Personality Actor
Years active	1995–present
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Funk Hip-hop Rap
Instruments	Vocals Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Keyboards

Dalibor Andonov (Serbian Cyrillic: Далибор Андонов pronounced [dãli'bor andonov]; born 8 March 1973), known professionally as Gru, is a Serbian rapper, musician and DJ, based in Belgrade. 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. His album Gru 2 remains the most commercially successful album in Serbia to date, selling 4 million copies, and reaching certified gold status in Serbia. Due to his eminent impact on Serbian music, he has been dubbed The Serbian Rap Machine.

A Dimitrovgrad native, Andonov started his career in Belgrade, with his earliest demos in 1994, but rose to prominence with his DJ work in early 1996. In total, he had produced 5 albums as a solo artist, out which 3 were nominated and won numerous awards. The award-winning albums included songs that topped the Balkan charts, counting Srce, Biću tu, Kad se popnem na binu, Dosta mi je svega, Kiša, Da li imaš pravo and Gru In. The production of these albums also included co-production by various Serbian record labels, including Komuna, City Records and Jugodisk.

Andonov also had done work for television and movies, either producing music, voicing characters for Serbian dubs or presenting himself in various reality shows or movies. He performed in Operacija trijumf, was a contestant in the Serbian Big Brother, Veliki brat and produced instrumentals for the Serbian Your Face Sounds Familiar, Tvoje lice zvuči poznato. His voice acting repertoire includes Squilliam Fancyson in the Serbian dub for Spongebob Squarepants, Marlin for Finding Nemo, Artie Ziff for The Simpsons, Dr. Blowhole for Penguins of Madagascar and Ralph for Wreck It Ralph. Andonov made his official film debut in 2000 as Petar in Land of Truth, Love & Freedom, but had composed for the movies, including Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Dorcol-Manhattan.

Biography

Early life

Andonov was born in Dimitrovgrad to Serbian parents. He was born of parental Bosnian, Russian, Montenegrin and Bulgarian descent. His last name, Andonov, has mixed Bulgarian-Macedonian roots. His family relocated to Pančevo, where Andonov spent his childhood. In Pančevo, Andonov attended trade school. Though he did not show any academic success, he showed passion for music, citing Earth, Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Tupac Shakur, and Michael Jackson as his favourite artists growing up. During his education, he played basketball and waterpolo professionally, and avidly snowboarded and played football. After high school, he went to study business, but never finished due to his love for music. After, he had moved to Belgrade, where he began to produce music and MC. Soon he became skilled at DJ-ing, beginning to MC in the early nineties. His DJ-ing style resembled the one of Nigerian-Swedish recording artist Dr. Alban, which he idolised at the time. Andonov had choose the stage name Gru, from the music term which senses propulsive rhythmic feel or dynamics, groove.

1994-1999: Debut album and Gru 2 (Biću tu)

He began his career in 1990, as a founding member in the Yugoslav recording act Project 6, which disbanded in 1993. His first demo recording as a vocal soloist was produced in 1994, although his first public releases date back to 1995, with the album Da li imaš pravo? (Do You Have The Right?) which marked the beginning of the first wave of Serbian hip hop. His debut album was recorded at Studio Jugodisk and Studio Avalon from 24 October until 10 December 1994, although it was released a year after. In the first recording he collaborated with Enco, who was featured only in that recording, more specifically in the sequence Život je lep (Life is beautiful). Enco (born 25 September 1975) is a retired Tanzanian-born Serbian-based vocalist and DJ who has not done any other recording since the collaboration with Gru. Andonov, in contrast to him, didn't quit the profession.

Andonov published the album Gru 2 in October 1996, and it gained him notoriety in the Balkan countries, becoming the most commercially successful album in Serbia to date, selling 4 million copies, which holds the record as the best-selling album in Balkan history. The songs in the album had various different themes and topics, from emotional ballads (Dosta mi je svega/Poludecu) to gangster anthems (Srce). Gru 2 contains the most songs done as alliances with other Serbian musicians of all his albums. These include Leto (Summer), with Leontina Vukomanović and U-Stuff, Srce (Heart) with Leontina Vukomanović and Nenad Jovanović, Dosta mi je svega/Poludecu (I'm done with everything/I'm going crazy) with Srđan Babović and Dejan Ivanković, Čovek je čoveku vuk (A man is a man's wolf) with CYA and ILaLa, Petak (Friday) with Bojan Todorov and Coca, and Biću tu with Niggor of the Monteniggers. All songs featured lyrics and music arranged by Andonov, with guitar playing done by Voja Aralica, and co-writing done by Dejan Ivanković Betoven, who was a guest vocalist on Dosta mi je svega/Poludecu. The album was produced by producer Srđan Babović, on behalf of the label Komuna. Gru 2 was recorded at Studio Puž.

The track Biću tu (I'll be there) from the album, became his signature song, and became an evergreen Serbian rap song, incorporating elements of soul and funk, into hip-hop and rap. A song heavily hinted by prostitution, Biću tu was accompanied by an infamous music video, which was controversial due to the provocative contents in it. Parallel to it rising Gru to prominence, the song was also credited to have found the balance between commercialisation and underground. As the Gru 2 album made Andonov a household name in Eastern Europe, it earned him two Serbian Oscars of Popularity, once for the album itself, and once for the single.

In 1999, he helped produce the Full Moon and Monteniggers single Ja se vraćam u svoj hram, which is considered first drum & bass song in Serbia at the time, thus it garnered massive attention due to the relative innovation. He won the Serbian Oscar of Popularity for Best Concert, premiering the album Vetrenjače (Windmills). Windmills also gained the honorific title as certified gold in Serbia, claimed in 2000. Songs from the album merged hip hop with swing, which was another autochthon creation in Serbian music done by Gru.

2000-2010: Albums and hiatus

In 2000, Metropolis Records published a rendition of his debut album Da li imaš pravo 5 years after the original issue, on CD, in contrast to the original which was exclusively on the casset. The rendition included various guests, including Serbian music producer Marko Kon, hip-hop group CYA, rapper Đorđe Radivojević Ramirez (ex Sunshine), Bojan Todorov and Vladimir Ilić. He also had his film debut in the flick Land of Truth, Love & Freedom as Petar Peca, and composed the soundtrack for Dorcol-Manhattan.

In 2002, he released the album Između redova (Between the Lines), on which he had worked on for 7 years with the label City Records, since 1995 until 2002. The song MF "Gru – Ko Je Gru?" (MF Gru - Who is Gru?), went in a new direction in contrast to the other songs featured on the album, as it interpreted the musical style of eurodance, hence it's bolded as a remix. Biću tu was released yet again in the album due to the enormous popularity it generated. That same year, he was invited by Prva Srpska Televizija to voice various characters for the Serbian versions of popular cartoons. He voiced Squilliam Fancyson for the Serbian dub for Spongebob Squarepants and Artie Ziff for The Simpsons.

In 2003, he released Beograd (Belgrade). Songs Doktore and Tamo gde si ti featured guest vocals from Mario Jovanović from the band Rhythm Attack and from Bane Danilović from Who Is The Best. The same year, he was featured on Marchelo's album De Facto, more specifically the song Bolji život (Better life), where Marchelo provided guest vocals. Beograd also featured the chart-topping success Stara škola, nova škola, which was done as a collective work with rappers Juice, Shorty, Sky Wikluh and MC Drejz.

In 2004, he re-recorded Kiša (Rain), from his 2003 album Beograd. The 2004 version included vocals provided by Macedonian recording artist Tijana Dapčević. He provided the voice for Marlin for the Serbian Finding Nemo, and acted in the Poslednja Nova Godina that same year.

In 2006, he co-wrote the soundtrack and composed Adrenaline Junkie for the American film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing. He went on an international tour in June 2006, having shows in Australia, The United Kingdom, South Africa, the United States, and France.

From 2007 to 2010, Andonov remained inactive in the Balkan rap scene. In an interview, he stated that he didn't produce music, but he did DJ and perform. He did an international tour in 2009, rapping in Canada, Scandinavia and Germany. He announced that he helped produced the Nisam Ljubomoran (I'm not jealous) single by Montenegrin-born singer Vlado Georgiev in his Georgiev's recording studio Barba in 2005.

Even though he was inactive until 2010, in 2009 City Records launched The Ultimate Collection, which was composed out of his most popular songs at the time. The songs in order were Pravo U Raj (Right In Heaven), Da Li Imaš Pravo (Do You Have The Right), MF Gru (MF Gru), Srce (Heart), Biću Tu (I'll Be There), Petak (Friday), Preko (Over),Šampion (Champion), Adrenalin Džanki (Adrenaline Junkie), Ljuba Nudi Ljubav (Love Offers Love), Mišel (Michelle), Lagana Lerka (Light Daughter), U Vašem Svetu II (In Your World 2),Nebo Ispod Zemlje (Sky Below the Earth), Samo Sex ... (Only Sex...), Pizza Vegetariana II (Pizza Vegetariana 2), Pravi broj (Real Number), Stara Škola, Nova Škola (Old School, New School). The songs were published as a rendition due to the refreshed motives of RnB and Swing music.

By the end of 2009, Andonov had cut ties with the Serbian record label City Records who have done production for his both compilation albums.

Andonov in late 2009 had done appearances for television, for Veliki brat and Operacija trijumf. Andonov was a contestant in the third version of the Serbian version of Big Brother, titled Veliki Brat. He participated in the All Stars version, and reached 2nd place as a finalist. He also took part in the seventh gala for Operacija trijumf, alongside Croatian musician Dado Topić and Macedonian vocalist Kaliopi on 10 November. At the time, when the three artists formed the seventh gala, Mirjana Kostić and Kristijan Jovanov were expelled, while contestants Adnan Babajić and Milica Majstorović were nominated. Later, he helped produce the song "Bistra voda" for Mirjana Kostić and performed shows alongside her.

2010-present: I dalje me žele, Dugme po dugme, Biću tu (20 godina kasnije)

Efforts to truly assert and gain international acclaim yet again came after the 5-year hiatus, in 2010 when Andonov alongside Serbian rapper Ajs Nigrutin, released I dalje me žele (They Still Want Me) as a hip hop duet, which gained him relevance yet again. The rap song had similar motives as Biću tu, hence the massive fame it generated. Due to the enormous popularity it amassed, it appeared as a hip-hop background in many Serbian movies, such as Crven Novac (Red Money) in 2013. It also appeared in the third episode of the first season of the Serbian version of the widely popular imitation show Your Face Sounds Familiar in late 2013, which was interpreted by hip-hop artist and Andonov's colleague Sky Wikluh of Bad Copy, who imitated Andonov, alongside folk singer Snežana Babić Sneki, who played the role of Ajs Nigrutin. Wikluh reached 8th place out of 10, with 17 points, while Babić, better known as Sneki, reached 4th place with 38 points.

In 2012, he was cast as the official voice dub for Ralph, the protagonist of the Disney 3D computer-animated comedy film Wreck It Ralph. The same year, Andonov toured the US for 3 months, performing in California and later returned to DJ in his native Dimitrovgrad.

In early 2013, he landed a role as the dub for Dr. Blowhole in the Nickelodeon-based animated TV show Penguins of Madagascar. In late 2013, it was revealed that Andonov collaborated with Marchelo, another eminent rapper in Serbia, and his crew on a new book-album titled Napet Šou (Tense Show), which was published in October 2014. The album is composed of 18 tracks which were recorded with contribution from over 30 artists, which included Andonov. Gru collaborated with Juice and Napoleon on the track Šta da radim sad (What Do I Do Now).

In 2014, Andonov collaborated with recording artist and producer Stefan Đurić Rasta for the track Dugme po dugme (Button per button). The single achieved fame due to it having elements of trap music and Serbian turbo-folk. Andonov also published the EP Samo za tvoje oči (Only for Your eyes) with the single Dugme po dugme. The single also attributed vocals from Noizy and Kastro Zizo, the most distinguished Albanian hip-hop vocalists and artists. He toured Asia in October 2014, and performed and MC-ed in The Philippines, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. In December 2014, he performed Merry Christmas Everyone as Shakin' Stevens for the second season of Tvoje lice zvuči poznato, for which he had done instrumentals. Andonov performed in the final episode it with the contestants to close to show.

In 2015, Gru was featured on the single Novo leto alongside Belgrade-based hip hop project Kurtoazija, fronted by vocalist MC Stojan. The single was considered a summer hit because of the vast fame it amassed. Andonov released a refreshed version of Biću tu, titled Biću tu (20 godina kasnije) (I'll be there / 20 years later), alongside Serbian rapper Gazda Paja, celebrating the 20 years that the song was released. The song itself featured production from his own studio, but also the Serbian record label IDJ videos, which lasted for 6 years. Gru published the variation on 22 August in 2015. Unlike the original which incorporated elements of old-school funk, the 2015 release blended the worlds of hip-hop and turbo-folk and pop music in order to appeal to modern listeners. The music video, produced by IDJ Videos, had featured guest stars similar to the ones in the 1996 video of Andonov's Biću tu, such as the Cindy models and Niggor of The Monteniggers. The featured rapper, Gazda Paja also gained success from the video. Kilo koke (Kilogram of Chicken) was another single by Gru released a year later, 2016, which featured rapper Vojke Djans. Kilo koke, due to its repetitive lyrics and overused beat didn't amass success as much as the rendition of his most popular song, but it was still an acclaimed club song which received radio play. Celebrating the new hits, Andonov toured Eastern Europe, and later performed in Sweden, sponsored by Absolut Vodka.

In April 2017, he had done a charitable concert in Zagreb with Bosnian-born rapper Edo Maajka, who had before directed his music video for Dugme po dugme. In May 2017, collectively the Serbian rap music act THCF, Deejay Playa and Gru recorded Plan B, which gained the honorific title as the Serbian song of the year. The same year Biću tu was interpreted yet again in the Albanian version of Your Face Sounds Familiar. It was sung by Albanian vocalist Flaka Krelani in the fourth episode, which landed her 2nd place in the episode. The performance was also reprised in the final, when Marjana Bombaz and Xum Allushi performed I dalje me žele as Nigrutin and Gru to close the show. In November 2017, Andonov released a medley single, which incorporated Biću tu, I dalje me žele, Srce, Putnik, Kiša, Ozbiljna veza, Čovek je čoveku vuk, Pravo u raj, Skit, Dugme po dugme and Doktore in that order. Andonov stated that the mixture embraced every single aspect of his career. Earlier that year, he purchased a tropic bar in Boracay, Philippines, where he frequently resides in.

In early 2018, he had done advertising for Gorki List and Jameson Irish Whiskey (for which he later did a promotional concert in Vranje). In mid 2018, he toured Africa and stayed in Egypt for a brief period, performing. Later that month, he recorded with Serbian-born vocalist Baba Khan Nebrušen dijamant (Unbrushed Diamond). The song's music video was directed by Milan Stanković, on behalf of IDJ Videos, and was released on 2 September 2018. Nebrušen dijamant was filmed in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, and recorded in Belgrade, Serbia.

Artistry

Musical style

Though he does not shine in the area of vocal style, being a baritone, he excels in the field of musicianship, either as a music producer and as a multi-instrumentalist, and in the art of rapping.

As a music producer, Andonov is known for merging many genres into rap and hip-hop. The most popular example is arguably Biću tu (1996), which combined funk with hip-hop, but also instances with MF Gru – Ko Je Gru? (2002), which is mixed with eurodance, Komercijala (2003) and Kiša (2004), where rap meets pop, and the new singles, after his hiatus include Dugme po dugme (2014), which combines trap music, Biću tu (20 Godina kasnije) (2015), which includes structures of Serbian turbo-folk. The most common music fusion by Andonov, which is his autochthon creation in Serbian rap music, is the merging of rap and funk. This can be attributed to most of his songs, most notably Biću tu, I dalje me žele, Kad se popnem na binu, Putnik and Ozbiljna veza. The Ultimate Collection from 2009 included elements of Rhythm and blues, and Swing music.

As a multi-instrumentalist, his musical abilities include playing drums, guitar, bass guitar, and keyboards.

Influences

Andonov has cited as his main influences Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Eminem and Maurice White of Earth Wind and Fire for musicianship, but has also cited his colleagues to be an inspiration, such as Marchelo, Sky Wikluh, Ajs Nigrutin, Juice and Škabo. His DJ influences include Dr. Alban, David Guetta, Carl Cox and Ray Slijngaard of 2 Unlimited.

Legacy

Andonov is one of the pioneers in rap music in Serbia, and remains a prominent figure in the Serbian rap scene, being a main source of inspiration to the aspiring rappers in Serbia, including Ajs Nigrutin; who choose the stage name Nigrutin based on Gru; Liroy, Wikluh Sky, Marchelo, Don Trialeon, MC Yankoo, Rasta and Juice. Other artists including Ana Nikolić, Rambo Amadeus and Almir Hasanbegović of Dubioza Kolektiv have often cited Gru as an influence. Arguably, Andonov is the most successful rapper in Eastern Europe, due to his accomplished career, based on which the 2015 documentary Stani na put was made. His popularity isn't limited to the Balkan countries and Eastern Europe, as he frequently tours in Asia and in the United States. His rapping skills proclaimed him the honorific title of the Serbian Rap Machine.

Personal life

In harmony with other Serbian hip-hop artists, Andonov isn't private about his personal life. He defined his interests and hobbies in various interviews, for Serbian news companies, which include Blic and Kurir. According to his interviews, he is an avid snowboarder and basketball player, and enjoys living spontaneously.

As a basketball fan, Andonov is a well-known Los Angeles Kings supporter.

In 1999, Andonov started dating Serbian model Danica Prvulović. In 2006, the couple got married. They have 2 children, Relja & Vuk. The Andonov family resides in Belgrade.

Discography

Main article: Gru discography

Albums

• Da li imaš pravo? (1995)
• Gru 2 (1996)
• Vetrenjače (1999)
• Između redova (2002)
• Beograd (2003)

Singles & EP's

• I dalje me žele (2010)
• Ti to zoveš ljubav (2011)
• Samo za tvoje oči (2014)
• Dugme po dugme (2014)
• Novo leto (2015)
• Biću tu (20 godina kasnije) (2015)
• Kilo koke (2016)
• Plan B (2017)
• Nebrušen dijamant (2018)

Compilations

• Između redova (2002)
• The Ultimate Collection (2009)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
1996	Serbian Oscar of Popularity	Best Single	Biću tu	Won
1996	Serbian Oscar Of Popularity	Best Album	Gru 2	Won
1999	Serbian Oscar Of Popularity	Best Concert	Vetrenjače	Won
2011	MTV platinum award	Best Single	Ti to zoveš ljubav	Nominated
2014	MTV platinum award	Best Single	Dugme po dugme	Nominated
2014	MTV gold award	Best Single	Dugme po dugme	Nominated
2017	Serbian Music Awards	Song of the Year	Plan B	Won

See also

• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• Music of Serbia
• Serbian hip hop

External links

• Gru's Official Instagram
• Gru Fanclub on Instagram
• Gru's Official Facebook Page