Rasta (singer)

Stefan Đurić (Serbian Cyrillic: Стефан Ђурић; born 16 November 1989), better known as Rasta (Serbian Cyrillic: Раста), is a Serbian rapper, songwriter and producer from Priština. Recognized as one of the most popular Serbian artists of his generation, Rasta is known for popularizing the Auto-Tune pitch correction effect in the western Balkans and for often promoting marijuana in his songs.[1]

Rasta
Раста
Birth nameStefan Đurić
Born (1989-11-16) 16 November 1989
Priština, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Recording artist
  • producer
  • songwriter
  • businessman
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
Years active2006–present
Labels
  • Bassivity
  • IDJTunes
  • Balkaton Gang
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 2016; div. 2018)​

He has also written and produced songs for other prominent regional artists, including Boban Rajović, Dara Bubamara, Ana Stanić, Sandra Afrika, Elena Kitić, Breskvica, Nikolija and Teodora Džehverović. Đurić is the founder of the record label Balkaton Gang. In addition to music, Rasta starred as himself in the biographical film 3211 (2023).

Early life

Stefan Đurić was born on 16 November 1989 in Priština, SFR Yugoslavia. His parents, Slađana and Drago Đurić, worked as professors at the University of Belgrade. When the Kosovo War began, he relocated to Srebrenica where he lived with his grandmother. After several years, Đurić eventually settled in Belgrade, where he was reunited with his parents. Before he started creating music, Đurić had initially hosted a show about reggae music on the Radio Belgrade as a teenager.[2]

Career

Rasta began his career in the early two-thousands by organizing R&B and dancehall parties in Belgrade as well as by writing music for student films.[3] Before pursuing a solo career, he had been involved in collectives Prva Postava and Show Program, where he served as a singjay.[3] His debut mixtape, titled Sensemilia Mixtape, was released in 2009 featuring LMR. The following year, Rasta released his succeeding bodies of work, R&B-influenced One i lova in collaboration with Cvija and crunk-influenced Kaseta featuring hip hop collective Unija.[3] Same year in April, he also served as the opening act for 50 Cent in Belgrade.[4]

In December 2011, Rasta released his first album, titled Superstar, through Mascom Records.[3] The album, produced by Coby, was also created in collaboration with Serbian hip hop label Bassivity Music, whom he continued working with afterwards.

In July 2014, Rasta broke through mainstream with his viral hit "Kavasaki", collecting over 60 million views on YouTube.[3] The success was followed with his next single "Kavali", released in June the following year, which surpassed "Kavasaki" in views.[5] Also in 2015, he established a record label in partnership with Bassivity, called Balkaton. With singles "Euforija" and "Hotel", released during the summer of 2016, he solidified his position as one of the most popular regional artists, especially in Serbian diaspora.[3] During these years, Rasta also started writing and producing songs for other popular Serbian performers, including Dara Bubamara, Ana Nikolić, Ana Stanić, Sandra Afrika and Elena Kitić.

In February 2017, he released his studio album Indigo, which was divided into two parts. Same year, Đurić, alongside his then-wife Ana Nikolić, served as the judge on the fifth season of the reality competition show Ja imam talenat!, which is the Serbian spin-off of Got Talent.[6] By the end of 2017, his duet with Nikolić "Slučajnost" was declared by YouTube as the most viewed music video in Serbia by a local artist, second overall to "Despacito".[7] His song "Indigo" also placed seventh on the list.[7] In 2018, he released Don Reggaeton under Balkaton Gang, which became his label The album was followed by a concert in the Belgrade Arena on 4 September, making Rasta the first Serbian solo rap act to achieve that.[8][9]

In July 2020, Rasta and Relja Popović released a duet, titled "Genge".[10] In July 2021, he collaborated with Nataša Bekvalac on their single "Iz daleka".[11] In May the following year, Đurić released Geto Sport Mixtape, which he wrote while he was in house arrest.[12] In September 2022, it was announced that Rasta would record a song, titled "Preko sveta", for the Serbian national football team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[13]

A biographical film, titled 3211, based on Rasta's time in imprisonment during 2020, was released on 19 September 2023. 3211 was directed by Danilo Bećković and Andrijana Stojković, whilst Đurić stars as himself.[14] The movie was accompanied by an album, which was also created by Rasta.[15]

Personal life

On 28 July 2016, Đurić married singer Ana Nikolić.[16][17] They welcomed their daughter, named Tara, on 7 August 2017.[18] The couple separated later that year and eventually filed for a divorce in November 2018.[19][20]

In April 2017, the owner of Mascom Records, Slobodan Nešović, accused Đurić of assaulting him due to unpaid wages of his 2012 release.[21] Đurić, who had pleaded not guilty, was eventually released of charge in March 2019.[22][23]

Rasta accused his former business associate and producer, Vanja Ulepić Oneya, of stealing money from YouTube monetization of his work released under the label Balkaton, which was founded by the two of them in 2015.[24] Đurić subsequently in 2019 established Bakaton Gang independently from Balkaton. In his 2020 single "I dalje sam isti", Rasta references this case, reciting: "Moj prvi milion u tuđoj je kasi (transl. My first million is in someone else's cash register)". The following month he published an official statement from the Organization of Music Authors of Serbia (SOKOJ) in which is stated that Ulepić broke the Codex of Professional Ethics of SOKOJ.[25]

On 2 October 2020, Đurić was also arrested on a charge of possessing illegal substances.[26] After spending close to four months in jail, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year of house arrest.[27]

Discography
Studio albums
  • Superstar (2011)
  • Indigo (2017)
  • Don Reggaeton (2018)
Mixtapes
  • Sensemilia Mixtape (2009)
  • One i lova (2010)
  • Kaseta (2010)
  • Air Max Reggae (with Bula Adriano, Alen Sakić and DJ Link) (2019)
  • Geto Sport Mixtape (2022)

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee/work Result Ref.
2019 Music Awards Ceremony Modern Dance Song of the Year "Adio Amore" Won [28]

See also

References
  1. "Džala, Buba, Maja i Rasta tinejdžerska božanstva". Večernje novosti (in Serbian). 30 December 2018.
  2. Jovović, Pero (24 June 2020). "Treća epizoda: Balkanskom ulicom sa Stefanom Đurićem Rastom". Nova.rs (in Serbian).
  3. "Rasta: 10 godina na sceni". beforeafter.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  4. "50 Cent za 2.500 najvernijih". b92.net (in Serbian). 2 April 2010.
  5. "Nećete verovati! Ovo su najgledaniji Jutjub video snimci u Srbiji 2015. godine". Blic.rs (in Serbian). 11 December 2015. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  6. "50 Potpisali ugovor! Ana Nikolić i Rasta u žiriju muzičkog takmičenja" (in Serbian). Tracara.com.
  7. "Najpopularnji spotovi na Youtubu u Srbiji 2017. godine". kontra.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  8. "Rasta: Štark arena". starkarena.co.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  9. S. Radojković (16 September 2018). "Vice sa Rastom u bekstejdžu koncerta u Areni". vice.com (in Serbian).
  10. Jovovic, P. "Relja i Rasta objavili duet posle deset godina druženja". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  11. Jovovic, P. "Nataša Bekvalac doživela peh pred promociju pesme". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  12. Pavlovic, V. "„Ceo album sam napisao u zatvoru": Rasta skinuo nanogicu, pa se pohvalio". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  13. Savić, B. (5 September 2022). "Rasta posvetio pesmu reprezentaciji: Otkrio ko će se pojaviti u njegovom spotu". Nova S (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  14. Jovović, P. "Čak dve premijere u Beogradu nisu bile dovoljne za sve fanove: Rastin film „3211" oduševio publiku". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  15. Dašić, M. (14 September 2023). "INTERVJU Danilo Bećković: Mogu sebe da smatram prvim gaserskim rediteljem danas". Danas (in Serbian). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  16. "Neverovatno! Ana Nikolić se udala za 11 godina mlađeg Rastu". Blic.rs (in Serbian). 28 July 2016.
  17. "Ludi od ljubavi: Ana Nikolić zaljubljena do ušiju". Blic.rs (in Serbian). 13 March 2016.
  18. "Mama i beba otišle kući, pogledajte kako Ana Nikolić izgleda posle porođaja". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  19. "Prijateljica potvrdila: Ana je zauvek zavrišla sa Rastom!" (in Serbian). Tracara.com. September 2018.
  20. "Odredili visinu alimentacije za ćerku, Ana i Rasta se razvode!". Blic.rs (in Serbian). 2018.
  21. M. Ćunković (18 September 2018). "Rasta: Lokin dug veci od 30.000€". Večernje Novosti (in Serbian).
  22. "Rasta negirao da je napao Loku". Večernje Novosti (in Serbian). 22 May 2018.
  23. "Sud odlučio, Rasta nije pretukao Loku!". Tracara.com (in Serbian). 4 March 2019.
  24. ""Izvini se što si lagao i krao, sad će ti ionako kraj!" Bukti rat Raste i bivšeg saradnika". Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). 27 August 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  25. "Pravda uvek dođe na svoje: Rasta dobio konačnu odluku u slučaju protiv Vanje Ulepića Oneya". IDJ TV (in Serbian). 15 April 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  26. "Rasti produžen pritvor: Zbog droge još 30 dana iza rešetakka". nova.rs (in Serbian). 2 November 2020.
  27. M. Dejanović (27 January 2021). "Stefan Đurić Rasta pušten iz pritvora, sačekao ga prijatelj". Nova.rs (in Serbian).
  28. "Ovo je lista dobitnika regionalnih MAC muzičkih nagrada" (in Serbian). Tracara.com. January 2019.
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