So far he has presented himself in his music videos as a tough gangster who poses with banknotes, guns and big limousines, but now jail is actually the order of the day for rapper Gzuz. The Hamburg musician, whose real name is Kristoffer Jonas Klauß, has to go to prison for eight months and two weeks.
The Hamburg Higher Regional Court (OLG) announced this on Wednesday and thus rejected an appeal by the rapper against the judgment of the Hamburg Regional Court of March 4th. It is still unclear when the 34-year-old will have to serve his sentence. That will be decided by the public prosecutor, said a court spokesman.
conviction final
"Following the decision of the 2nd Criminal Senate of the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court of September 13, 2022, the review of the regional court's judgment did not result in any legal error to the detriment of the accused, so that his appeal was dismissed as unfounded," the court said. This means that the conviction of the rapper and father of two is final and no further appeals are possible.
The Hamburg Regional Court had sentenced the frontman of the band 187 Strassenbande, one of the most successful and well-known rap groups in Germany, to eight months and two weeks in prison six months ago. At the same time, the Criminal Court imposed a fine of 180 daily rates of 2,300 euros each, i.e. a total of 414,000 euros.
The court found the 34-year-old guilty of violating the Explosives Act and twice violating the Weapons Act. Despite a gun ban on Klauss, the police had seized a pistol, a silencer and cartridges when they searched his house.
In addition, the rapper shot into the air with a gas gun on New Year's Eve 2018/19 and had himself filmed. The video was published on the Internet. The Chamber punished the slap in the face of a young woman who had asked the rapper for a selfie on the Reeperbahn in the morning. For that alone he was sentenced to eight months in prison. The judge at the time argued that a suspended sentence was out of the question because Klauß had been committing criminal offenses again and again for more than ten years.
Not the first time in court
In fact, Gzuz — the stage name is an acronym for "ghetto stuff uncensored" — has often gotten into trouble with the law. He had early experiences with drugs and used cannabis regularly.
When the rapper was serving time in prison for robbery and assault from 2010 to 2013, the 187 Strassenbande did a solidarity tour, selling merchandise like t-shirts that said "Free Gzuz" and calling for his early release. While in prison, he had the words "Fuck Cops" tattooed on his torso.
In September 2020, the Hamburg District Court sentenced Gzuz to one and a half years in prison and a fine of 510,000 euros. The rapper had successfully appealed against this verdict.
exchange of blows in court
In court, Gzuz and District Judge Johann Krieten exchanged violent blows. "Who, if not you, should go to jail," the judge asked him. When Gzuz failed to appear at the first hearing, Krieten had him arrested. The rapper was released after paying a bail of 100,000 euros.
"I had the impression that he just wanted to show me off," the musician later complained to the district court about Krieten's conduct of the negotiations. The magistrate played music videos of him. It was not only his deeds that were held against him, but his music and his whole life.
But the rap songs don't reflect his attitude. Music is about breaking taboos and escaping the world of rules. "It's art and I play with it," Gzuz explained.
