Ercandize

Ercan Kocer (born April 12, 1978), better known as Ercandize is a German rapper of Turkish ancestry and a certificated economist. He is signed on Kool Savas' label Optik Records.

Ercandize
Ercandize in Dortmund in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Ercan Kocer
Born	(1978-04-12) April 12, 1978
Origin	Wesel, Germany
Genres	German hip hop
Years active	1993 - present
Labels	Optik Records
Associated acts	ABS
Website	www.ercandize.de

Ercandize grew up in Wesel. In his youth, he wrote graffiti until he started the rap crew ABS with Sedat and Daiker around 1993. Producer Discopolo, DJ Salicious and MC Short joined later. In 1999, ABS released their first single, "08-15/Focus", which was chosen as 12" of the month by the German hip hop magazine Juice and in mid-99, the first record contract was signed. Features with well-known German artists like Plattenpapzt, Too Strong, RAG and Roey Marquis as well as two more singles followed until ABS' debut album Kinderspiel - Leichter getan als gesagt was published. Beyond expectation, it reached #46 on the German charts.

ABS went on hiatus, and due to several differences, Ercandize parted from his label BMG.

Kool Savas took notice of Ercandize's talent through a feature on an album by Illmatic and invited Ercandize to Berlin to record some tracks. Consequently, Ercandize was signed to Optik Records and his first solo album Verbrannte Erde was released in April 2007. He also founded his own label Assazeen.

Ercandize has studied economics at the Ruhr University in Bochum. He got his diploma in 2006.