Clueso was the first rap star to emerge from central Germany, disproving the theory that the nation's western region is the sole breeding ground for successful hip-hop MCs and DJs. Born Thomas Hübner in Erfurt on April 9, 1980, he originally studied to become a hairdresser but at 15 abandoned hair for hip-hop, making his recorded debut that same year on the compilation Erfurt Projekt 1996. Drawing his alias from Peter Sellers' famed #The Pink Panther character Inspector Clouseau, he signed with manager Andreas Welskop in 1998 and soon after issued the first Clueso solo release, the BMG-issued "Clüsolo." Upon signing to the Four Music imprint, Clueso issued his first full-length release, Text und Ton, in 2001. A brief relocation to the Köln area followed, although he returned to Erfurt to begin work on his sophomore effort, 2004's Gute Musik, which featured a shift away from rap toward more conventional vocals and reggae-inspired rhythms. A year later Clueso represented his native Thuringia region in the annual Bundesvision Song Contest with the track "Kein Bock zu Geh'n." His third LP, Weit Weg, hit retail a year later.

~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi