Czech rapper Pavel Protiva died at the age of 27. In recent years, he struggled with psychological problems. In the lyrics of his tracks, which recorded millions of plays on the Spotify platform, he mentioned, among other things, drug addiction, misunderstanding on the part of society or some kind of deeper inner pain.
Blakkwood Records, of which Protiva had been a part since 2016, announced the death. “With deep sadness in our hearts, we announce that on October 7, our beloved son, brother and friend Pavel Protiva left us unexpectedly,” the company wrote on Instagram.
The last farewell will take place in a close family circle on October 25. “We ask all fans to respect this decision. Those who want to say goodbye to Pavel for the last time can light a candle on this day and remember his presence in our lives,” added the label. He took care of organizing concerts or selling advertising items for Protiva.
Born in Jindřichov Hradec, his mother died in his childhood, and he subsequently moved to Prague to live with his father. “I lived in South Bohemia, where I went to school until the fifth grade. In the fifth grade, my mother died, I moved to my father in Prague, I changed my surroundings in general. And that’s when I started having problems. That’s how Protiva was born , who makes mixtapes,” he described his beginnings in an interview. According to the website rapzzz.com, he did not finish high school because he was already fully devoted to music.
According to Headliner magazine, he became famous for his strict delivery and specific voice. “I’m against it because that’s my name. But when I was putting together how I’d like to make music, I came up with a character that wouldn’t mind and would talk somehow,” he described his stylization on the G-Talk talk show.
In it, Protiva talked, among other things, about the drug addiction he developed after using ecstasy for the first time. According to his own words, he tried to get rid of her, realizing that he could influence others as well.
“People write to me that my stuff helps them, that they see themselves in it, they thank me. But how many times I see people on drugs at concerts and I feel that I also have a part in it. I’m not happy for that. I don’t want to convince anyone that drugs they are fine,” he said in an interview.
Protiva didn’t release full albums, but mixtapes. “I don’t want to make a full album, so I always call it a project, it’s nothing. I’m not selling it, I don’t need to make a CD. I feel good about recording it and putting it on the Internet,” he explained.
The label noticed him after the release of a track called 1997 from the mixtape of the same name. “I had plans, I burned them / Now I’m somewhere else, now I’m far away / Actually, I’m still looking for where to go / I don’t really want to go back,” he rapped here, among other things.
He collaborated with colleagues Hasan, Viktor Sheen, Řezník, Refew and Sharlota, with whom he filmed the successful Prosit ne budu. His other popular tracks include Coke ‘N Koule or Po betonu.
In recent years, the rapper took a break, according to Headliner, he was hospitalized and did not manage to return to the scene.
Video: Protiva’s single 1997
“I had plans, I burned them / Now I’m somewhere else, now I’m far away,” rapped Protiva in the track 1997. | Video: Standa Recordz