Rytmus

Who is Rytmus

Rytmus, real name Patrik Vrbovský, is a Slovak rapper and one of the most prominent figures in Czechoslovak hip hop. He was born on 3 January 1977 in Kroměříž, grew up on a housing estate in Piešťany and has been rapping since the early 1990s. He first performed as Pa3k Metamorfolord and appeared as a freestyler on the cult Zvuk ulice compilations. In 2001 he founded the group Kontrafakt with Ego and DJ Anys.

In 2006 he launched his own label, Tvoj Tatko Records, and released the solo album Bengoro. It was followed by the records Kral (2009), on which the track “Jediný” was produced for him by American producer DJ Premier; Fenomen (2011), with the controversial single “Jebe”; Krstný otec (2016), which went seven times platinum in Slovakia; and Bengoro II (2023). His best-known hits include “Zlatokopky”, and he has worked with dozens of Czech and Slovak artists, including Ektor and Hard Rico.

Rytmus is also a prominent media figure. He was a judge on Česko Slovenská SuperStar and a coach on the first season of Hlas Česko Slovenska (2012), and he has acted in films such as Bastardi. His story was captured in the documentary Rytmus: Sídliskový sen (2015) by director Miro Drobný, shot over eight years. Since 2016 he has also been scouting new talent through his sublabel Pozor Records.