Gru

Dalibor Andonov (Далибор Андонов, ; 8 March 1973 – 9 September 2019), known professionally as Gru, was a Serbian musician, DJ, rapper and actor.

In 1988, his cousin living in Sweden gave him a Straight Outta Compton album by N.W.A., which he cites as his most important possession from his earlier years.

After high school, he went to study business, but never finished due to his love of music.

After, he had moved to Belgrade, where he began to produce music and MC.

Soon he became skilled at DJing, beginning to MC in the early nineties.

His DJing style resembled the one of Nigerian-Swedish recording artist Dr. Alban, which he idolised at the time.

Andonov chose the stage name Gru, from the music term which senses propulsive rhythmic feel or dynamics, groove.

Andonov began his career in 1990 as a founding member in the Yugoslav recording act Project 6, which disbanded in 1993.

A native of Dimitrovgrad, Andonov started his career in Belgrade, with his earliest demos in 1994, but rose to prominence with his music work in early 1996.

Marking the first wave of Serbian hip hop with his debut album Da li imaš pravo?, Andonov produced five albums as a solo artist, out of which four reached gold and platinum status in Serbia.

The albums included critically and commercially acclaimed songs that topped the Balkan charts, including Srce, Biću tu, Kad se popnem na binu, Kiša, and Da li imaš pravo?, winning him three Serbian Oscars of Popularity, an Indexi Award and a World Music Award.

The songs were noted as traditional hip-hop compositions with elements of funk and soul.

His first demo recording as a vocal soloist was produced in 1994, although his first public releases date back to 1995, with the album Da li imaš pravo? (Do You Have The Right?) which marked the beginning of the first wave of Serbian hip hop.

His debut album was recorded at Studio Jugodisk and Studio Avalon from 24 October until 10 December 1994, although it was released a year after.

In the first recording he collaborated with Enco, who was featured only in that recording, more specifically in the sequence Život je lep (Life is beautiful).

His song Biću tu from the 1996 album Gru 2, gained him popularity in Eastern Europe, as well as the 2010 release I dalje me žele alongside Serbian rapper Ajs Nigrutin.

His album Gru 2 is the most commercially successful album in Serbia, selling four million copies, and reaching certified gold status in Serbia.

Other than his immense popularity in the Balkans, he is well known in other countries of Eastern and Northern Europe.

He has been dubbed The Serbian Rap Machine.

Andonov published the album Gru 2 in October 1996, and it gained him notoriety in the Balkan countries, becoming the most commercially successful album in Serbia to date, selling 4 million copies, which holds the record as the best-selling album in Balkan history.

The songs in the album included emotional ballads (Dosta mi je svega/Poludecu) and gangster anthems (Srce).

Gru 2 contains the most songs done as alliances with other Serbian musicians of all his albums.

These include Leto (Summer), with Leontina Vukomanović and U-Stuff, Srce (Heart) with Leontina Vukomanović and Nenad Jovanović, Dosta mi je svega/Poludecu (I'm Done With Everything/I'm Going Crazy) with Srđan Babović and Dejan Ivanković, Čovek je čoveku vuk (A Man is a Man's Wolf) with CYA and ILaLa, Petak (Friday) with Bojan Todorov and Coca, and Biću tu with Niggor of the Monteniggers.

All songs featured lyrics and music arranged by Andonov, with guitar playing done by Voja Aralica, and co-writing done by Dejan Ivanković Betoven, who was a guest vocalist on Dosta mi je svega/Poludecu.

The album was produced by producer Srđan Babović, on behalf of the label Komuna.

Gru 2 was recorded at Studio Puž.

The track Biću tu (I'll Be There) from the album, became his signature song, and became an evergreen Serbian rap song, incorporating elements of soul and funk, into hip-hop and rap.

A song heavily hinted by prostitution, Biću tu was accompanied by a music video that was controversial due to provocative content.

The song was also credited by Dragan Brajović Braja to have found the balance between commercialisation and underground.

The Gru 2 album earned him two Serbian Oscars of Popularity, one for the album itself, and one for the single.

He made his film debut in 1997 as Vanja in Land of Truth, Love & Freedom, and actively composed films, including Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Dorćol-Manhattan.

The song Srce won Andonov a World Music Award in 1997 in category of Best Hip-hop Singles.

In 1999, he helped produce the Full Moon and Monteniggers single Ja se vraćam u svoj hram which his chorus melody is the foundation for the song Samo sex Srbina spasava.

He won the Serbian Oscar of Popularity for Best Concert, premiering the album Vetrenjače (Windmills).

Since Beograd in 2003, Andonov has stepped down from making albums and has been producing singles.

His more recent work incorporates radio friendly melodies, which embarked commercial success, including I dalje me žele, Plan B, Kilo koke and Biću tu (20 godina kasnije), winning an Index Award, an Oscar of Popularity and an MTV Platinum Award.

Andonov also had done work for television and film, including appearances in Operacija trijumf, Veliki Brat VIP All Stars and Tvoje lice zvuči poznato.

He died on 9 September 2019, following a kite-surfing accident.

Andonov attended trade school in Pančevo.

During his education, he avidly played football and basketball.