Kerimcan Durmaz

Kerimcan Durmaz — Biography

Kerimcan Durmaz was born on 2 November 1994 in Yeniköy, in Istanbul's Sarıyer district, the youngest of three children of a homemaker mother and a restaurateur father. After high school he moved to Baku and worked as a make-up artist. In 2015 the videos he posted on Periscope and Snapchat quickly made him one of Türkiye's most talked-about internet personalities; back in Istanbul he began working as a DJ, and in the 2016–17 season he sat on the judging panel of TV8's İşte Benim Stilim. That same year he was attacked and injured at a venue in Samsun because of his sexual orientation.

He launched a cosmetics brand under his own name and turned to music: his first single, Peşimde, announced in December 2020, came out in 2021 with a video shot in Los Angeles. Songs such as Vida Loca, Bedel, Salla, Yangın Var and Hadi Oyna Bana followed, and he continues to produce video content on YouTube.

Durmaz has also faced legal proceedings. His remarks about citizens over 65 during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a case for inciting hatred and hostility. After betting sites were advertised at his November 2024 concert in Malta, he was arrested on 8 January 2025 on charges of promoting illegal betting and released on 20 February 2025. In June 2026 he was detained in a drug investigation targeting celebrities. In July 2026 he apologised after an incident with an audience member at a concert.