Marteria

Marten Laciny, born on 4 December 1982 and better known by his stage name Marteria, is a German rapper. Before establishing his career in music, he worked as a professional model and was an active football player. He is also recognized for his alternative stage name and alter ego, Marsimoto.

Laciny spent his childhood in the district of Lichtenhagen in Rostock, raised by his mother, a teacher, and his father, a sailor. As a talented young athlete, he played for the youth team of FC Hansa Rostock, a club with which he retains a close relationship. He also competed in the U-17 squad of the Germany national team under coach Horst Hrubesch. In 1999, he was discovered by a model scout during a trip to New York City, leading to worldwide modeling engagements for brands such as Diesel and Hugo Boss. He eventually left modeling to return to Rostock and pursue music, later moving to Berlin in 2003 to train as an actor at a drama school.

His musical career began at age 16 as a member of the hip hop group Underdog Cru, signed to Posin music. At age 18, Laciny signed a solo contract with Punchline/SPV and released his debut album. With Underdog Cru, he performed at the Splash! festival in 2001 and went on a European tour alongside other German and British groups in 2002.

Releasing music on the indie label Magnum12, Laciny laid the foundation for his solo career with his albums Halloziehnation—which received critical praise and a 4 1/2 out of 6 stars rating from Juice magazine—and Base Ventura. In late 2007, he signed with the publisher Nesola and toured as a support act for Jan Delay under his pseudonym Marsimoto. By early 2008, he secured a label deal with Four Music, owned by Sony Music Entertainment, and established his own label, Green Berlin.

As Marteria, he achieved significant commercial chart success in Germany. His 2012 collaboration with Yasha and Miss Platnum, "Lila Wolken," reached Number 1 on the German music charts. Additionally, his single "Verstrahlt," featuring Yasha, was featured in the soundtrack for the video game FIFA 12.

In addition to his primary persona, Laciny performs under the alter ego Marsimoto, created as a tribute to Madlib's alter ego Quasimoto. Utilizing an altered high-pitched voice, Marsimoto incorporates experimental hip hop, electronic, reggae, and dubstep styles. Following positive public response after a jam session, he released several solo albums under the persona, including Halloziehnation, Zu zweit allein, Grüner Samt, Ring der Nebelungen, and Verde, all sharing a recurring theme centered on cannabis consumption.

In his personal life, Laciny resides in Berlin's Kreuzberg district and has one son. He married German musician Jadu in 2015, and the couple separated prior to 2021. On 30 March 2023, he was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, following an accusation of choking a woman; all charges were subsequently dropped on 18 April.