İsmail YK

İsmail YK — Biography

İsmail YK, born İsmail Yurtseven on July 5, 1978 in Hamm, Germany, is a Turkish singer-songwriter who began performing as a child alongside his siblings in the group Yurtseven Kardeşler — the source of the "YK" in his stage name. He later stepped out on his own as a solo artist.

His debut solo album, Şappur Şuppur, sold over 1.2 million copies, and 2006's Bombabomba.com became Turkey's best-selling album of the year with more than 600,000 copies sold; 2008's Bas Gaza added another 450,000. The run earned him the Best Turkish Singer award three years running, from 2006 to 2008, followed by recognition as Azerbaijan's favorite performer of 2010. In 2015 he released the album Kıyamet on Valentine's Day, reviving the earlier track "Çıkmam Seneye" and re-recording a rock version of "Allah Belanı Versin" with a new music video.

Beyond music, İsmail YK has appeared on screen in films and series including Küçük Esnaf and Dayan Yüreğim, and in 2011 co-hosted the Kanaltürk programs Şen-Şakrak-Show and YK Show alongside Aysun Kayacı.