La Familia

La Familia is a Bucharest-based rap group founded in 1995, among the first hip hop acts in Romania. They established a national reputation by popularizing their style of gangsta rap similar to B.U.G. Mafia and distinct from R.A.C.L.A. and Parazi┼úii. The group gained notoriety after member Tudor Si┼[]u was incarcerated for drug trafficking in late 2003, which lead to a public feud with fellow gangsta rap artists B.U.G. Mafia. The group was founded by Tudor Si┼[]u and Drago┼[] "Puya" Gardescu. Like many hip hop artists, they fought a hard battle for visibility and success. Si┼[]u was raised by his mother and Puya was the youngest of four brothers, both from a dangerous periphery neighborhood of Bucharest. By 1997 they had held concerts throughout the country. In 1998, their album Nic─[]ieri nu-i ca acas─[] ("No Place Like Home") was one of the best selling albums in Romania, and with their video Tupeu de Borfa┼[] ("Hustler Nerve") in heavy rotation in Romania for several months, they became well-known all over the country.