Karl Wolf

Biography

Carl Abou Samah (Arabic: كارل أبو سمح; born April 18, 1979), better known by his stage name Karl Wolf, is a Lebanese-Canadian musician based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Karl Wolf has been a singer, songwriter, and producer since 2001, releasing his first solo album Face Behind the Face×Face Behind the Face2004 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Intro0:312Life on a Break3:343Face Behind the Face3:314Desensitize4:145Hollow Girl4:116Bootyful3:137Referee4:038Princess3:549Butterflies3:5210Cuz I Luv U3:0611Just a Moment Away4:1112Summer Days4:1213Radio4:5714Life3:4415Desensitize (club remix)4:0616Butterflies (remix)4:00 on MapleNationwide/Universal in 2006, followed by a second album Bite the Bullet×Bite the Bullet10 December 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Africa3:572She Kicks in the Bass3:273Crazy Things Happen to Me3:544Like This3:285Carrera3:386Bite the Bullet4:137Silent Type3:498Professin’ My Love4:509She Wants to Know4:3810Over4:1011Invader3:0212Makes Me Wonder4:2913Hey Girl4:01 in 2007. His third album Nightlife×Nightlife17 November 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Yalla Habibi3:192Maniac Maniac3:43380's Baby4:074You Forgot About Me3:245Numb4:036Nightlife3:287Hurting4:098Love4:229No Way Nobody4:0110Gone With the Wind3:3911I'll Wait4:3412Best Friend3:0213Jealous3:1414My Ethnicity4:1115Africa4:4016Carrera (2009)3:0217Yalla Habibi (Allez Cheri)3:10 was released in 2009 followed by Finally Free×Finally Free10 July 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Finally Free3:182UFO3:583Ghetto Love3:244Peace Out3:165Mash It Up4:066DJ Gonna Save Us4:177Number One3:068Crazy4U3:299Never Let You Go3:3310Wake Up3:2511Tell Me3:1312Belly Dancer3:2513No Way3:4214Connected3:1715DJ Gonna Save Us (Dubstep Remix)3:0616Waiting for a Star to Fall4:29 in 2012, Stereotype in 2014 and WOW in 2015. His biggest hit has been a remake of Toto's "Africa×Africa29 October 2007 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Africa (album version)4:402Africa (radio edit)3:563Africa (club mix)4:22" sampling from the song and providing new lyrics and arrangements.
Through his company, Lone Wolf Management, Wolf also manages a number of new artists. In 2015, he announced a new collaboration under the name BAE (Be All Equal) with Show Stephens, Brenda Mullen and producer MasterTrak. Wolf signed a new solo contract in Canada with British Columbia-based Cordova Bay Records as well as two new worldwide deals in Los Angeles, one for a publishing contract with BMG and another Digital "YouTube" deal with Collective Digital Studios. He co-wrote the OMI hit "Hula Hoop".

Early years

Wolf was born as Carl Abou Samah in Beirut, Lebanon. He came from a musical household. His mother was a piano instructor and his father played the oud, derbake and guitar. He moved on with his family to Sharjah, UAE when he was three years old due to the civil war in Lebanon. He studied in the UAE. In an interview with Shave Magazine, Karl explained that in Arabic, his family name (Abou Samah) means 'father of forgiveness'. His stage name 'wolf' comes from a nickname he received on his high school basketball team because he was the smallest and quickest in his team. He also says his mother and father drove him to a career in music. Wolf's mother was a piano teacher and his father played guitar, drums, and the traditional Middle Eastern oud.
At 16, Wolf immigrated to Canada in 1995, residing in Montreal, Quebec. He studied Film Studies at Montreal's Concordia University. He began his career "behind the scenes," and has been writing co-producing since 2001. Initially he was a backup singer for some hits by the Quebec band Dubmatique. The 2001 hit album from Gabrielle Destroismaisons generated two singles co-written by him that reached No. 1 on the BDS Francophone Charts, and the record earned him a Félix Award at the L'ADISQ Awards for "Best Mix and Sound of the Year".
Wolf's work with Gabrielle brought him to the attention of Antoine Sicotte, of the top-selling Canadian pop band Sky, where he was recruited as a singer-songwriter becoming Sky's new lead singer in 2002. Wolf co-wrote and co-produced the third Sky album, Picture Perfect (on Sextant/EMI), with strong airplay across Canada. Sicotte and Wolf cooperated on the hugely successful Star Académie reality TV show in Quebec. The subsequent album was the biggest-selling album in Canada in 2003, notching a phenomenal sales in Canadian terms and earning Karl Wolf a SOCAN Award for Most Popular Song. A Star Académie II sequel in 2004 was another big success, the album going double-platinum.

Solo years (since 2005)

In 2005, Wolf ventured into a solo career. He released his debut solo album Face Behind the Face×Face Behind the Face2004 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Intro0:312Life on a Break3:343Face Behind the Face3:314Desensitize4:145Hollow Girl4:116Bootyful3:137Referee4:038Princess3:549Butterflies3:5210Cuz I Luv U3:0611Just a Moment Away4:1112Summer Days4:1213Radio4:5714Life3:4415Desensitize (club remix)4:0616Butterflies (remix)4:00 in January 2006. Since its release, the album broke in the Canadian Top 100 sales chart and spawned three singles, "Butterflies" and "Desensitize".
Wolf followed with a second studio album Bite the Bullet×Bite the Bullet10 December 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Africa3:572She Kicks in the Bass3:273Crazy Things Happen to Me3:544Like This3:285Carrera3:386Bite the Bullet4:137Silent Type3:498Professin’ My Love4:509She Wants to Know4:3810Over4:1011Invader3:0212Makes Me Wonder4:2913Hey Girl4:01 in November 2007. The first single release from the album was "Africa×Africa29 October 2007 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Africa (album version)4:402Africa (radio edit)3:563Africa (club mix)4:22", a remake of the worldwide hit Africa by Toto. The Karl Wolf remake features Canadian artist Culture. In early March 2009, with the release of the single on iTunes for digital downloads, it surged up from No. 32 to No. 2 on the issue of March 14, 2009 based on huge numbers of downloads over the previous week. It peaked at No. 1 on the iTunes charts and It also stayed at No. 2 for four further week on the chart of March 21 and 28 and April 4 and 11, 2009. Prior to iTunes download, it had topped at No. 20 in the same chart. This is so far Karl Wolf's most successful single to date. The song also topped the MuchMusic Top 30 Countdown charts and has also found success in Japan, peaking at No. 20 on the Japan Hot 100 chart. His follow-up single this year titled "Carrera" climbed to peak at No. 39 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.
Nightlife, his third album, was released on November 17, 2009.
After nine years with EMI Music, in March 2010 he signed a new recording contract in the United States with Universal Republic followed by a worldwide deal with Universal Music Canada in 2011. EMI Japan and EMI Middle East who still had exclusive license to Karl Wolf's upcoming album released Finally Free×Finally Free10 July 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Finally Free3:182UFO3:583Ghetto Love3:244Peace Out3:165Mash It Up4:066DJ Gonna Save Us4:177Number One3:068Crazy4U3:299Never Let You Go3:3310Wake Up3:2511Tell Me3:1312Belly Dancer3:2513No Way3:4214Connected3:1715DJ Gonna Save Us (Dubstep Remix)3:0616Waiting for a Star to Fall4:29, his fourth album on July 10, 2012. Through his company, Lone Wolf Management, Karl Wolf also manages a number of new artists.
In September 2014, he released the album Stereotype×Stereotype2 September 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Stereotype3:002Dreams3:023Magic Hotel4:214Let the Music Play All Night4:065Take It Off3:126Summertime3:587Let’s Get Rowdy2:428Interlude1:209Grown Man3:2010Wasted2:2911Dancin’3:2212Done With Love3:3313Everything to Me3:4514Go Your Own Way (AC version)3:2315Moment of Silence3:4816You’ve Got Me3:40 followed in 2015 with the album WOW.
In April 2021, he released his tenth album 2AM Vibes×2AM Vibes14 August 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Lonely Nights3:082Get Away (radio edit)2:513B4 This Lyf Is Up3:094Not Too Late3:175Full Disclosure3:396City of Lies3:397Got Me Feelin Alright2:208Bloodline2:399Wolf in the Night4:0510Captive3:1311FIJI3:1212Life’s So Beautiful3:2913Loop That1:40 with a number of collaborations.

Lone Wolf Management / LW Entertainment / LW Records

In addition to his solo career, Wolf has established "LW Entertainment" and his own record label "LW Records" and recording studio (with LW standing for Lone Wolf).
Through his company, Lone Wolf Management, Karl Wolf also manages a number of new artists with his long time manager Pascal Malkoun.
Karl Wolf has also produced for Quebec singers Mitsou, Emily, Jérôme-Philippe (aka Disoul) also becoming for a time, part of the latter's band Dubmatique.

BAE (Be All Equal)

In 2015, Karl Wolf announced a collaboration under the name BAE (Be All Equal) that includes Karl Wolf and hip-hop artist Show Stephens and singer-songwriter Brenda Mullen. Co-produced by Wolf and DJ producer MasterTrak, the act is signed to Armin Van Buuren's Armada Music label. The formation's first single is "I'm Lonely". Karl Wolf and BAE were included as one of the opening acts for renowned singer Akon's 2015 Canada-wide tour which also included acts like Peter Jackson and Afrocen3

Collaborations

Karl Wolf has collaborated with a number of artists, mainly from Canada. Choclair was featured in one of his earliest hits titled "Desensitize" and Canadian rapper Culture is featured in his biggest hit "Africa×Africa29 October 2007 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Africa (album version)4:402Africa (radio edit)3:563Africa (club mix)4:22", whereas Rime and Kaz Money are featured in "Yalla Habibi". Sway was featured in "Hurting" and Kardinal Offishall was featured in "Ghetto Love×Ghetto Love24 August 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Ghetto Love2Girls Love Shoes3Peace Out4Fuck Shit Up5Number One6Connected7Tell Me8Belly Dancer9No Way10UFO11Wasabi". His single "Fuck Shit Up / Mash It Up" produced by Greg Stainer & Dany Neville featured Three 6 Mafia, Timbaland and B K Brasco in "Magic Hotel" and Fatman Scoop in "Let's Get Rowdy".
Also in 2015, Karl Wolf co-wrote with Omar Pasley (OMI), Jenson Vaughan and Matthew Humphrey OMI's international single "Hula Hoop", a follow-up to OMI's hit "Cheerleader".
Making a comeback in 2020, Karl Wolf collaborated with up and coming artist Raeshaun and was featured on the track "Dubai" in July, paying homage to the city and country that took him and his family in during the Civil War in Lebanon.

In popular culture

Karl Wolf was a featured artist on the Arabic version of Star Academy broadcast on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC). In the fifth season of the show, he was seen mentoring the contestants. Some joined him for renditions of his hits, including "Butterfly" and "Africa×Africa29 October 2007 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Africa (album version)4:402Africa (radio edit)3:563Africa (club mix)4:22"
In 2011, he organized a Close Up Arabia campaign for recruiting participants in a music video project of his. and the resulting music video.[1]
Karl Wolf has also collaborated and performed in concerts with Akon, Ne-Yo, T-Pain and many more artists and as a special guest also. He co-wrote with Jenson Vaughan, Frank Bülles, Matthew Humphrey and Omar Pasley (OMI) the latter's international hit "Hula Hoop".

Singles

Others
2007: "Hollow Girl" (feat. Striger)
2007: "Butterflies" (with Eve)
2008: "Like This" (feat. Sandman)
2009: "Maniac Maniac" (feat. Culture)
2009: "You Forgot About Me" (feat. Imposs)
2009: "No Way Nobody" (feat. Loon)
2011: "Tell Me" (feat. Nirvana Savoury)
2013: "Go Your Own Way" (feat. Reema Major)