Cartel is a highly acclaimed Turkish rap group formed in Germany in 1995. The group was created by the merger of two separate rap groups in Germany and Erci E, who was independent of both. Their album, also titled "Cartel," was first released in Europe. Quickly attracting media attention in Europe, the group received interviews on MTV music channel. Becoming one of the rare groups to bring the sound of Turkish music to the world, they also created a great stir in Türkiye.

To date, they are the first and only Turkish rap music group to perform a concert at the BJK İnönü Stadium in Istanbul. Radio and TV stations awarded them a "Gold Cassette" for the first 100,000 CDs sold in the first week and a "Double Platinum" award for 250,000 CDs, further demonstrating their popularity. Cartel is known as the most successful Turkish rap group, and their songs, performed in Turkish, German, English, and Spanish, once again showcase their rich lyrical talent. Before their release in Türkiye, Cartel's CD sold 29,000 copies in Germany. In Türkiye, they sold a total of 543,000 copies, making them the best-selling group in Turkish rap history. As the first and only rap group to give a stadium concert in Türkiye, Cartel's concert at BJK İnönü Stadium was featured in Time magazine because it was the most attended concert in Türkiye after Michael Jackson.

The group was formed in Germany by the merger of three separate rap groups. The groups that made up Cartel were Karakan, Erci E, and Cinai Şebeke. Karakan consisted of Alper Ağa and Kâbus Kerim, while Cinai Şebeke comprised M. Ali (Emali), Babalu (Ichibaba), Olcay (Ole), and İnceefe (Çelik bilek Apo). The group's first album, also titled Cartel, was initially released in Europe by Polygram Music. The group quickly attracted media attention in Europe, and interviews with them were broadcast on the MTV music channel.

This success in Europe quickly attracted the attention of the Turkish media. In August 1995, Cartel came to Türkiye and began appearing on television. Cartel's album was also released in Türkiye by Raks Music. In 1996, the group began working on their second album and recorded a song called "Cartel Geliyor" (Cartel is Coming). However, these album efforts were unsuccessful.