Bushido is one of the popular artists (if not the most popular gangsta rapper) in Germany. He's a controversial figure in a lot of ways, but also has some measure of respect from most circles, for example his autobiography was a best seller. This clip is Bushido rapping while a well known opera performer sings "Forever Young". I think every entry level German course shows this video, it's a well known song and well done video. Bushido is rapping about hardships. Definitely in the ghetto, but also the cold, impersonal nature of certain relationships and (of course) the tragedy of growing up and losing things and people from when we were young.
This is the video I showed in class. Advanced Chemistry was the first group to perform rap that was 100% German, no English, live. The strides they made really represent a point when Germans began appropriating rap's specific style rather than just emulating American culture.
This song was an early rap. It is another song 100% about German resistance to accepting Turks as citizens. One of the last lines translates roughly, "We're in the 90s now, we've left the Third Reich behind." If you listen carefully you will hear the word "Kanake." Kanake is a derogatory word for foreigners and immigrants. The gangsta rap movement appropriated the meaning of words like Kanaka and Kuemmel (literally translates as caraway, a seed used for seasoning in the Mediterranean, used as another derogatory term for Turkish-Germans) to be a source of empowerment in a manner that is incredibly similar to the black movement in America's appropriation of the N-word.
Die Fantastischen Vier (The Fantastic Four) recorded this song. Like I said in class, they are representative of the Deutsch Rap genre. Groups like this had a decent sized fan base, considering how underground rap was, but nothing like the following gangsta rap has today. This song "Die, Da" (Her, there) features two friends rapping about this great girl they met at a party...and at the end they realize it is the same girl when they see her at the end of the video. Die Fantastischen Vier is notable for signing with a major record company, and officially releasing the first CD that was 100% German. Nonetheless, the heavy American influence was and is still visible in German raps.
Falco was a fairly popular German artist before the gangsta rap era. His song "Amadeus" was an international success, it was inspired by and some of its popularity can be attributed to the movie "Amadeus" which was released a few years earlier. Falco was around before rapping a song entirely in German was really acceptable. Fans wanted something targeted at American culture. It's really clear when he repeatedly sings "Rock ME Amadeus" rather than "Rock MICH Amadeus."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVikZ8Oe_XA
Falco's song "Der Kommisar" was also popular. Again, although it is a German song multiple lines are in English. "Baby, you know I miss my funky friends...special places...wanna buy some stuff..."
This song, "Gheddo" by Eko Fresh is about life in the ghetto. It's important to note that Ghetto/Gheddo/any variation of the word these artists rap about, refers to the modern Americanized version of the word, as in the poor section of the city or a high crime area. Post-World War Two, there are a lot of words that aren't used in German if it can be helped, like leader or national socialism or ghetto or safety zones, because they're associated with the Nazi regime.
Bushido is one of the popular artists (if not the most popular gangsta rapper) in Germany. He's a controversial figure in a lot of ways, but also has some measure of respect from most circles, for example his autobiography was a best seller. This clip is Bushido rapping while a well known opera performer sings "Forever Young". I think every entry level German course shows this video, it's a well known song and well done video. Bushido is rapping about hardships. Definitely in the ghetto, but also the cold, impersonal nature of certain relationships and (of course) the tragedy of growing up and losing things and people from when we were young.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ethQEFJubzw
This is the video I showed in class. Advanced Chemistry was the first group to perform rap that was 100% German, no English, live. The strides they made really represent a point when Germans began appropriating rap's specific style rather than just emulating American culture.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDkubyvyRKY
This song was an early rap. It is another song 100% about German resistance to accepting Turks as citizens. One of the last lines translates roughly, "We're in the 90s now, we've left the Third Reich behind." If you listen carefully you will hear the word "Kanake." Kanake is a derogatory word for foreigners and immigrants. The gangsta rap movement appropriated the meaning of words like Kanaka and Kuemmel (literally translates as caraway, a seed used for seasoning in the Mediterranean, used as another derogatory term for Turkish-Germans) to be a source of empowerment in a manner that is incredibly similar to the black movement in America's appropriation of the N-word.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNYhj6RZdl8&feature=related
Die Fantastischen Vier (The Fantastic Four) recorded this song. Like I said in class, they are representative of the Deutsch Rap genre. Groups like this had a decent sized fan base, considering how underground rap was, but nothing like the following gangsta rap has today. This song "Die, Da" (Her, there) features two friends rapping about this great girl they met at a party...and at the end they realize it is the same girl when they see her at the end of the video. Die Fantastischen Vier is notable for signing with a major record company, and officially releasing the first CD that was 100% German. Nonetheless, the heavy American influence was and is still visible in German raps.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG-zPgyQDD8
Falco was a fairly popular German artist before the gangsta rap era. His song "Amadeus" was an international success, it was inspired by and some of its popularity can be attributed to the movie "Amadeus" which was released a few years earlier. Falco was around before rapping a song entirely in German was really acceptable. Fans wanted something targeted at American culture. It's really clear when he repeatedly sings "Rock ME Amadeus" rather than "Rock MICH Amadeus."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVikZ8Oe_XA
Falco's song "Der Kommisar" was also popular. Again, although it is a German song multiple lines are in English. "Baby, you know I miss my funky friends...special places...wanna buy some stuff..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w4Xulsjo5I
This song, "Gheddo" by Eko Fresh is about life in the ghetto. It's important to note that Ghetto/Gheddo/any variation of the word these artists rap about, refers to the modern Americanized version of the word, as in the poor section of the city or a high crime area. Post-World War Two, there are a lot of words that aren't used in German if it can be helped, like leader or national socialism or ghetto or safety zones, because they're associated with the Nazi regime.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w4Xulsjo5I
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ReplyDelete