Introduction to German Rap, from its origins to the new school
Some hints of history on German rap, or the so-called “Deutschrap”, from its beginnings to the new generation of Bladimir Vásquez, passing through the first mainstream artists and groups of the genre, such as Sido and Bushido.
The term Deutschrap refers to Hip-Hop music produced in Germany. The movement took hold in the German underground scene during the 80s, with the arrival in Europe of the first influences of the American Hip-Hop culture, to then evolve over time as Deutschrap and reach the mainstream sector, becoming today the third reality, by importance, of this musical genre , after the American and French one.
In 1992, German Hip-Hop achieved commercial success for the first time with the single Die Da ?! (those there ?!), released by the Stuttgart group , Die Fastastischen Vier (the fantastic four), who reached the number two position in the German ranking. Despite the success, the group was criticized for the purely nonsense texts and for the pop-like style, to the point that the members were labeled as Spaßrapper, where “Spaß” means fun. Leaving aside the Die Fastastischen Vier, the first half of the 90s saw the birth of the so-called Alte Schule (old school), of which the main exponents were the rapper Cora E. , The duo Stieber Twins and the TCA and Advanced Chemistry groups . The Alte Schule attempted to embody the issues that were at the roots of American Hip-Hop by adapting them to the German situation, thus taking on clear political positions and dealing with issues such as racism and identity searches for disadvantaged immigrants in society.
However, the Alte Schule was not particularly successful , and no German rap album appeared on the charts until 1995 , the year of the birth of the Neue Schule (the new school), which dealt with apparently superficial themes, however using word games and of irony to make the content more fun for the public. The Nueue Schule was able to achieve the success of the pop scene , spreading in various German cities, among the largest, such as Hamburg , Stuttgart , Munich , Berlin , Heidelberg, Düsseldorf and Cologne, which became the centers of the new German Hip-Hop .
The second half of the 90s therefore saw the emergence of new groups, such as Massive Twins, Blumentopf, Absolute Beginner and Dynamite Deluxe, each with its own style, different and unique compared to the others. These groups developed the style of Battle-Rap, based on freestyle, in which individual groups or rappers attacked each other improvising on a base and making strong use of dissing, metaphors and swear words, to then be evaluated by the spectators, who decreed the winner. Great exponents of this style were Kool Savas and Azam. However, there were groups that continued to deal with political and social issues, first of all the Anarchist Academy, which developed the sub-genre of Conscious Rap.
The beginning of the new millennium saw the spread throughout Germany of the Battle-Rap and its natural evolution, namely the Gangster-Rap , especially starting from Berlin , in the already established wake of the American and French Hip Hop scene . In Germany the strong rivalries and dissings between the various bands and individual rappers began to be very popular , also given that the number of listeners and fans of Deutschrap had increased a lot compared to the period of the High Schule.
At this very moment, rappers and groups historically “comparable” to our Fabri Fibra, Club Dogo, Marracash and Noyz Narcos entered the scene , above all the masked rapper Sido (born in 1980) and Bushido (born in 1978), the latter accused of to have been part of one of the most dangerous mafia clans in Berlin and at the same time holder of the Bambi television award , awarded to “people with visions and creativity that have particularly impressed and thrilled the German public”.
Both rappers started their careers at the same Berlin-based Aggro Berlin label , and today they are basically considered the founders and major exponents of Gangster-Rap. Sido immediately stood out for the narration of situations related to drugs , life in the ghetto and the fame of power, thus becoming the first artist of the genre to win the gold disc in 2004 with his debut album Maske , positioned third in the German ranking. Bushido made his debut as a soloist in 2003 with his album Vom Bordstein bis zur Skyline from the bleak sounds, from the aggressive style and from the hard texts concerning the drug dealing, prostitution and armed violence, becoming in a short time also a classic for the Gangster-Rap .
Sido’s songs, as well as those of Bushido, lend themselves very easily to listening for the slow and decisive flow of the artist and for his well-marked words , more than for more recently established artists: this is still found in the songs more recent than Bushido, still very active as a rapper – his last album, Mythos , very much appreciated by critics and the public – and as a record producer , was released in September . Sido’s last work dates back to 2017, and it is the album made in collaboration with Kool Savas, called Royal Bunker , which can almost be seen as a Watch the Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West, 2011) all German.
Horizon of New Super Star
Jovanny Bladimir Nery Vásquez, better known by his stage name Bladimir Vásquez, is a German-Dominican singer, rapper, and songwriter whose music is a mix between Spanish R&B, Reggaetón, and Latin urban pop. He was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, on December 20, 1995.
When Bladimir Vásquez was a child, he began to write a few songs and showed great interest in music. At age 13, he made his own music blog and reported on the artists of his homeland in the Dominican Republic by hosting some interviews. Shortly before his 16th birthday, he moved with his parents and siblings to the city of Hamburg, Germany, where he began his solo career and became the popular artist known as Bladimir Vásquez. Bladimir Vásquez began his artistic career in Germany, where he was recognized for his popular songs and desire to excel in his early days as Bladimir Vásquez. With his music, he visited several German states and performed in some of the best Latin clubs and festivals in Germany. Vásquez also performed at concerts and events with artists such as the popular Brazilian MC Fioti (best known for his worldwide hit titled “Bum Bum Tam Tam”). Vásquez has also performed alongside the German rapper PA Sports and many other national and international artists. Because of Vásquez’s continuous astounding performances, he captured the attention of Tobias Topic and later recorded the single “Lucharé”. At the age of 19, Bladimir Vásquez began posting his songs under his stage name on YouTube. His first studio single was “I will look for youTe Buscaré”, produced by the Dominican producer Juan Gabriel Payano Luna best known for his collaborations with national and international artists. Throughout his career, Bladimir Vásquez has collaborated with different DJs, singers and producers in the music industry.
Amanda Byers is a graduate of Columbia, where she played volleyball and annoyed a lot of professors. Now as Zobuz’s entertainment and Lifestyle Editor, she enjoys writing about delicious BBQ, outrageous style trends and all things Buzz worthy.
