Martin Canine's Favorite German Hip Hop Albums as of June 16th, 2017
Year: 2014
The first Kollegah album I ever heard and also the best. It's an epic masterpiece of 20 tracks which showcase the lyrical genius of Kollegah: not only his infamous multisyllabic rhyming that is used throughout every line if the album, but also his word play. His use of homophones on this record goes beyond everything one has ever heard in German rap history. These are not simply double entendres, here he plays with your conception about phrases and idioms, turns them into whole different meanings, uses homophones which you never noticed before and puts them together so perfectly and naturally that it blows your mind without making him seem to try hard. Often the word play is so clever and intelligent that it takes you a few seconds to realize it. For most of the time, he portrays his pimp persona, but reaches a new level of credibility. It sounds sinister and cold-hearted, without the irony he was once known for. But there are also some personal tracks that show that ...more
This is the album every German hip hop fan has to know and respect. It was a turning point in the genre and also the beginning of its way to the top.
Before this, rapping was used in pop music. In the 90s, Die Fantastischen Vier or Tic Tac Toe rapped in German and were successful, but it was very much combined with pop. Then in the late 90s to early 2000s rappers like Kool Savas, Samy Deluxe or Eko Fresh came along, who showcased a love for hip hop music similar to the American MCs back then. They were known and are still considered great but they have little to do with the German hip hop of nowadays. THEN Bushido released this record in 2003. A dark album about life in the hood, full of violence, drugs and profanity. There has not been anything remotely like this before in German rap. It was controversial, yet extremely convincing and even frightning at parts. It is not like the US thug rap, this here is more sinister, unsettling. It paved the way for everything that came ...more
Year: 2011
This is barely hip hop anymore, it's more rock. But Casper is considered hip hop, because that's where he started from.
I need to mention this amazing album because of its high quality and the fact that I simply love it, but I always regarded it as a rock album, that's why it's in the last place.