Top Ten Cyber Hip Hop Songs

Cyber hip hop is a subgenre / subculture / counter movement in German hip hop that emerged around a group of independent artists including Dat Adam (Taddl, Ardy and Marley), Sierra Kidd, Westghosts (Navy Westghost, Leroy Westghost, Young Kira and Young Mokuba) and NOK From the Future. As I create this list, this scene is still relatively young, and just rose from very underground to having some recognition in the hip hop scene. The artists who take part in this movement are not that many as of now, but the style already influenced mainstream artist Cro on his most recent album “tru.” (which I don’t regard as cyber hip hop itself, but having cyber hip hop influences), and some of the artists are on good terms with the Glo Up Dinero Gang, a German rap crew influenced by American trap.

The movement is opposed to mainstream hip hop ideas such as street credibility, aggressiveness and masculinity. Their main focuses are flow instead of complex rhyming, and passion instead of commercial interests. Some of the artists have turned down major label contracts to stay in full creative control over their work. Despite such moves, both Dat Adam and Sierra Kidd entered the top ten in German language Europe with their albums. Often, their lyrics spread a certain off-beat and pacifist lifestyle, and punchlines are mostly humorous rather than hard hitting, and are mostly aimed at mainstream hip hop as a scene, rather than the listener as usual in German rap. Conscious hip hop is also not uncommon, especially on Dat Adam’s commercially successful debut album “HYDRA 3D”, although it does not necessarily occur on every cyber hip hop release. Sometimes, the sound is actually light hearted and has lyrics about enjoying life the way you want to, unspoiled by society’s expectations. The general sentiment of the movement is living for the moment and doing everything you do with passion, you could say. Cyber hip hop artists have a strong affinity to anime and science fiction, and will often interpolate references to such works in their lyrics, and also sometimes have an outlandish visual style resembling a futuristic or manga-inspired style (this also influences their overall soundscape and wording).

Musically, the songs are more experimental than songs of other hip hop subgenres. They are often unconventionally structured and make heavy use of electronica or rock elements. A vocal style that is on the border between rapping and singing is also very popular in this particular genre. Said vocals are usually full of effects (not only autotune, but also flanger, pitch shifting or robotic vocoder) to create a more futuristic sound. Sampling is usually not part of cyber hip hop songs. Instead of that, live instruments are sometimes played in the studio, although quite often distorted. The movement holds a strong “do it yourself” sentiment and while working on a song, all participants act as a unit and get equal credit for the music. The vocalists are actively involved in the creative process of the production and the producers in that of the songwriting, while it’s usual in German hip hop that the beats come first, and then rappers write and record their lyrics over them (except for artists such as Bushido, Cro or Shindy, who produce themselves). Cyber hip hop producers are also more musical than “normal” producers (for example Marley from Dat Adam also released an EP of him playing the piano), and usually the electronic instruments or even the vocoders are just used for aesthetic purposes.
The Top Ten
1 Sanageyama - Dat Adam

"Why are so many in love with their ego?
Why is democracy no democracy?
And why don't all beings deserve a life?
It just pisses me off."

Best song of 2016.

2 Ghidorah/Legobricks - Dat Adam
3 Modus - Tj_beastboy & Mary Man

TJ_beastboy & Mary Man are Taddl and Marley from DatAdam. It's a less conscious and more fun oriented, yet nevertheless great side project.

4 Road - NOK from the Future & Ro Ransom
5 Himmelstadt - Navy Westghost
6 Fkn Ghost - Young Kira & Leroy Westghost
7 S/O - Dat Adam
8 Do - NOK from the Future
9 23 Shots - Young Mokuba & Young Kira
10 Kopfvilla - Sierra Kidd
The Contenders
11 Adlibs - Young Mokuba & Dat Adam
12 Hydra 3D - Dat Adam
13 Nextlevels**t - Dat Adam
14 Dfa (CR-Version) - Dat Adam
15 Galaxy - Spinning 9
16 Never Growin' Up - DAT ADAM

Also features the entire Westghosts (Navy Westghost, Leroy Westghost, Young Kira and Young Mokuba).

17 9leben - Tj_beastboy & Mary Man

Album version features Young Mokuba and Young Kira, video version only Young Mokuba.

18 Aus Der Zone - Spinning 9 & Sierra Kidd
19 Horrorkid - Navy Westghost
20 Raigeki - Young Kira
21 No Worries - Dat Adam
22 Jaws - Dat Adam
23 First One Done - Gunboi
24 700 Main Street - Dat Adam
25 Awake - Nok from the Future
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