Krauts with Attitude was released in 1991 under the Bombastic label. The album was compiled by DJs Michael Reinboth and Katmando. It features 15 different acts; three rapped in German, eleven in English, and one in French. This release was the first compilation of German hip-hop, and essentially helped create a hip-hop scene in Germany.[1]
| Krauts with Attitude | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Compilation album by various artists | |
| Released | 1991 |
| Genre | Hip hop |
Background
editThe album was controversial for its language and disrespect towards authority. The title of the album refers to Niggaz with Attitude (N.W.A.), a hip-hop group from California, and the word "kraut," which is derogatory slang for German people. N.W.A. is widely considered a seminal gangsta rap group. Their lyrics are controversial, and Krauts with Attitude provided a German counterpart to the American rap scene. The Krauts record was influential to future German artists who wanted to make it in German hip-hop.[1]
The album cover was designed in the colors of the nation’s flag (black, red, and gold), a move that was mimicked by the Turkish hip hop group Cartel.[2] The group supported this underlying nationalism with the linernotes reading "Now is the time to oppose somehow the self confidence of the English and the American."[1] Their 1991 compilation of German Hip-Hop was seen as a nationalistic movement excluding the Turkish community and the immigrants of Germany.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Elflein, Dietmar. "From Krauts with Attitudes to Turks with Attitudes: Some Aspects of Hip-Hop History in Germany." Popular Music, Vol. 17, No. 3. (Oct., 1998), pp. 255-265.
- ^ Brown, Timothy S. “‘Keeping it Real’ in a Different ‘Hood: (African-) Americanization and Hip-hop in Germany.” In The Vinyl Ain’t Final: Hip Hop and the Globalization of Black Popular Culture, ed. by Dipannita Basu and Sidney J. Lemelle, 137-50. London; A