Die Fantastischen Vier: Pioneers of German Hip-hop

West Germany was one of the main areas of the country where most American soldiers were stationed after the infamous World War II. By the late ‘70s, there was a boom in the mixed race population as many of these foreign soldiers opted to settle down with their local wives. This phenomenon brought about the arrival of various American influences in terms of art, film, and most especially music.

By 1984, the U.S. film entitled Beat Street was released in Germany. With the movie’s story set in Bronx, the entirety of it revolved around the struggles of a young hip-hop artist who aimed to be known in the Manhattan music industry. The fictional yet very inspiring flick gave many creative young Germans the courage to pursue and develop their own brand of hip-hop. With the collapse of the Berlin Wall, political sentiments coming from the younger generation emerged in different forms. One of which would be through music.

As such, Germany’s hip-hop pioneer Die Fantastischen Vier came into the scene. Literally meaning “Fantastic Four,” the group consisting of Thomas Dürr, Andreas Rieke, Michael Beck, and Michael B. Schmidt, all hailed from the country’s sixth largest city which is Stuttgart. Known as the birthplace of the highly-coveted Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, Germany is also the home to the Spielbank Stuttgart Casino. Much like Deutsche gaming sites such as PartyPoker, this casino boasts of countless rounds of poker and blackjack. Participating in poker is ultimately beneficial for individuals who would like to develop discipline, as this game has a definite set of rules that must be adhered to. Decision-making skills are hastened due to the rapid progress of each round. Creativity is enhanced in each player as the most innovative of strategies are more frequently triumphant. For those who seek excitement from their humdrum routines, delving into poker is a perfect way to inject some thrill. Since players are required to mingle with others, one’s ability to socialize is honed, creating more personal networks. This game can also be used as a learning tool as familiarizing with the ropes of the activity is a trial and error process. Furthermore, patrons become more uninhibited as they gradually acquire the courage to face the risks that abound in poker.

As bravery is concerned, the said German Hip-hop quartet forego all of their initial doubts as well and released their first-ever hit “Die Da!?!” in 1992. Many young locals were hooked to the said song, which resulted to the group catapulting into musical acclaim. Now known as Thomas D, And.Y, Hausmarke, and Smudo, the band was able to churn out 17 full-length albums from 1991-2012.

The illustrious career of Die Fantastischen Vier defied traditional hip-hop that came from the United States, and instead created their own local version that Germans kept coming back for more.