German Hip Hop emerged in the mid-1980s as a distinctly localized response to American rap culture, but it wasn't until the 1990s that artists found their voice by rapping in German rather than English. Pioneers like Die Fantastischen Vier and Freundeskreis proved that the language's rhythmic potential could carry sharp social commentary, wordplay, and humor. The genre encompasses a broad spectrum: from the jazz-infused consciousness of Blumentopf and Massive Töne to the playful, party-oriented sounds of Fettes Brot and Deichkind, and later the harder-edged "Gangsta Rap" stylings of Bushido and Sido. Unlike generic rap or the umbrella term "Deutschrap," German Hip Hop carries a specific cultural identity rooted in reunification-era struggles, immigrant experiences, and a DIY ethos that birthed independent labels and tight-knit crews.
What sets it apart is its linguistic creativity—German's compound words and guttural consonants create unique flows and punchlines impossible in other languages. The scene has continually reinvented itself: the early boom-bap era gave way to experimental production (Eins Zwo, Kinderzimmer Productions), then mainstream crossover acts like Cro blending pop sensibilities, and finally the street-driven intensity of artists like Haftbefehl. Regional diversity matters here, with Hamburg, Stuttgart, Berlin, and Frankfurt each cultivating distinct sounds and rivalries.
Dive into German Hip Hop to witness how a borrowed art form became a genuine cultural force—a mirror reflecting Germany's multicultural tensions, its youth rebellions, and its relentless innovation. It's where poetry meets breakbeats, and where the German language discovered it could spit fire.
Click column headers to sort
List updated:
| #72 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:1991-08-27 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #41 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:1992-08-28 | |||
| #28 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:1993-11-08 | |||
| #95 | ByMain Concept | Released:1994 | german hip hop | ||
| #37 | ByFettes Brot | Released:1995-04-20 | |||
| #26 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:1995-11-11 | |||
| #66 | ByTic Tac Toe | Released:1996-04-15 | |||
| #87 | ByBürger Lars Dietrich | Released:1996-06-21 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #34 | ByAbsolute Beginner | Released:1996-08-12 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #75 | ByKinderzimmer Productions | Released:1996-11-26 | german hip hop | ||
| #18 | ByFreundeskreis | Released:1997-02-21 | |||
| #16 | ByBlumentopf | Released:1997-09-01 | |||
| #84 | ByFischmob | Released:1997-10-06 | german hip hop | ||
| #35 | ByThomas D | Released:1997-10-31 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #59 | BySabrina Setlur | Released:1997 | |||
| #51 | ByHausmarke | Released:1998-03-23 | |||
| #20 | ByFünf Sterne Deluxe | Released:1998-03-30 | |||
| #90 | BySpezializtz | Released:1998-09-07 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #67 | ByFettes Brot | Released:1998-10-02 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #56 | ByRAG | Released:1998-10-06 | |||
| #2 | ByAbsolute Beginner | Released:1998-11-10 | german hip hophip-hop | ||
| #69 | ByKinderzimmer Productions | Released:1998-11-20 | german hip hop | ||
| #60 | ByKinderzimmer Productions | Released:1999-03-08 | german hip hop | ||
| #27 | ByAfrob | Released:1999-03-29 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #11 | ByFreundeskreis | Released:1999-04-19 | |||
| #53 | ByMassive Töne | Released:1999-04-19 | |||
| #24 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:1999-04-26 | |||
| #5 | ByEins Zwo | Released:1999-05-03 | |||
| #43 | ByDoppelkopf | Released:1999-05-06 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #49 | ByCrème De La Crème | Released:1999-10-14 | deutschrapgerman hip hop | ||
| #30 | ByFerris MC | Released:1999-10-18 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #83 | BySuch A Surge | Released:2000-02-07 | |||
| #8 | ByDynamite Deluxe | Released:2000-03-27 | |||
| #13 | ByDeichkind | Released:2000-05-29 | |||
| #32 | ByFünf Sterne Deluxe | Released:2000-09-18 | |||
| #15 | ByTorch | Released:2000-09-25 | german hip hoprap | ||
| #74 | ByDas Bo | Released:2000 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #98 | ByDJ Tomekk | Released:2001-02-12 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #93 | ByToo Strong | Released:2001-03-09 | german hip hop | ||
| #25 | ByNico Suave | Released:2001-04-02 | |||
| #6 | BySamy Deluxe | Released:2001-04-23 | |||
| #63 | ByThomas D | Released:2001-05-07 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #4 | BySeeed | Released:2001-05-21 | |||
| #39 | ByAfrob | Released:2001-06-25 | german hip hop | ||
| #91 | ByRAG | Released:2001-06-25 | |||
| #19 | ByBlumentopf | Released:2001-10-01 | german hip hophip-hop | ||
| #78 | ByFettes Brot | Released:2001-10-01 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #57 | ByFerris MC | Released:2001-10-29 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #36 | ByKinderzimmer Productions | Released:2002-02-22 | german hip hophip-hop | ||
| #55 | ByToni L | Released:2002-09-23 | german hip hop | ||
| #40 | ByDeichkind | Released:2002-09-30 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #38 | ByKool Savas | Released:2003-04-14 | deutschrapgerman hip hop | ||
| #92 | ByBushido | Released:2003-07-14 | |||
| #9 | ByBlumentopf | Released:2003-09-15 | |||
| #100 | ByJAW | Released:2003 | rapgerman hip hop | ||
| #44 | ByTexta | Released:2004-02-23 | german hip hop | ||
| #12 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:2004-08-30 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #46 | ByBushido | Released:2004-10-25 | |||
| #48 | ByKinderzimmer Productions | Released:2004-11-15 | german hip hophip-hop | ||
| #31 | ByAfrob | Released:2005-02-28 | german hip hop | ||
| #81 | ByFlowin Immo | Released:2005-09-12 | german hip hop | ||
| #62 | ByRainer Von Vielen | Released:2005-09-30 | german hip hop | ||
| #99 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:2005-11-11 | |||
| #58 | ByMassive Töne | Released:2005 | |||
| #89 | ByPrezident | Released:2006-03-09 | german hip hop | ||
| #50 | ByMarsimoto | Released:2006-07-07 | |||
| #17 | ByDendemann | Released:2006-09-01 | rapgerman hip hop | ||
| #14 | BySido | Released:2006-12-01 | |||
| #23 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:2007-04-07 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #70 | ByPrezident | Released:2008-04-07 | german hip hop | ||
| #85 | ByPrezident | Released:2008-11-10 | german hip hop | ||
| #47 | ByHuss und Hodn | Released:2009-01-30 | german hip hop | ||
| #45 | ByFiva | Released:2009-02-20 | german hip hop | ||
| #73 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:2009 | |||
| #76 | ByDie Fantastischen Vier | Released:2009 | |||
| #3 | ByDendemann | Released:2010-04-09 | german hip hoprock | ||
| #94 | ByJohnny Mauser & Captain Gips | Released:2010-07-09 | german hip hop | ||
| #88 | ByPrezident | Released:2010-08-25 | german hip hop | ||
| #96 | ByKobito & Sookee | Released:2010-09-04 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #52 | ByPrezident | Released:2010-12-06 | german hip hop | ||
| #42 | ByNeonschwarz | Released:2012-08-17 | german hip hop | ||
| #21 | ByCro | Released:2013-06-28 | |||
| #64 | ByFettes Brot | Released:2013-11-01 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #79 | ByNeonschwarz | Released:2014-09-19 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #10 | ByBlumentopf | Released:2014-12-05 | german hip hopdeutschrap | ||
| #1 | ByCro | Released:2015-07-03 | |||
| #54 | ByKollegah | Released:2015-12-11 | german hip hopgerman rap | ||
| #80 | ByNeonschwarz | Released:2016-05-06 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #86 | ByMC Bomber | Released:2016-07-08 | |||
| #22 | ByFettes Brot | Released:2016-10-21 | |||
| #65 | ByAntilopen Gang | Released:2017-01-20 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #82 | ByWaving The Guns | Released:2017-01-27 | |||
| #97 | ByJohnny Mauser | Released:2017-09-01 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #7 | ByHaftbefehl | Released:2018-02-23 | |||
| #71 | ByDanger Dan | Released:2018-05-30 | |||
| #61 | ByWaving The Guns | Released:2019-03-15 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #77 | ByFettes Brot | Released:2019-05-03 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #68 | ByAntilopen Gang | Released:2020-01-24 | hip-hopgerman hip hop | ||
| #29 | ByCro | Released:2021-12-02 | |||
| #33 | ByCro | Released:2022-06-02 |