Banned Songs on Civics, or the History of Polish Hip-Hop in 60 Records (Part Two)

leszek-eldo-kazmiercza-fot-robert-gardzinski-forum-0429763259.jpg, default, Leszek ‘Eldo’ Kaźmierczak, 2008, photo: Robert Gardziński / Forum, Banned Songs on Civics, or the History of Polish Hip-Hop in 60 Records (Part Two)

#music

Polish hip-hop was the music of the streets. It was raw, rebellious and fiercely independent – often likened to punk in its anti-establishment edge. But what happens when a music of resistance meets the pull of the mainstream?

(Unsurprising warning: this text contains lots of juicy profanities...)

In the first decade of the 21st century, more and more rappers started rapping about money. The first independent record labels were being set up, many of which also launched their own clothing lines. Hip-hop was becoming a regular career path.

Creating rap music has long been viewed as an easy task; all that was needed was a computer and a microphone. The rise of the internet and CD burners has further democratised the genre. Now, almost anyone can record their own album. In 2003, MySpace was launched, a now-defunct platform where rappers and producers could share their recordings with the entire world.

Ania Sool ‎– ‘Sool W Twoim Oku’ (Sool in Your Eye) (2002)

Wikipedia lists seven Polish female rappers. In comparison, the number of male rappers is 253. Of course, the popular online encyclopaedia does not keep a precise record of Poles involved in hip-hop. Still, these figures clearly illustrate the significant lack of female artists on the Polish rap scene. Where do these disparities originate? Probably the most compelling reason is sexism within Polish rap. Even the likeable high school graduate Mata, promoted by the media as the new face of Polish hip-hop, refers to his female friends as ‘bitches’ in his lyrics. Meanwhile, Pih, who has been active on the scene for 20 years, claims in interviews that ‘chauvinistic rap should also exist’.

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Ania Sool - Pokażmy dobry rap!

When I recently spoke to Miły ATZ [literally ‘Nice Guy ATZ’, ed.], I asked him how he started rapping. He mentioned that there were already two lads in his neighbourhood who dabbled in rap, and knowing that others were doing it helped him develop his passion. You do not see many female rappers from the hood, and those who are just starting out are facing either disgusting sexist comments or, alternatively, opinions like ‘she raps well for a girl’, which, although meant as a compliment, say more about the person making the comment than the recipient of the message.

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I’m Sool, I’m salt, I cause pain like a true beast,

My suggestion to rapping maidens,

Let’s muzzle the lads,

Because our rapping should be seen in the same way,

MC is not a gender – MC is a title.

Author

From ‘Pokażmy Dobry Rap’ (Let’s Show Some Good Rap) by Ania Sool, trans. AM

Sool W Twoim Oku is probably the most renowned Polish ‘unofficial’ album recorded by a woman; incidentally, contracts with labels signed by women are still rare today. [‘Sool’ is a homophone of Polish ‘sól’, which means ‘salt’, and so the title is meant to sound like ‘Salt in Your Eye’, ed.] The very sparse and amateurish beats are complemented by a feisty yet melodic and singable flow. These were the days before auto-tune, so rappers usually avoided incorporating any sung parts (or sang mercilessly out of tune). Sool’s album is filled with soul and R&B energy, although it adheres very closely to the hip-hop convention.

What does Sool sing about? Essentially, she explores what it means to be a female rapper. Polish rap has alreadymasterfully depicted the inner life of a lad sitting on a low wall. We also know everything about all-boys’ walks, smoking joints together, making rhymes while hanging out around the block of flats, the difficulties of earning money, and unpleasant encounters with the police. Women were, at best, mothers, mothers of children fathered by the rappers, oradulteresses. Women’s experiences in Polish rap remain a true terra incognita.

One of Ania Sool’s most famous songs was ‘Aborcja’ (Abortion) (‘Let’s not let them interfere in this matter / It’s our life, our bodies, our voice in protest’). A few years later, she recorded the song ‘Jestem Mamą’ (I’m a Mum) (‘I get the vibe, I have the blues, though sometimes it’s baby blues / Even the 500+ programme can’t sweeten it’). [A reference to Poland’s child benefit programme ‘Family 500+’, introduced in 2016, ed.]

(Filip Lech)

Eis – ‘Gdzie jest Eis?’ (Where Is Eis?) (2003)

Apparently, the album was originally supposed to be titled Napad na Bauns (Attack on Boogies) or W Szponach Melanżu (In the Claws of a Piss-Up). The final title, which was definitely a better choice, proved to be prophetic – after his first solo album (recorded in his final year of high school), Eis said goodbye to the rap scene, leaving his fans to post the question ‘Where is Eis?’ on internet forums.

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EIS - "Najlepsze dni" (official video).

He boasted: ‘Yo, I’m here to change the game, mate, this is my time’. He did change it, though post factum. At the time, seven thousand copies of the album were sold, and in the following decade, every other young rapper would name Eis as an inspiration. The artist himself said in an interview with Marcin Flint: ‘I remember that I didn’t want to be an adult rapper. I was aware of what that might look like. [...] However, there is a benefit to recording as such, because it’s givenme an account of my state of mind during adolescence’.

This album is certainly innovative for several reasons: the topics it addresses (more on that below), its production, which went far beyond the set pattern (Korzeń, Kociołek, O.S.T.R., Noon and Praktik were among those responsible for it), and the protagonist’s cheeky style of rapping that accompanied the beat. However, to be honest, I never fully grasped why this album enjoys such cult status, just as I never saw why the preceding Poszło w Biznes (Gone into Business) by the duo Elemer (formerly Liga Młodych Rozbójników [League of Young Bandits], i.e., Eis and producer Dena) was met withsuch a lukewarm reception. Personally, I have always found the latter’s grotesque and puerile idea of wealth amusing. Eis’s solo album mainly talks about real dough, or rather the desire to make it: ‘I’ll make a million before I turn thirty / or I’ll burn out and drop dead on a Tesco salary with the rest of them’. Or:

Text

Yo, you do it too, mate

There’s more awaiting

Than that bloody thousand quid gross

Today, you choose

You can be like every other bloke

Sit at home and watch Big Bro

Author

From ‘Teraz albo Nigdy’ (Now or Never) by Eis, trans. AM

The reviewer from the monthly magazine Klan aptly summed up the materialistic and aspirational atmosphere of the album:

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Eis is hungry for success, hungry for rhymes, hungry for dough. And, as they said about boxers during the Great Depression, ‘you fight best on an empty stomach’. Eis has faith in his own victory. What characterises this album is, above all, optimism and faith: in one’s own strength, in one’s own value. It inspires constructive action, the overcoming of difficulties, the fight for one’s place in this fucked-up capitalist reality.

(Patryk Zakrzewski)

Kidd/Faczyński – ‘Pansofia’ (2004)

If Fisz’s Polepione Dźwięki (Patchwork Sounds) provided novice hip-hop fans a chance to see its less street-wise side, Kidd and Faczyński, along with the netlabel skwer.org, took them on a journey through almost the entire hip-hop universe. Kidd’s lyrical and narrative skills are undeniable, as is his characteristic ability to juggle contexts, metaphors, and references, as well as his talent for combining inherently brutal observations with above-average sensitivity and a lightness of touch when it comes to rhyming.

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Pansofia - 05. Tacy Piekni

Pansofia is a unique album and the most important one for me, mainly because of its honesty, the DIY ethos that permeates it, and the conscious choice not to follow the mainstream. Kidd operates from the shadows, having been on the fringes of the Polish scene for years, and it is impressive that, while occupying such a position, he manages to shape its core at the same time. So, if I had to say what my favourite style is when it comes to Polish MCs, I would answer without hesitation: ‘the style of the Siberian flying squirrel’. And besides, ‘Nana was in Germany, and in Poland we have UMC’ – could anyone else sum up so accurately all the commotion of the Polish rap scene in the first half of the 21st century in just one brilliant sentence?

(Emilia Stachowska)

POE – ‘Szum Rodzi Hałas’ (Noise Creates Noise) (2005)

POE, or Projekt Ostry Emade. O.S.T.R. is one of the most recognisable figures on the Polish hip-hop scene. The Łódź-based rapper did not turn out to be This Rap’s Last Chance – on the contrary, he helped it develop. This was largely due to his charismatic voice, combined with his linguistic glibness and penchant for wordplay. Some of his lyrics were praised, while others – particularly the later ones – were harshly criticised. It is easy to forget that O.S.T.R. is also a music producer (he has produced tracks for Eis, Tede, Sarius, and Quebonafide, among others). I believe these skills have helped him to ingeniously adapt his flow to a wide range of beats. This was especially evident in moments such as his musical collaborations with Emade, aka Piotr Waglewski.

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Raj Młodocianych Bogów

Szum Rodzi Hałas (Noise Creates Noise) is truly a fantastic album. Emade’s productions are built on simple loops (the foundation of the sound of O.S.T.R.’s first albums), but there is no lack of detail and precision in integrating the sounds of synthesisers, guitars, and effects. The mix created by Emade is one of the most remarkable achievements of the Polish beat scene so far. At the time of its release, it was the perfect bridge between the hip-hop tradition and modern trends emerging on the European scene. Roots Manuva probably would not turn his nose up at the beat for ‘Muszę Stąd Odejść’ (I Have to Leave Here). Ostry’s rhymes are casual urban braggadocio with catchy punchlines (‘Greetings to the suckers – Middle finger’) and a quirky sense of humour (‘Greetings to all who lose their wallets in Warsaw!’). It is worth noting the track ‘Korale’ (Beads), where the space was given over entirely to singer Iza Kowalewska. Emade processed her vocals through a flanger (a guitar effect that creates a ‘cosmic’ sound) and thus crafted one of the most timeless productions inhis career.

(Magda Staniszewska)

Smarki Smark – ‘Najebawszy EP’ (Getting EP Fucked Up) (2005)

This release holds great significance for the Polish hip-hop scene, and not merely for sentimental reasons. Smarki inspired his fans so profoundly that in 2013, they put up a billboard in Gorzów Wielkopolski that read: ‘Smarki, thanks for the vinyls, but what about Brudne? Best regards, and remember that we are still waiting – SLG’. SLG is a community from the hip-hop online forum Ślizg, and Brudne is the band Brudne Serca [‘Dirty Hearts’, ed.], where Smarki Smark made his debut. A rapper whose uniqueness is undeniable.

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Smarki Smark - Najebawszy EP (Moda na EPke) (Całość)

The point is that after releasing Najebawszy – the most famous ‘unofficial’ album [released independently, ed.] in the history of Polish rap – Smarki stepped back from the scene, at least as a solo artist. In his lyrics, he emphasised that he never wanted to be an ‘official’ part of it. One of Smarki’s most iconic songs was ‘Kawałek o Pieniądzach’ (A Piece about Money), which included the line ‘Promotions and concerts? I don’t have time today / because I prefer a strong concept, Heineken and a spliff’. Who wouldn’t? He was 20 years old and could easily chill out.

He recorded during a period when Polish hip-hop was in decline. Aware of everything that was happening, he gave Polish hip-hop Najebawszy, which was a tribute to the genre’s achievements. The follow-ups are countless. Kixnare complemented it with beats that pay homage to hip-hop’s classic sound.

In 2020, the world was reminded about Smarki: Quebonafide added his own verses to the previously unreleased song ‘Kocham, Pozdrawiam’ (Love and Regards), included in his album Romantic Psycho. Will we live to see the return of the Gorzów-born rapper?

(Magda Staniszewska)

Dinal – ‘W Strefie Jarania i w Strefie Rymowania’ (In the Zone of Sparing Up and in the Zone of Rhyming) (2006)

The second album by the Opole-based band is, alongside Smarki’s Najebawszy, a contender for the title of the most expensive ‘unofficial’ release in the history of Polish hip-hop. While I was writing this, several copies of the vinyl were up for auction, with prices ranging from PLN 800 to EUR 300 – I would not be surprised if the total amount exceeded what the members of Dinal earned from their musical output during the group’s 10 years of activity.

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Dinal - W strefie jarania i w strefie rymowania (2006)

They have more in common with Smarki than that: for example, their obsessive fondness for follow-ups, especially classic tracks from 1997 to 2002, which we discussed in Part One of the present article. Even the title itself is a quote from Molesta’s ‘Wolę Się Nastukać’ (I’d Rather Get High). The intertextual complexity they create here would put many a postmodern writer to shame.

‘No one wanted to release our music officially because I didn’t insist and I didn’t play trash’. It so happens that oneintegral part of the best Polish rap albums are stories about disappointment with rap and complaints about the hopeless state of the local scene in general.

However, no one did it with as much finesse and humour as Mr Wankz, since hardly anyone else was as skilled in the art of rhyming as he was. His relaxed flow and seemingly casually crafted verses only enhance this effect. The two producers supporting him lyrically, Urb and Mejdej, are also no slouches, and their beats are pure delight.

(Patryk Zakrzewski)

Eldo – ‘Człowiek, Który Chciał Ukraść Alfabet’ (The Man Who Wanted to Steal the Alphabet) (2006)

Leszek Kaźmierczak, also known as Eldo, has always been one of the most significant figures on the Polish rap scene. However, he wasn’t treated entirely seriously, a bit like a weirdo. Is it perhaps because he is one of the most poetic Polish rappers? Or maybe the sense of otherness stemmed from his conversion to Islam? In interviews, he stated that when he first became interested in rap, he often looked for artists who were also Muslim (many American rappers are Muslim, from Rakim through Busta Rhymes to Ice Cube), and this has influenced his music. Incidentally, Eldo is not the only Muslim in Polish rap – others are Włodi from Molesta and Red, the creator of a very interesting album inspired by Arabic music, Al-Hub.

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Eldo CKCUA - 01. A

Człowiek, Który Chciał Ukraść Alfabet (The Man Who Wanted to Steal the Alphabet) is certainly Eldoka’s most captivating album. The previous one, Eternia, produced by Ajron and Webber among others, sounded like an imitation of Grammatik’s Światła Miasta (City Lights); it lacked freshness. It’s an excellent album, I probably know every lyric by heart, but musically it exhibits certain stagnation typical of Polish rap, resulting from producers trying to replicate proven formulas without adding much of anything original. Consequently, the audience becomes used to this style of music, and subsequent generations of producers face resistance when they attempt to introduce something genuinely new to their sound. Another thing is that Tomasz Twardowski and Jan Porębski, the Bitnix duo responsible for producing Człowiek..., did not propose anything particularly innovative; quite the opposite. Inspired by jazz and funk sound, employing pulsating yet often laid-back grooves, they created a slightly sluggish, very relaxed atmosphere (though also featuring some more unsettling moments). This effect was achieved with the help of musicians invited to perform on several tracks: jazz bassist Krzysztof Ścierański, Piotr Zabrodzki, and Daniel Drumz on turntables. There are also references to what at the start of the 21st century was called ‘new sounds’, namely electronic music; however, these fragments have not aged well.

Some great artists are featured here, including Smarki Smark, Jimson, Emil Blef, ragga singer Mista Pita, and soul singer Wiosna. And what does Eldoka sing about? His travels, thoughts, readings, the Polish language, and the passage of time. Rarely about rap.

Text

You know? I wish I could write about love like Neruda

Be able to describe people warmly, like Hrabal

But I prefer to wallow in dirt when I write

This style, I know I’ll keep doing it

An incomplete world, I’m a little afraid

That my plan might end in failure

Author

From ‘Popołudnie Pisarza (Sens)’ (A Writer’s Afternoon [Sense]) by Eldo, trans. AM

(Filip Lech)

Grupa KOT – ‘KOT’ (CAT) (2006)

When writing about Etamski’s Zabrudzony Garnitur (The Dirty Suit), I will be referring to music that balances between the concert stage and an art gallery – the third album by Poznań-based Grupa KOT is another example of this phenomenon, not only because of its scores, which are drawn with a marker pen. There is no denying that rap forms the basis of the entire project, though here it’s understood very loosely, as the whole thing clearly leans towards performance art rather than being a purely musical endeavour. Besides, the artists forming KOT, Wojciech Bąkowski, Konrad Smoleński and Piotr Bosacki, work primarily in the field of audiovisual arts, and their collaborative project should be approached as another experiment within this domain.

Despite this, distinctly audible on the so-called Szary Kot (Grey Cat) – as I shall refer to the album because of the cover colour – are a hip-hop flair and street-wise feistiness, the latter of which is evident, for example, in ‘Krzaki Bandy’ (Gang Bushes) or ‘Bombardujące Plucie’ (Bombarding Spitting) and can also be associated with the Czykita project. Additionally, there are cassette tape recorder backing tracks that give the whole album a dark aura, evoking profoundnostalgia – the kind that reminds one of the paralysing feeling of loneliness and helplessness, when, living on a large-scalemass housing estate, a young person was always on their own and all they could do was shout: ‘Mutt, bark, you little gem, raise hell, they’re not okay, eat them for meat’.

(Emilia Stachowska)

Kixnare – ‘Class of 90’s’ (2007)

Kixnare’s love for hip-hop is one of the most genuine and healthy relationships between an artist and the genre on the Polish scene. The Częstochowa-born producer and DJ has crafted beats for rappers such as Smarki Smark, Grammatik, and Tetris. His open-minded approach allowed him to develop a style that, after 2010, started to draw heavily on electronic music. His work continued to reference hip-hop but avoided staying within strict genre boundaries. Today, he is associated not only with hip-hop but also with club music.

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Nas feat. AZ - Life's a bitch (Kixnare Remix)

Today, Class of 90’s serves as an excellent summary of the hip-hop chapter in his career. With this collection of original remixes, Kixnare pays tribute to the sound that shaped him. He sought out a cappella tracks by iconic American artists and groups, such as Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, and Digable Planets, which he then incorporated into his originalproductions, immersing us in the beat-driven worlds of soul, jazz, and R&B (i.e., the foundations of hip-hop). Some of these remixes sound better than the originals.

(Magda Staniszewska)

Bosski Roman & Piero – ‘Krak’ (2007)

In the history of Polish rap music, we can find hundreds of interesting and creatively produced albums, but they all tend to be quite traditional in their approach to the conventions of the genre. They avoid experimentation, especially with rhythm. A straightforward and clear beat forms the foundation of the sound, and attempts to deviate from this are rare. Hardly anyone completely abandons melody and rap on ambient soundscapes. It is hard to even imagine... In a review, published in Klan, of the album Boy in da Corner, which Piero must have known very well, Igor Pudło – yes, the one from Skalpel – wrote: ‘Anything that original is unlikely to be created here’.

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Bosski Roman & Piero - KRAK [full album]

Krak could have been a harbinger of a musical revolution in Polish hip-hop. Bosski, known from the Kraków-based Firma, and his producer Piero aimed to shake up the rap scene a bit, refresh its sound by introducing new musical trends – mainly grime, which at the time was taking the British Isles by storm, but also Jamaican dancehall, broken drum and bass, and good old techno. In interviews, the rapper mentioned that he was open to all styles as long as he could tell trash andkitsch apart – ‘Dicho techno at suburban parties from truly deep sounds’. On the raw beat of the track ‘Tego Nie Było’ (That Didn’t Happen), maintained at an accelerated but irregular marching tempo known from Jamaican productions, Bosski raps:

Text

We don’t go with the flow, with dead fish / We strike with electricity, beats, vocals / We push forward with experiments – we are experts in the Kraków style [...] Poland lives by standards, and that’s why / Instead of something good, it’s always rubbish, mate / Polish hip-hop is just cringeworthy.

It was one of Pier’s first major productions; he had previously performed on the rap scene under the nickname MC. Reportedly, Krak was created over the course of three months, which is probably why it sounds so good. The Kraków-based producer perfectly captured the essence of the British sound that thrived on illegal radio stations and tends to bebased on a single catchy loop, slightly lopsided and unpolished. We hear a collection of sounds characteristic of the early grime imagination – squeaky string instrument parts as well as oriental instruments, sirens, vocals taken out of context, and samples resembling animal and machine noises. The British sound mixes and contrasts with a distinct Slavic literalism, with fragmented rhythms sometimes flooded by thumping, choppy, trance-like beats. This fits Bosski’s flow, which lacks even a hint of the laid-back style found in the London suburbs – the musician from Firma raps monotonously and steadily.

Lighter themes dominate the album, with the tracks focusing on parties, street culture, anti-police sentiment, and the joy of living life to the fullest. It also explores more serious reflections on human nature, as well as on God and faith (‘Kto Twym Bogiem’ [Who Is Your God], featuring Sokół). This, in fact, should come as no surprise. In his profile on the now-defunct music and social networking site MySpace, Bosski Roman informed: ‘As far as education is concerned, I am still fighting to obtain a degree in Religious Studies from the Jagiellonian University’. The co-founder of the clothing company JP released five albums in the Krak series, but they failed to attract much listener interest. They lacked the freshness of the first part, but they were still interesting (especially the second one, heavily inspired by Jamaican musicand even more spiritual).

It wasn’t until the mid-2010s that interest in grime music returned to Poland, this time through Wuzet’s productions. In 2020, Miły ATZ released an album inspired by British sounds under a mainstream label – the Polish branch of Def Jam. After more than a decade, will the Polish scene allow itself some breathing space and dance moves that are not limited to monotonous arm waving?

(Filip Lech)

Łona and Webber – ‘Absurd i Nonsens’ (Absurd and Nonsense) (2007)

The thing about Łona is, whatever he raps could be written down in a notebook with dope quotes. And sure, Absurd i Nonsens (Absurd and Nonsense) is not the first example of this, because Koniec Żartów (Joke’s Over) and Nic Dziwnego (Nothing Strange) already stood out in this regard, but this album is, on the one hand, a testament to the rapper’s brilliance and high form, and on the other, it presents us with a slightly different sound than the previous two. No longer relying solely on the achievements of the genre’s golden age and jazzy samples, here Webber also drawsinspiration from newer trends. Additionally, there is a significant amount of experimentation, as demonstrated by the abstract beat in ‘Hańba, Barbarzyńcy’ (Shame, Barbarians), or the pulsating yet monotonous backing track in ‘Gdańsk-Szczecin’. However, the breakthrough was introduced in a subtle manner, and the whole thing is simply interesting and... neat.

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Łona i Webber - Ą.Ę

Of course, it is impossible to write about Łona without mentioning his lyrics, as they are the most important thing here – no one else knows how to play with words and structure in such a way, often touching upon serious subjects in his laid-back flow. Łona is an infernally brilliant observer and, at the same time, a rapper who does not wander far in search of ideas for lyrics. An example? Let it be ‘Ą, Ę’, as:

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Hey, I know you have gg [Gadu-Gadu, Polish instant messaging app popular at the time, ed.] and click expertly

Integrated with your PC as if connected via USB

You know where to press to shine on an online forum

And add your voice to some choir

I appreciate it as much as I can, that even though you’ve abandoned paper

You cultivate epistolary skills in Outlook

And I’m glad that you aim high

Although my joy is dampened by the fact that I’m about to trip over my tongue

Words allow for literalism

But when it comes to Polish characters, it’s shit

I’ve tried a few times with a cool head

To get my bearings and master this dialect

But I’m still hiding, I don’t know how to grasp it

So, I have a tiny request for you

Show a little kindness, and please

Press the right alt key occasionally.

Author

From “Ę, Ą’ by Łona and Webber, trans. AM

There is no denying that Łona’s hallmark as an artist is his respect for the written word, because, as he himself points out in ‘Promomix’, ‘he is getting involved in it and time is running out, so he cannot really waste it on a bottomless story’.Simple.

(Emilia Stachowska)

Sokół and Pono – ‘TPWC (Teraz Pieniądz w Cenie)’ (Now Money Commands a Good Price) (2007)

A collaborative album by two Polish hip-hop classics, the founders of Zip Skład – Wojtek ‘Sokół’ Sosnowski and Rafał ‘Pono’ Poniedzielski. They met at an art high school, where their love of graffiti eventually grew into a passion for making music. The album’s title refers to the early activities of Warsaw rappers; their first project was called Trzecie Pokolenie Warszawskiej Colendy (Third Generation of Warsaw Colenda). In the book Antologia Polskiego Rapu(Anthology of Polish Rap), Sokół informs:

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The release of ‘Teraz Pieniądz w Cenie’ (Now Money Commands a Good Price) was undoubtedly a breakthrough moment. It was mind-boggling for my audience and the streets, with their hermeticism, that we were recording a remix with Ted, that we were naming the album this way and not another, that we were leaning on a pile of coins on the inside of the cover, that we were recording ‘W Aucie’ (In the Car) and ‘Uderz w Puchara’ (Hit the Cup).

The two musicians abandoned the classic street sound, creating a very eclectic and electronic album, sometimes experimental but primarily wixa, packed with thick beats inspired by dubstep wobble. In terms of sound, the most captivating tracks are ‘Jedno Słowo’ (One Word), which echoes 1980s’ rock (later, Steez from PRO8L3M would develop a similar style), and ‘Mogłoby Być Tak na Zawsze’ (It Could Be Like This Forever), featuring a beat reminiscent of an electronically enhanced mandolin.

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Sokół feat. Pono - Mogłoby być tak na zawsze

The most commercially successful tracks on the album were the party songs ‘Uderz w Puchara’ (Hit the Cup) and ‘Będę Brał Cię w Aucie’ (I’ll Take You in the Car), which were summer hits for many years and became symbols of hip-hop commercialism. Piotr Fronczewski appeared in the latter as Franek Kimono – and so a pastiche of disco music was brought back to life.

And what do Sokół and Pono sing about on their album? Half of the record consists of songs about money and lyrics comprising coaching-like bits of wisdom, such as: ‘I turn every failure into success’. The other half contains Sokół’s erotic stories, which are better forgotten. Hovering somewhere among them is the pan-Slavic track ‘Nie Lekceważ Nas’ (Don’t Underestimate Us) – probably the most international piece in the history of Polish rap, featuring rappers from Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Czechia, Russia, Bosnia, and Serbia. This is not only the first expression of admiration for Slavic culture before Don Guralesko and Donatan but also a promotional campaign for Sokół’s clothing line – the ‘Straight Slavic Flavour’ design from the Prosto brand.

(Filip Lech)

Roszja and Lu – ‘Przez Ścianę’ (Through the Wall) (2008)

With Roszja and Lu we leap into the Wrocław underground scene. They previously recorded as Sfond Sqnksa. In 2001, they released their first collaborative album, Obawa Przed Potem (Fear of Afterwards). Their neo-funk encounter is a casual celebration of pleasure.

The titles that make up this convention further emphasise that their music was created with the aim of having fun – starting with the name of the band through the album title to ‘Grill Na Dziauce’ (BBQ in the Garden) or ‘Funkuj Ich Od Tyuuu (Szypka Miłość)’ (Funk Them from Behind [Quick Love]). It is a cool postcard from a time when city life resonated with funk and relaxation.

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Roszja i Lu - Przez ścianę (full album) 2008

Seven years later, Przez Ścianę (Through the Wall) was released, marking a more mature exploration of the duo’s beloved genre. The funk on this album is slightly more pungent, and, like the lyrics, it is more existential. Roszja still does not fit into the conventional framework of rap music. His lyrics are conversational; he does not spit words at the audience but rather engages them, as if he were a compère. His flow captures the spirit of chillout and everyday unhurriedness. Right from the start, he presents the listeners with a figure of ‘the key to the mystery of everyday life’ accompanied by theenergising sounds of bass guitar and wailing trumpets. Phrases like ‘To Haller with it!’ remind us that this story takes place in Wrocław. [Through a reference to Hallera Street, a major street in Wrocław, ed.] It is ‘jazz swing in a smoky café’. It’s clear that the guys understand each other perfectly, and Lu’s productions complement and carry these lyrics on a syncopated groove.

(Magda Staniszewska)

Etam Etamski – ‘Zabrudzony Garnitur’ (The Dirty Suit) (2008)

Przemysław Jankowiak, now known by the pseudonym 1988, is associated with the duo Syny [Sons], although his solo work is also gaining increasing recognition. While this year’s EP Ring The Alarm heavily draws on British electronic sounds, it still includes many references to hip-hop, which 1988 embraced long before forming Syny under the pseudonym Etam Etamski. What is more, he approached the genre in a very interesting manner, proposing a grating, chaotic, and crazy sound inspired by, among other things, Dadaism – both in terms of sound and lyrics (‘Don’t talk so much, or the butterflies will eat you, and there are too many adverts on Polsat’, or, more literally: ‘Fist, elbow, knee, shoe; stone, window, hand and throw / These are not hooligans, this is the avant-garde – another beautiful step for Dada’).

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Dany Tego - Zdemolowane Witryny Sklepowe (prod. Etam Etamski)

Anyway, these bizarre, twisted raps were the domain of Qulturap at the time, because apart from Zabrudzony Garnitur (The Dirty Suit), the label’s catalogue includes other equally unusual and unconventional releases, such as those by Napszykłat and Niwei. So, if around the turn of the first decade of the 21^st century, there was an underground abstract rap scene offering music that would work just as well at concerts as in art galleries, Qulturap was its centre, and Zabrudzony Garnitur was its best example, featuring truly extraordinary artists (Dany Tego and WuEsBe, aka Wojciech Bąkowski, with Dawid Szczęsny also assisting with the sound). Sour, angular, noisy sound with a narrative that is hard to pin down. An experiment in experimentation? Perhaps, but the most interesting thing is that it is surprisingly... listenable.

(Emilia Stachowska)

Jimson – ‘Gorączka w Parku Igieł’ (The Heat in Needle Park) (2008)

One of the most intriguing Polish rap concept albums was created by an underground legend who quickly faded away and vanished from the music scene. It pays homage to cinema, particularly to the aesthetics of exploitation films – low-budget and exaggerated, often filled with violence. They depict the world through the distorted mirror of countercultural grotesque.

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Goraczka w Parku Igiel - 08. Malorie prod. K.O.el.

Jimson most often refers to Oliver Stone’s film Natural Born Killers (several dialogues from the film serve as interludes on the album), but there are other references, too, such as those to Jerry Schatzberg’s The Panic in Needle Park (in the title and on the cover), spaghetti westerns (most of all Sergio Leone’s For a Few Dollars More), and horror films.

Text

Your favourite rappers are dead,

That’s why I’m spitting these verses like I’m about to die.

The first underground rapper with flow, technique

and voice, and he even eats paper.

Author

From ‘Umrę Młodo’ (I’ll Die Young) by Jimson, trans. AM

His arrogance was not entirely unfounded – he certainly possessed technique and a voice that any rapper would envy (his timbre is somewhat similar to Ostry’s, but deeper). Jimson insulted everyone and enjoyed shocking people. He wrote ambiguous lyrics, often quite macabre – many were not accustomed to rap that was not straightforward and required them to read between the lines.

(Filip Lech)

Magierski & Tymon feat. Mały72 – ‘Oddycham Smogiem’ (I Breathe Smog) (2008)

Text

Did someone leave you a little readiness

To stop by others, because life is not a race?

No? That's a shame, but at least there’s hope

That everything will be found

I know, not today, but someday, I want to believe in that

Because how can you aim high otherwise?

Author

From ‘Biuro’ (The Office) by Magierski & Tymon, trans. AM

Oddycham Smogiem (I Breathe Smog) is an intriguing album, unexpectedly charming despite its dark, dense sound. It explores styles not necessarily obvious in rap, such as nu-jazz and downtempo. When we concentrate mainly on the lyrics, we find charming stories that reveal Tymon’s sensitivity and above-average powers of observation – Oddycham Smogiem is, after all, a collection of urban reflections, intimate and melancholic. So, where lies the charm in all this? First and foremost, in Tymon’s approach, as he ensures that feelings of regret and disappointment are replaced with hope and endearing warmth. Listening to this album is like watching a moving but enjoyable film, which draws on various conventions, where perhaps not everything ends well, but no one gives up and everyone moves on. No wonder, then, that the music itself is very cinematic – this album just invites the audience to… visualise it. Oddycham Smogiem brims with subtle erudition and tenderness – and therein lies this record’s greatest strength.

(Emilia Stachowska)

Chada – ‘Proceder’ (Dealings) (2009)

At the age of 18, Tomasz Chada, originally from Warsaw’s Grochów district, performed in ‘Klima’, one of the most atmospheric songs on Molesta’s first album.

Text

These dealings will always be part of the scene

Here, each of the lads has his own perception

He knows who to stick with and who to beat up

So, you’d better watch out if you’re standing in a dark corner

Author

From Molesta Ewenement feat. Chada – ‘Klima’ trans. AM

11 years later, he released his debut album. Is it a successful album? In many ways, no, the beats are quite mediocre, sounding as if they were downloaded from a free collection of random backing tracks; Chada’s flow is nothing special in terms of technique, and he was not a particularly musical rapper. But at the same time, his stories are captivating and very moving.

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Chada ft. Ten Typ Mes - Obrachunek moralny

A few days before the release of his album, Chada was sent to prison, convicted of theft and assault. He later returned to prison twice (he recorded one of his albums while on furlough). He had a lot on his conscience and sang about it, expressing regret for his actions and warning his listeners not to go down the wrong path. However, this is not a morality tale but a rather nuanced story. It is not entirely possible to like Chada, but it is certainly possible to understand his emotions and identify with them. Ten Typ Mes, in a song recorded together with the rapper from Grochów, sang about him: ‘One of the few for whom rap is autobiography’.

In 2018, Tomasz Chada lost his life under unclear circumstances. He jumped from a third-floor window and was later taken to a psychiatric hospital, where he died in the emergency room of sudden cardiac arrest. A year later, a film about him was made, titled Proceder (Dealings) and directed by Michał Węgrzyn. Honestly, I have not watched it – I am wary of Polish films about rap.

(Filip Lech)

Ortega Cartel – ‘Lavorama’ (2009)

‘Innate modesty’, ‘lack of greed’, ‘no pressure to pursue a career’, ‘a relaxed approach to rap’, ‘free play with sounds’, ‘unpretentiousness’ – these are the slogans the record label that released Lavorama uses to describe the album on their website. It must be acknowledged that they hit the nail on the head. The record is pure joy indeed, resonating with the pleasure of playing music together and the delight that nearly every beat brings. There are no deeper thoughts here, no morals or revealed truths – that was not the purpose of this album. Lavorama was created primarily during spontaneous jamming sessions and is simply meant to put you in a blissful mood, soothing you with its delicate sound inspired by the golden age of rap.

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Ortega Cartel - To historia

Ortega Cartel does not shy away from funk and soul, focusing on productions that serve as perfect backdrops for spring and summer strolls around the city. This does not mean that the lyrics lack meaning, but they certainly do not form the core of the album. The same applies to the features – they are not just any features (Daniel Drumz, Tede, Spinache and O.S.T.R., among others, make an appearance here), yet they do not overshadow the sunny atmosphere created mainly by the beats and well-crafted samples. Lavorama means freedom and no stress, which is why I keep coming back to it and recommend everyone else do the same. After all, ‘it’s in them because they have us’.

(Emilia Stachowska)

Quiz i Goście (Quiz and Guests) – ‘Materiał Producencki’ (Production Material) (2009)

In the first decade of the 21st century, many highly talented rappers emerged in Poland outside the major urban centres – in Siemiatycze, Zamość, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Bogatynia – but few people paid attention to them, apart from a group of enthusiasts who kept up with the Polish underground scene.

The album compiled by Quiz, then a 22-year-old producer with a modest discography (mainly known for two unofficial releases of Na Pół Etatu’s albums), is a ready-made guide for those who want to become familiar with the most famous true school nicknames of that era. Several of these, such as VNM and Ras, quickly gained fame, while others had long since said farewell to rap.

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Quiz + Goście - Materiał Producencki - Pivot - Yyy, Eee

As is often the case with compilations, a few tracks overshadow the rest (my favourites are Brudne Serca [Dirty Hearts], Pivot, and Proceente, whose label, Aloha Entertainment, released this album); however, the overall quality remains consistently high. This is the essence of the classic approach to hip-hop: simple yet effective means of expression, based on vinyl samples (mainly from the Polskie Nagrania [Polish Records] catalogue or dusted-off soul and funk gems), beats, storytelling, and reflections on life.

(Patryk Zakrzewski)

DonGuralesko – ‘Totem Leśnych Ludzi’ (Totem of Forest People) (2010)

DonGuralesko, also known as DGE, Dziadzior, Giovanni Dziadzia, and others: a man of a hundred and one nicknames, one of the most eccentric figures in mainstream rap, recognisable from a mile away by his distinctive flow. The expert in braggadocio style takes on the role of a shaman, or perhaps the first whisperer of Polish rap. Marcin Flint wrote in his review of the album: ‘Gural has invented his own mythology. If the Wu-Tang Clan could blend low-budget kung fu films, transcendence, comic books, Islam, and mafia vibes into a whole that captivates the entire world, then so can he’.

Totem is a concept album on which Gural draws on ancient rituals and forgotten beliefs, searching for their traces in contemporary urban culture (‘there’s a demon living on the block’). He does not refer to a single ethnic tradition, but creates a bizarre mixture, as if by drawing on various sources he aimed to discover a universal truth about humanity. ‘It’s not rap, it’s sorcery’, he says.

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02. donGURALesko - ZANIM POWSTAŁ TOTEM (TOTEM LEŚNYCH LUDZI)

Admittedly, one could argue that Gural, whose rhyming technique is brilliant, treats all these references very superficially, and that they are merely ornaments to his stylistic show-offs. All of this is true, but I do not believe any of the listeners expected this album to be a competent lecture on the anthropology of religion. By the way, I wonder how many of this year’s high school graduates mentioned the song ‘Złoty Róg’ (The Golden Horn) when writing their essays on ‘Fantasticalelements in Wyspiański’s Wesele (The Wedding)’.

The multicultural atmosphere is reinforced by the beats: a sampled Balkan choir features on a Jamaican-inspired backing track, while dancefloor earworms in the style of modern American productions are accompanied by the sounds of the kobza. The production was overseen by, among others, experts in rap hits and diamond records: Matheo and Donatan (remember Gang Albanii and Równonoc [Equinox]?). All this helped the album climb to number one on the OLiS chart immediately after its release.

Emilia Stachowska – PhD candidate in the Department of Film and Audiovisual Culture Research at the Institute of Cultural Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań. She’s the author of the broadcast Ładne Piosenki (Pretty Songs) for Radio Kapitał along with a blog and a fanpage of the same name, as well as an editor of the website Nowamuzyka.pl. She also collaborates with the portal Screenagers.pl, and her texts have appeared in Studia Kulturoznawcze (Studies in Culture), Czas Kultury (Time of Culture), and Glissando, among others. She’s interested in pop- and cyber-culture, most of all music and media narratives.

Magda Staniszewska – music activist, journalist, and DJ, associated with the Wrocław-based regime brigade collective. Her heart belongs to rap and all varieties of bass music. She has worked as a music presenter for Radio LUZ, Radio Wrocław Kultura, and Radio Kapitał.

Patryk Zakrzewski – cultural anthropologist, occasionally a DJ. A seeker of unjustly forgotten phenomena from the history of Polish culture.

Translated from Polish by Agnieszka Mistur

Language English

polish hip-hop

polish rap

music