counter-proposal to the Mack-hip-hop: Max Herre has published "Athens", a new Album and explains how he holds it with colleagues and Kollegah.

"There is a Law, which is very loud," says Max Herre, "because you have to position yourself" photo: Robbie Lawrence

The Import of the US-Gangsta-Rap has brought some unpleasant side effects. For Example: Homophobia, Anti-Semitism, Contempt For Women. Without the like discrimination, the most successful German Rap Acts like Kollegah, 187 street gang or RAF Camora from barely.

Max Herre, earlier Rapper of the Band's circle of friends, knows the Lyrics of this nature since his youth: "Such texts existed already in the past," says the 46-Year-old. "We celebrated in the nineties for example, Street-Rap of N. W. A., Mobb Deep and so on. There was, somehow, for all of us, a double-entry bookkeeping.“

In the case of groups such as N. W. A., whose debut album "Straight Outta Compton" found, among other things, homophobic verses ("I got a boyfriend / bitch stop lyin'/ dumb-ass hooker ain't nothin' but a dyke"), it was decided to find easy, the music is good and not to pay attention to the lyrics too much.

took place As hip-hop in the nineties to the German language, had to the Stuttgart-based architect son Herre also translate a little bit of attitude – he did this even as a gold chain to stage draped BadBoy.

Max Herre: "Athens" (Vertigo/Universal)

hip-hop developed early innovative force, but also early showed amazing Backward. These two pages were already in the very first hip-hop Hit, "Rapper's Delight" (1979), the Sugarhill Gang is a fictitious rival as a "faggot" exposed.

at the end of the 80s, rush, Public Enemy against the Jews, DMX, painted later, in a Song to rape the underage daughter of a counterparty. A humanistic view of the world, as it represents probably Herre, was in the Street/Gangsta Rap hardly discernible. As Herre, in 1999, proclaimed in the circle of friends Song, "Esperanto" hip-hop as the "Lingua franca for all of the Left", was the think so, probably more of a wish than a reality.

Twenty years later, the native of Stuttgart is the German hip-hop veterans, and he seems to be a bit fallen out of time, looks rather pleasant. With "Athens" published by the German rap-pioneer, Recently opened a new solo album – a work that the spirit of the Nineties breathing. His Sound is a current area of Deutschrap à la Kollegah and Matadorbet co. as far as hip-hop today from the Underground. In his texts, not a trace of provocation and Mackertum can be found.

taking While left-wing politics traditionally for the Weak of the society party, represented many of Herres heroes a different view of the world. The idea that the Weak should not be helped, but that you belong, on the contrary, decreased. With rappers like Bushido, Kollegah, and the Hamburg Crew 187 street gang this asshole's attitude long ago in what's acceptable.

The climate crisis is made by men, this is also why the faces of the new climate movement are women. Two of them, Luisa Neubauer of Fridays For the Future and Nike grind house by the end of the grounds, met the taz. Also: In football, it can allegedly create any*r, whether migrants or working child. Is that true? These and other texts in the taz on the weekend of 23./24. November. Always starting on Saturday at the Kiosk, in the eKiosk or equal to in the practical Wochenendabo. And in the case of Facebook and Twitter.

"of Course, I still see myself as the Linker," stresses Herre, "maybe this category makes even more sense than ever, because there is a Law that is very loud. We live in a time in which you must position itself.“

So Herre demonstrated in Dresden against the rights of intolerance, went to Ethiopia to promote water projects, and has recorded a German Version of the Band Aid classic "Do They Know It's Christmas". Similar to that engaged many of his colleagues show. Nevertheless, the double standards, the used Herre as a Teenager, seems, to, today, forever.

Jan Delay, for example, another important German rap-pioneer, would, of all things, the Hamburger Rapper Gzuz a left-wing stance and caught up with him for a Song in the Studio. By Gzuz, a member of the 187 street gang, come lines like: "Not in the mood to have Sex? / Well, then I will gossip away" or "Bring your Old one with, you will be torn to shreds in the Backstage".

Delay finds it "awesome to see that so real Straßenrap from Hamburg comes," he said in 2016, compared to the magazine Juice. Herre, appreciate the equally authentic Frankfurter Gangsta-Rapper Xatar says: "Even if it's not always my values, I would like to, that these stories and perspectives to be heard." And further: "I'd rather listen to real types as any of the rappers with alter Egos."

But what is gained if the violence and the hatred that goes on elsewhere on the street, lived in the own scene, instead of only in words will be taken? Herre finds no adequate answer, digging instead in history.

He samples the East German Jazz-Rock Band, Panta Rhei, in the title piece of Pink Floyd's Prog-Rock classic "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" to be heard, and sounds good. The 17 pieces of "Athens," therefore, come as set to music memories – even as a child, Herre was often in the Greek capital.

Only the contradictions of his own genre, which not takes on Herre to "Athens". He had done this, he would be 22 years after the first circle of friends-Hit "N-A" a kind of pioneer have been.