By Liliana Ramírez
As hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary worldwide, its influence can be felt in every corner of the globe. In Düsseldorf, Germany, the city's rich contribution to the genre is being commemorated through The Sound of Düsseldorf Tour 50 Years of Hip-Hop History, which takes visitors deep into the heart of Düsseldorf’s hip-hop history, through the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and beyond. This initiative, organized by Visit Düsseldorf, aims to showcase why this city is considered a crucial place for hip-hop culture in Germany and Europe.
In a conversation with Music Cities Events, we spoke with guides Michael Wenzel and Sven André Dreyer, who bring the tour to life with fascinating stories and anecdotes, offering a deeper look into Düsseldorf’s vibrant hip-hop and graffiti scene.
Last year, hip-hop celebrated 50 years of history. Did this anniversary inspire you to create a hip-hop edition of ‘The Sound of Düsseldorf’ tour?
Michael: Of course it did, though hip-hop always had a place in the regular tour. When MTV Music Week returned in the year of the 50th anniversary we thought it was time to celebrate with a big bang and an overview of hip-hop culture’s contribution to the Düsseldorf scene and vice versa.
Sven: Together with two experts from the Düsseldorf hip-hop scene, a musician and an artist, we have taken a close look at the Düsseldorf scene and identified places where hip-hop culture has left its mark up to this day. We connect these places with stories and tell the participants of our tour that Düsseldorf also significantly influences international hip-hop culture.
Copyright: Düsseldorf Tourismus
In an interview with NME, Run-DMC members said "Kraftwerk created hip-hop," and mentioned the importance of the album ‘Trans Europe Express’ as an influence on classic era rap. They talked about how Afrika Bambaataa sampled Kraftwerk in the song ‘Planet Rock’, a pioneering piece of hip-hop.Given these relevant statements, what are your thoughts on Düsseldorf's positioning as a significant point in the history of hip-hop?
Michael: The beats that Kraftwerk created in their classic line-up with percussionists Karl Bartos and Wolfgang Flür were revolutionary indeed. They were the seeds that were sown during the US tour in the mid-1970s. However, it was early hip-hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa who recognized and extracted the essence and put it on the dancefloor.
Sven: Another important aspect, beyond the music itself, is that Kraftwerk started using electronic tools, even self-built electronic instruments, very early on for their music. This fact later influenced hip-hop production as well.
Apart from this, what do you believe is Düsseldorf's unique contribution to hip-hop as a global cultural movement, and what can we expect to find on the tour?
Michael: Apart from Kraftwerk the idea of hip-hop was fascinating for the Düsseldorf youth growing up in the 1980s when hip-hop returned in the form of the legendary movie “Wild Style”. The people discovering hip-hop as their voice contributed to the four pillars, i.e. DJing, rap, dance, and graffiti, in novel creative ways.
One of the must-see stops on the tour is Kiefernstraße. The colorful paintings and graffiti make this an iconic and highly photographed place for travelers visiting Düsseldorf. When did this street start to being painted, and how did it evolve into an iconic place for hip-hop?
Michael: Kiefernstraße was colourised in the 1980s when young sprayers like our friend Oliver “Magic” Räke discovered it as their experimental canvas. Kiefernstraße was always a place for multicultural life and the alternative music scene was always very present there even with a sound studio in a backyard. The crossover scene was present there with bands like “Monkeys with Tools” mixing rock and rap as were acts like “Mono & Nikita” and “Ischen Impossible” merging hip-hop and dancehall.
Copyright: Düsseldorf Tourismus
Another historic place for hip-hop in Düsseldorf is Icklack Squads, a meeting point every Thursday for rappers, DJs, producers, and other enthusiasts of freestyle. How do you perceive today the contribution of this place to the local hip-hop scene?
Michael: This place was essential as a meeting point for the scene even beyond the city's limits as many talents tried out their skills there.
Sven: What made this place special, in my opinion, was the mix of different styles without the notion of competition. People combined different styles and disciplines, growing together as a community.
Copyright: Düsseldorf Tourismus
The creation of hiphop.de as an urban culture and hip-hop magazine in Düsseldorf significantly contributed to the consolidation of the hip-hop scene in Germany. Are you considering a special print edition for visitors to the tour?
Michael: No, but thank you for the inspiration.
In the history of hip-hop in Düsseldorf, we have legendary names such as Farid Bang, Killa Calles, Fresh Familee, Nikan, and Beslik Master. If we have to make an essential playlist, what artists have to be on it?
Michael: On my behalf, it has to be Die Toten Hosen and Fab 5 Freddy with “Hip-hop Bommi Bop”, the first German punk/hip-hop crossover. A groundbreaking track from 1983 indeed and always funny to listen to. Of course, Antilopen Gang has to be present as their former member, the late NMSZ has to be with his iconic song “Düsseldorf'' displaying the love-hate relationship between the city and its inhabitants. Not to forget: Blumio, a local rapper with Japanese roots, whose songs are as skillful and politically conscious as they are humorous. I really miss this component in contemporary hip-hop.
What other places in Düsseldorf contribute to its reputation as a city of music and culture, and how can they complement the hip-hop tour?
Michael: The good thing about Düsseldorf is that music can be anchored to the places where it originated. There are legendary clubs like Ratinger Hof, The Cradle of German Punk, Unique Club, and Salon Des Amateurs that nourished the early hip-hop movement and gave inspiration to the evolution of hip-hop culture.
Copyright: Düsseldorf Tourismus
How do you think this tour will impact the local hip-hop community in Düsseldorf?
Michael: It already does. The first tours have made it clear that Düsseldorf can be proud of its contribution to the movement. Many activists of the scene have already been there - together with their children. You witness the baton being passed on to the next generation.
Sven: A young artist from Düsseldorf, Dennis, founded a forum for hip-hop culture at the legendary WP8 club when the tour started. With the forum "HipHopHaltestelle", he once again connects all disciplines, fostering citywide networking among the participants.
What suggestions do you have for other tour operators about creating and elaborating a music tour in their city? This could be a very practical lesson for any city or tour operator looking to establish a hip-hop tour.
Michael: There is no basic recipe, but you should know these ingredients: places and music. It's not enough being music enthusiasts like Sven and myself. We called up our friends Christian “Killa” Calles and Oliver “Magic” Räke who have been living hip-hop and are part of the scene ever since. We met in my kitchen and brooded over a city map, marking up the iconic places where the magic happened. Then we developed a tour with places within walking distance that are elements of a representative storyline garnished with an authentic soundtrack originating there.
Sven: And very important ingredients are our guests, the people who join our tour. They are the ones who turn a music tour into an emotional encounter with music, places and personal memories, making it an unforgettable experience.
Did you enjoy exploring how the Hip Hop Music Tour in Düsseldorf is using music and community-based tourism to highlight the role of music as a cultural heritage in Germany? Are you interested in the new possibilities available at the intersection of music and tourism?
Then keep exploring our Music Tourism Hub and join us at the upcoming Xichang Music Tourism Convention in 2024 where we’ll be exploring the most exciting music tourism initiatives across Asia and open a gateway to the tourism industry of China and the region.
Do you want to keep up to date with everything related to Music Cities Events and Music Cities topics? Then we invite you to als subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Comments