.Hu knew there was a thriving hip hop scene in Hungary in the 90′s? And does GEG mean gay? And is orange the new pink?
Hungarian rapper, or redneck
at Karaoke night? You decide.
I’ve never been a big fan of most straight up American rap; I guess when I’ve got a Glock on me or I just got drunk or had sex, I just don’t think it’s something to build a song around. And then add insult to injury by not even bothering with a melody. Which is why I originally got into French rap, especially artists like Assassin or MC Solaar. French was made for rap; with its guttural vowels, you can sound kind of angry no matter what you’re saying. And the music had the added benefit that I didn’t have to care what was being said, I don’t speak French. I love stuff like Daddy Yankee and the artists on collections like Putumayo’s Arabic Groove for the same reason. Great jams, and no banal, self-aggrandizing lyrics (at least that I can understand) to distract me. Which is why I was ecstatic when – while I was actually looking for some good Desi or Indian Hip Hop – I got totally sidetracked and discovered the joys of Hungarian Hip Hop. The Fun began with Funktasztikus (aka Interfunk or Funk’n'Stein), and his insane speed rapping in Próbálj meg lassan beszélni. Coming on like a crank-fueled Eminem, it’s amazing his teeth don’t fly out, given their overall condition. After a little research (and a lot of Google Translate) I found a few other Hungarian artists like Ganxsta Zolee. Zolee looks like some American guy you might run into in a redneck bar, and in videos like A szerb határ felé, well, he kind of acts like one. If you find breasts and bottoms offensive, skip that clip. It’s an upbeat hip hoppy tune though, reminiscent in style of early 90′s American upbeat hip hop. As is his tune Vato Loco, which, while it could just as well be a commercial for Corona beer and tequila, is still a nice upbeat latin-flavored groove. Zolee really shows that maybe he is an American redneck in Route 66; what could be more truly American than a vintage Pontiac convertible, Route 66, and Elvis impersonators in the sun? I still haven’t figured out though what exactly is going on in Otokor, in whch the entire crew strips down to jock straps and puts on wedding dresses. In the same vibe as Zolee but a little more R&B-ish, we have Dopeman with Eredeti Genszter. Which as you might guess, means “original gangster”. Someday they’re gonna have to figure out who really was the original gangster. A lot less gangsterish, and a lot more fun like “Humpty Dance”, we have Animal Cannibals’ (who were in that first Funktasztikus clip) tune 1×1 . And lastly, while perusing all these artists, I ran across GEG’s Néhány, which features Dopeman. After all the typical rapper gender exploitation, this one really threw me. Does “GEG” mean “gay”? My curiosity was put to rest after watching GEG’s Szólj Rám . Yikes. That is an all new kind of gay to me. And they really make orange the new pink, don’t they? Whatever. Have fun. Clips below.
Zolee looks like a guy you’d run into in a redneck bar. And well, I guess in this video he acts like one. If you find breasts and bottoms offensive, don’t watch.
Is this a bonus Hungarian gay pop song? It was hard to tell what these guys were about in “Néhány”, but this made things a little clearer. Decide for yourself though. Whatever it is, these fellas sure like orange.
[...] gives new meaning to “down under” when he dons his kilt and combat boots, and took a look into Hungarian Hip Hip and American Hick Hop. We also exposed you to the Relentless Terror of Loituma’s Ievan Polkka. [...]
Posted by Best Of 2010 at dissociatedpress.com on 07.18.10 3:41 pm
[...] gives new meaning to “down under” when he dons his kilt and combat boots, and took a look into Hungarian Hip Hip and American Hick Hop. We also exposed you to the Relentless Terror of Loituma’s Ievan Polkka. [...]