Retrogott & Hulk Hodn HHV Records 7 Items

Rather stay fresh and unknown

At the beginning of the 2000s, the rapper Kurt Hustle and the DJ Hulk Hodn decided to join forces in the name of realness: the duo Huss & Hodn dedicated themselves to Oldschool-style hip-hop, with the Golden Era as their ultimate sound principle, and their lyrics delivering impeccable battlerap. They took their first steps in 2005 with the album Unprofessionelle Musik (“Unprofessional Music”), making it clear in the title that they didn’t take themselves too seriously. Alongside Hustle’s dry flow, you can even hear the early Sylabill Spill. In 2007, the dynamic duo made waves in the scene with the album Jetzt schämst du dich! (“Now You’re Ashamed!”) Vinyl beat samples crackle here, and skillfully reduced elements provide a perfect backdrop for the MC’s lines. He asserts his independent stance and distances himself from mainstream rap: “Anstatt zu faken bleib‘ ich lieber fresh und unbekannt” (“Instead of faking, I’d rather stay fresh and unknown”). The renowned hip-hop magazine JUICE declared the LP as the demo of the month, giving the Cologne newcomers a significant underground hype. As partners of the indie distributor Groove Attack, they released their works under their own crew label, Entourage. From the first track, Kurt Hustle and Hulk Hodn were self-assured indie artists, and that’s how it was meant to be.

With a healthy dose of social criticism

Influences range from MF DOOM and J Dilla to Beginner and Stieber Twins, and the result is experimental, often associative lyrics paired with a dive into the funk and jazz-infused elements of a hip-hop era that sends nostalgic signals into the realm of glossy mainstream rap. According to Kurt Hustle, the principle is simple: “Heutzutage denken alle, dass du Oldschool bist / Wenn du dich nicht an Dresscodes hältst und nicht die Stimme verstellst” (“Nowadays, everyone thinks you’re Oldschool / If you don’t adhere to dress codes and don’t change around your voice”). This is how Huss and Hodn define their authenticity on the 2009 album Der Stoff, aus dem die Regenschirme sind (“The Material Umbrellas Are Made Of”). Far from commercialism and with a healthy dose of scene and social criticism, their music was well-received, not only at festivals where they now received numerous invitations. In 2013, the name changed to Retrogott & Hulk Hodn with Fresh und umbenannt (“Fresh and Renamed”), but the attitude remained the same – carefree and confident. Retrogott openly shares his thoughts about most German rappers: “Ich hab‘ die Wackness nicht bestellt / Schickt sie zurück an ihren Absender” (“I didn’t order the wackness / Send it back to its sender”). However, critical self-reflection and philosophical contemplation of social issues also play a role: “Sklaverei und Globalisierung sollten zwei unterschiedliche Sachen sein / Der Mensch und der Orang-Utan sollten zwei verschiedene Affen sein” (“Slavery and globalization should be two different things / Humans and orangutans should be two different monkeys”).

Language juggler and head-nodder

The spectacle of Retrogott & Hulk Hodn doesn’t only take place in the studio. At their concerts, they sold the exclusive record Sezession! (“Secession!”) in 2016 and delivered their unique battlerap style. The follow-up “KONTEMPORÄRKONTAMINATION” (“Contemporary Contamination”) was released in 2018 and summarized Retrogott as the language juggler he is. Alongside familiar warm 90s samples, the eponymous track features an electronically induced beat and shows no mercy for the worries of the privileged upper class: “Alle auf der Suche nach Geborgenheit und Wärme / Doch was interessieren mich depressive Millionäre?” (“Everyone in search of security and warmth / But what do I care about depressed millionaires?”) Retrogott’s viewpoints and lyrics have evolved over the years, as evident in the albums Land and Leute (“Country and People”) and Der Urlaub hat nicht stattgefunden (“The Vacation Didn’t Take Place”). While sexist and homophobic expressions once defined the texts of the battle veteran, he now distances himself from them and asserts, “Sensitiv, weil ich Gewalt ablehne” (“Sensitive because I reject violence”). Instead, the focus of tracks from Retrogott & Hulk Hodn has shifted towards societal and global-critical themes and everything else that, according to the rapping half of the duo, is going wrong. The other half ensures head-nodding, and hopefully, that will continue for a long time.