Prison Break Anthem (Ich glaub' an dich)
Encyclopedia
"Prison Break Anthem" is a hit song by German hip-hop artist Azad
and Adel Tawil
, singer of Ich + Ich
. It was released as the first single of Azad's album Blockschrift. It is the German title song of the American television series Prison Break
.
and mostly American influences.
In Timothy Brown
's article, 'Keeping it Real' In a Different Hood, he points out the importance of American culture on German youth, "makes no bones about the influence on youth culture in Kreuzberg. 'Everything has to do with American movies," This devotion and respect of American culture proves how important this song is for Azad, as a musician, and how advanced hip-hop has become as a musical genre in Germany.
Azad's style owes immensely to American rap culture, Azad raps over the beat, while Adel Tawil hits the chorus, reminiscent of Snoop Dogg
and Akon
, or Notorious B.I.G and R. Kelly
.
and Advanced Chemistry
swallowed up the hip hop craze when movies such as Wild Style
and Beat Street
dropped in the early 1980s. When the fad died down, the elements of the movement—questioning externally attributed identities and dealing with positions of disfranchisement in society—resonated with German youth. So much so that when groups started emulating American hip hop in search of their own, local sound, the clique "rap" indicators like screaming "hey yo" over a chorus were soon dismissed as mindless. It wasn't until this stage in the movement in Germany, that performers like Azad could arise, respectfully embodying the confidence, presence, and seamlessness so reminiscent of American rappers like Notorious B.I.G and Snoop Dogg
.
shows how far German hip-hop has come in its brief life span, but also shows how much it owes to American hip-hop and African-American culture.
Azad (rapper)
Azad Azadpour is a German rapper of Kurdish descent based in Frankfurt am Main.-Career:After having arrived in Germany from Iran as young as 10, he was into hip hop, rap, beatboxing and graffiti. In 1988 he joined D-Flame , A-Bomb, and Combad in Cold-N-Locco...
and Adel Tawil
Adel Tawil
Adel Tawil , is a German singer part of the popular German pop duo Ich + Ich, after being part earlier of the German boy band The Boyz.-Family background:...
, singer of Ich + Ich
Ich + Ich
Ich + Ich , also pronounced "Ich und Ich", is the name of a musical project by the German musicians Annette Humpe and Adel Tawil. They met in a Berlin recording studio in 2002 when Tawil sang on a production that Humpe had written...
. It was released as the first single of Azad's album Blockschrift. It is the German title song of the American television series Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
.
Background
The song showed the vastly different cultural influences that have transformed German hip-hop. Gone are the SNAP days of having the power, only to be replaced with a combination of KurdishKurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
and mostly American influences.
In Timothy Brown
Timothy Brown
Timothy Brown or Tim Brown may refer to:* Timothy Brown , actor and NFL football player* Tim Brown , NFL football player and 1987 Heisman Trophy winner...
's article, 'Keeping it Real' In a Different Hood, he points out the importance of American culture on German youth, "makes no bones about the influence on youth culture in Kreuzberg. 'Everything has to do with American movies," This devotion and respect of American culture proves how important this song is for Azad, as a musician, and how advanced hip-hop has become as a musical genre in Germany.
Azad's style owes immensely to American rap culture, Azad raps over the beat, while Adel Tawil hits the chorus, reminiscent of Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
and Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, or Notorious B.I.G and R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
.
Influences
Azad obviously draws largely from the American hip-hop culture to produce the stylistics and flow that he employs. A bit more compelling is the amount of influence African-American hip hoppers have had on German hip hop. Two of Germany's founding rap groups, Die Fantastischen VierDie Fantastischen Vier
Die Fantastischen Vier , also known as Fanta 4, is a German hip hop group from Stuttgart, Germany. The members are Michael Bernd Schmidt alias Smudo, Andreas Rieke alias And.Ypsilon, Thomas Dürr alias Hausmeister Thomas D and Michael 'Michi' Beck alias Dee Jot Hausmarke...
and Advanced Chemistry
Advanced Chemistry
Advanced Chemistry is a German hip hop group from Heidelberg, a scenic city in Baden-Württemberg, South Germany. Advanced Chemistry was founded in 1987 by Toni L, Linguist, Gee-One, DJ Mike MD and MC Torch...
swallowed up the hip hop craze when movies such as Wild Style
Wild Style
Wild Style is a 1983 hip hop film produced by Charlie Ahearn. Released theatrically in 1983 by First Run Features and later re-released for home video by Rhino Home Video, it is regarded as the first hip hop motion picture...
and Beat Street
Beat Street
Beat Street is a 1984 drama film, following Wild Style in featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s; breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti.-Plot:...
dropped in the early 1980s. When the fad died down, the elements of the movement—questioning externally attributed identities and dealing with positions of disfranchisement in society—resonated with German youth. So much so that when groups started emulating American hip hop in search of their own, local sound, the clique "rap" indicators like screaming "hey yo" over a chorus were soon dismissed as mindless. It wasn't until this stage in the movement in Germany, that performers like Azad could arise, respectfully embodying the confidence, presence, and seamlessness so reminiscent of American rappers like Notorious B.I.G and Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
.
Music video
In the music video, Azad is seen rapping outside in a beautiful setting, baggy pants, tattoed arms, contrasting the lack of freedom inside the prison, but also paying homage, in the form of mimicry, to American hip-hop. . Azad's song that accompanies the hit TV series Prison BreakPrison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
shows how far German hip-hop has come in its brief life span, but also shows how much it owes to American hip-hop and African-American culture.
Year-end charts
| Chart (2007) | Rank |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
20 |