Beginner
Encyclopedia
Beginner
Beginner (formerly Absolute Beginner is a German rap group from Hamburg
, consisting of Eizi Eiz [alias Jan Delay
/Eißfeldt], Denyo
and DJ Mad.
and German with homemade beats, but later went over to rapping solely in German. During their first public appearance they met DJ Mad, who immediately joined the group.
In 1992 they released their first track, K.E.I.N.E. on the Sampler Kill the Nation With a Groove. The following year they released their first E.P.
, Gotting, and embarked on their first tour.
Their first proper album Flashnizm was released in 1996, to a fairly moderate commercial success. Nevertheless they produced a video for the single Natural Born Chillaz, which MTV
refused to play, and went on tour throughout the German speaking countries to smaller crowds. Mardin became dissatisfied with the band's progress and left in 1997. That same year Eißfeldt founded the Underground
tape label
Eimsbush, references to which are interspersed in many German hip hop tracks. Eimsbush records later developed into a full-fledged independent label, producing new acts like D-Flame
and Illo77, but closed down in 2003.
In 1998 they had a Top 10 hit with Liebes Lied ("Dear Song", a pun on the word for love song). Their album Bambule entered the album TOP 30 and the next singles Hammerhart ("Hammer Hard") and Füchse ("Foxes"), which featured Samy Deluxe
. They went on three tours with Dynamite Deluxe
, Main Concept and the Beastie Boys
respectively and appeared at major festivals. In 2001 the Beginners released a remix
album to Bambule, called Boombule.
In 1999 Eißfeldt released his first solo reggae
single, a cover-version of New Wave
idol Nena
's Irgendwo, Irgendwie, Irgendwann. In 2001, he then released a solo reggae album, Searching for the Jan Soul Rebels. Denyo also went solo and released his album Minidisko 2001, while DJ Mad produced for other major acts and hosted a weekly radio show. This did not signalize a break-up, however, with Denyo and Eißfeldt going on the 60 Hz-tour together, along with Eimsbush-act D-Flame.
In 2002, after the German hip hop hype had abated, Mad, Eißfeldt and Denyo agreed to record an album together again, which became their 2003 hit album Blast Action Heroes, heralded by the Top 10 single Fäule. It rose to first place in the German album charts, countering the downwards trend of non-mainstream music styles, which had been brought about by a number of changes in the music industry and Germany's media
landscape. Their 2003 Blast Action Heroes-tour went into its second round in 2004. The first Beginner DVD
is scheduled for release in December 2004. After Blast Action Heroes reached number one on the German charts, they released Danke, a song thanking their fans for their support.
and politics
. Indeed, a lot of the early satire of their lyrics abated in their first commercially successful album Bambule, especially in the singles released, and some rival acts accused them of selling out. However, Eißfeldt's reggae album has political lyrics throughout and Denyo has been engaged in the anti-racism
hip hop project Brothers Keepers
and Blast Action Heroes is also a thoroughly politicized album.
After the long break, the Beginner returned with a more progressive and experimental sound, without letting go of their old-skool roots.
Denyo is also known as Denyo77, Denyo Deutschland and, simply, Dennis.
Beginner (formerly Absolute Beginner is a German rap group from Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, consisting of Eizi Eiz [alias Jan Delay
Jan Delay
Jan Delay is a German singer, songwriter and producer whose stylistic range includes mainly hip hop, reggae, dub and funk. An accomplished solo artist, he became known to the public as a member of the German bands Absolute Beginner and La Boom...
/Eißfeldt], Denyo
Denyo
Denyo , is a German hip hop artist, member of the group Beginner and the anti-racism project Brothers Keepers....
and DJ Mad.
Band history
The group was founded as Absolute Beginner in 1991, initially with six members: Jan, Denyo, Mardin, DJ Burn, Nabil, Mirko, but the latter three dropped out after a few months. They started rapping in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and German with homemade beats, but later went over to rapping solely in German. During their first public appearance they met DJ Mad, who immediately joined the group.
In 1992 they released their first track, K.E.I.N.E. on the Sampler Kill the Nation With a Groove. The following year they released their first E.P.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Gotting, and embarked on their first tour.
Their first proper album Flashnizm was released in 1996, to a fairly moderate commercial success. Nevertheless they produced a video for the single Natural Born Chillaz, which MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
refused to play, and went on tour throughout the German speaking countries to smaller crowds. Mardin became dissatisfied with the band's progress and left in 1997. That same year Eißfeldt founded the Underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
tape label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Eimsbush, references to which are interspersed in many German hip hop tracks. Eimsbush records later developed into a full-fledged independent label, producing new acts like D-Flame
D-Flame
Daniel Kretschmer, better known by his stage-name D-Flame, is a German hip hop and reggae musician. He was also previously part of the hip hop formation Asiatic Warriors.-Albums:* 2000 - Basstard...
and Illo77, but closed down in 2003.
In 1998 they had a Top 10 hit with Liebes Lied ("Dear Song", a pun on the word for love song). Their album Bambule entered the album TOP 30 and the next singles Hammerhart ("Hammer Hard") and Füchse ("Foxes"), which featured Samy Deluxe
Samy Deluxe
Samy Sorge , commonly known as Samy Deluxe, Wickeda MC or Sam Semillia is a German rapper, and hip hop artist from Hamburg. He is one of Germany's most successful solo rap musicians while also releasing albums as a member of two separate crews, Dynamite Deluxe and ASD...
. They went on three tours with Dynamite Deluxe
Dynamite Deluxe
Dynamite Deluxe is a German hip hop group hailing from Hamburg, consisting of the MC Samy Deluxe, producer Tropf and producer/DJ Dynamite...
, Main Concept and the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
respectively and appeared at major festivals. In 2001 the Beginners released a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
album to Bambule, called Boombule.
In 1999 Eißfeldt released his first solo reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
single, a cover-version of New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
idol Nena
Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...
's Irgendwo, Irgendwie, Irgendwann. In 2001, he then released a solo reggae album, Searching for the Jan Soul Rebels. Denyo also went solo and released his album Minidisko 2001, while DJ Mad produced for other major acts and hosted a weekly radio show. This did not signalize a break-up, however, with Denyo and Eißfeldt going on the 60 Hz-tour together, along with Eimsbush-act D-Flame.
In 2002, after the German hip hop hype had abated, Mad, Eißfeldt and Denyo agreed to record an album together again, which became their 2003 hit album Blast Action Heroes, heralded by the Top 10 single Fäule. It rose to first place in the German album charts, countering the downwards trend of non-mainstream music styles, which had been brought about by a number of changes in the music industry and Germany's media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
landscape. Their 2003 Blast Action Heroes-tour went into its second round in 2004. The first Beginner DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
is scheduled for release in December 2004. After Blast Action Heroes reached number one on the German charts, they released Danke, a song thanking their fans for their support.
Music
The Beginners started out with highly politicized lyrics. Their first song K.E.I.N.E. attacked the German police force. Their lyrics often mix comedyComedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. Indeed, a lot of the early satire of their lyrics abated in their first commercially successful album Bambule, especially in the singles released, and some rival acts accused them of selling out. However, Eißfeldt's reggae album has political lyrics throughout and Denyo has been engaged in the anti-racism
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
hip hop project Brothers Keepers
Brothers Keepers
Brothers Keepers is a German-based transnational anti-racism project, bringing together hip hop, reggae and soul musicians, headed primarily by Afro-Germans.-History:...
and Blast Action Heroes is also a thoroughly politicized album.
After the long break, the Beginner returned with a more progressive and experimental sound, without letting go of their old-skool roots.
Aliases
Jan Eißfeldt is also known as Eisfeldt65, Jan Delay (his reggae and funk name), Boba Ffett (his Style-Liga name) and Eizi Eiz (originally a character – a pretentious young rapper – in a duet with D-Flame, now his current stage name).Denyo is also known as Denyo77, Denyo Deutschland and, simply, Dennis.
Discography
- 1993: Song K.E.I.N.E. on the sampler Kill The Nation With A Groove (LP/CD, Buback Tonträger)
- 1993: Gotting (EP/EPCD, Buback)
- 1995: Die Kritik an den Platten kann die Platte der Kritik nicht ersetzen (12"/SingleCD, Buback)
- 1996: Natural Born Chillas (12"/SingleCD, Buback)
- 1996: Flashnizm [Stylopath] (LP/CD, Buback)
- 1998: Rock On (12"/SingleCD, Buback/Universal Records)
- 1998: Bambule (LP/CD, Buback/Universal)
- 1998: Liebes Lied (12"/SingleCD, Buback/Universal)
- 1999: Hammerhart (12"/SingleCD, Buback/Universal)
- 1999: Füchse/K2 (12"/SingleCD, Buback/Universal)
- 2000: Boombule – Bambule Remixed (RMX LP/CD, Buback/Motor)
- 2003: Blast Action Heroes (LP/CD, Buback/Motor)
- + solo projects and features