Romanian hip hop first emerged in 1982, along with the
break-dancing
Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in t ...
movement which became very popular in the 1980s. However,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n
hip hop was developed in the early 1990s, when American rappers hit the European charts. Most notable Romanian hip hop artists come from
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, Romania's capital and largest city and most notable trap from
Craiova
Craiova (, also , ), is Romania's 6th Cities in Romania, largest city and capital of Dolj County, and situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximatel ...
and
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
. The genre is currently growing in popularity in Europe.
Summary
The
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
was the main precursor of Romanian hip hop. Liberalization made the import of foreign hip hop tapes much easier. An underground market of tape exchanges among teens started flourishing in the early 90s. From just listening to hip hop to making hip hop there was only a small step. The first Romanian hip hop group was Vorbire Directă (''Direct Speech'') founded in late 1992, their first song being released in 1993 on UniPlus Radio. However, the first hip hop album was released only in 1995 by
R.A.C.L.A.
R.A.C.L.A. (an abbreviation of Rime Alese Care Lovesc Adânc - Handpicked Rhymes with a Deeper Meaning) was a Romanian hip hop group, founded in 1993 in Bucharest. Initially consisting of brothers Călin "Rimaru" Ionescu and Daniel "Clonatu'" Io ...
and was called
Rap-Sodia efectului defectului (''Defect Effect Rap-sody'').
Names such as
Paraziții
Paraziții (Romanian for "The Parasites", ) is a Romanian three-man rap and hip hop group founded in 1994. It is widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of rap in Romania. It consists of Cheloo (Cătălin Ștefan Ion), Ombladon (Bogdan Io ...
,
B.U.G. Mafia
B.U.G. Mafia (an abbreviation for"Bucharest Underground Mafia"), is a Romanian hip hop group from Pantelimon, Bucharest, widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of gangsta rap in Romania. Founded in 1993 as Black Underground, its original line ...
, M&G, Renegații, Da Hood Justice, Delikt, Dublu Sens, Morometzii and countless others started appearing between 1993 and 1995. Some of these early groups are still active today. The first songs were about politics, the struggle of life in post-communist Romania and crimes. The first hip hop concert in Romania took place on May 14, 1993 at
Sala Polivalentă in Bucharest, which included guest performers from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
such as
Alliance Ethnik
Alliance Ethnik was a 1990s in music, 1990s French hip hop band. It was composed of five members from different origins, but all spoke French or were of French origin; Algeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, Italy, and France.Radio Fra ...
, Sléo, Démocrates D and Ragga Sonic.
The divergence between
east coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the Bronx, New York City.
In contrast to other styles, East Coast hip ...
and
west coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast region of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the ea ...
was soon imported into Romania with the creation of the Cartel ("Cartelul") representing the west coast with groups like
B.U.G. Mafia
B.U.G. Mafia (an abbreviation for"Bucharest Underground Mafia"), is a Romanian hip hop group from Pantelimon, Bucharest, widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of gangsta rap in Romania. Founded in 1993 as Black Underground, its original line ...
,
La Familia
''La familia'', (English: ''The Family'') is a 1969 Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa and originally transmitted by Telesistema Mexicano.
Cast
*Virginia Gutiérrez
*Jorge Lavat
*Irma Lozano
*Enrique Aguilar
Enrique Aguilar Zermeño ( ...
, Il-Egal, Dana Marijuana, Don Baxter, M&G, and of RANS - "The Cry of National Agony - Syndicate" ("Răcnetul Agoniei Naționale - Sindicat") representing the east coast with groups like
R.A.C.L.A.
R.A.C.L.A. (an abbreviation of Rime Alese Care Lovesc Adânc - Handpicked Rhymes with a Deeper Meaning) was a Romanian hip hop group, founded in 1993 in Bucharest. Initially consisting of brothers Călin "Rimaru" Ionescu and Daniel "Clonatu'" Io ...
, Paraziții, Da Hood Justice, Ghetto Dacii, Delikt. However, this conflict was short-lived, and by the end of the 1990s there was peace among hip hop artists in Romania.
The most notable songs released in this period were "Pantelimonu' Petrece" and "Hoteluri" by
B.U.G. Mafia
B.U.G. Mafia (an abbreviation for"Bucharest Underground Mafia"), is a Romanian hip hop group from Pantelimon, Bucharest, widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of gangsta rap in Romania. Founded in 1993 as Black Underground, its original line ...
in 1996 and 1997, "A vorbi e ușor" by
Parazitii in 1997, "Cei care te calcă pe cap" and "Gara de Nord" by
R.A.C.L.A.
R.A.C.L.A. (an abbreviation of Rime Alese Care Lovesc Adânc - Handpicked Rhymes with a Deeper Meaning) was a Romanian hip hop group, founded in 1993 in Bucharest. Initially consisting of brothers Călin "Rimaru" Ionescu and Daniel "Clonatu'" Io ...
in 1997 and 1998 respectively.
1998 and 1999 brought a much better sound to Romanian hip-hop due to competing recording studios. Albums such as "De cartier" (''Hood-like'') by
B.U.G. Mafia
B.U.G. Mafia (an abbreviation for"Bucharest Underground Mafia"), is a Romanian hip hop group from Pantelimon, Bucharest, widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of gangsta rap in Romania. Founded in 1993 as Black Underground, its original line ...
, "Nicăieri nu-i ca acasă" (''There's no place like home'') by
La Familia
''La familia'', (English: ''The Family'') is a 1969 Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa and originally transmitted by Telesistema Mexicano.
Cast
*Virginia Gutiérrez
*Jorge Lavat
*Irma Lozano
*Enrique Aguilar
Enrique Aguilar Zermeño ( ...
and especially "Nici o problemă" (''Not a problem'') by
Paraziții
Paraziții (Romanian for "The Parasites", ) is a Romanian three-man rap and hip hop group founded in 1994. It is widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of rap in Romania. It consists of Cheloo (Cătălin Ștefan Ion), Ombladon (Bogdan Io ...
had a far better sound quality then anything previously released.
Since the turn of the millennium, even though they have received only sporadic radio and TV airplay,
B.U.G. Mafia
B.U.G. Mafia (an abbreviation for"Bucharest Underground Mafia"), is a Romanian hip hop group from Pantelimon, Bucharest, widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of gangsta rap in Romania. Founded in 1993 as Black Underground, its original line ...
and
Paraziții
Paraziții (Romanian for "The Parasites", ) is a Romanian three-man rap and hip hop group founded in 1994. It is widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of rap in Romania. It consists of Cheloo (Cătălin Ștefan Ion), Ombladon (Bogdan Io ...
have earned a cult status among Romanians, and they are still popular to this day.
B.U.G. Mafia
B.U.G. Mafia (an abbreviation for"Bucharest Underground Mafia"), is a Romanian hip hop group from Pantelimon, Bucharest, widely regarded as one of the seminal acts of gangsta rap in Romania. Founded in 1993 as Black Underground, its original line ...
were the first Romanian rap group to perform outside Romania, touring in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
In the late 2000s, besides the commercial success of La Familia member Puya, a new wave of rappers such as
Guess Who Guess Who may refer to:
*Guess Who (B.B. King album), ''Guess Who'' (B.B. King album), 1972
*Guess Who (Slim Whitman album), 1971
*Guess Who (EP), ''Guess Who'' (EP), a 2021 EP by South Korean girl group Itzy
*Guess Who (film), ''Guess Who'' (film) ...
, Grasu XXL, Spike, Cabron, Maximilian, Tranda, Nane and the groups
C.T.C.
CTC may refer to:
Colleges
* Central Texas College, US
* Chattahoochee Technical College, Georgia, US
* Cincinnati Technical College, later Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Ohio
* City Technology College, a type of English schoo ...
and Specii rose to prominence, some of them dominating the charts. Some current old-school-inspired groups and artists include Haarp Cord, El Nino, Jianu, Zale, Nimeni Altu', Vescan and Phunk B.
In 2012, trap music was introduced in Romania by Andrei Bozeanu (Boz). Boz, from Olteniţa, founded the ChoppaMusicGroup record company in the same year. Boz is known for his collaborations with US trap artists such as
Future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
and
Young Thug
Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
This allowed the emergence of other rappers, such as Satra B.E.N.Z., Viktor Cage, Shift, Golani, Lino Golden, Amuly, Azteca, lan, Kiv-u, Lil Cojo, Aerozen, Bvcovia, abi, Tussin, xZeT, NMW group. Other well-known artists such as DOC, Deliric, Nane, Arkanian, Blvck Matias and Alex Velea have released trap songs.
A documentary about the history of Romanian Hip-Hop under the name "From the Shadows / Din Umbre" was set to be released in 2015.
References
{{Hip Hop