"This is not the music you are looking for, not the music you need. Neither rap about business moves, nor motivation, no 'get back up'! I have no idea about chains and flashing lights, I have no idea about fashion and outfits.” With his first song “Not the Music”, singer Felix Kummer makes it clear that his rap does not use classic motifs such as money, drugs or self-portrayal. The Kraftklub frontman has had his first solo album "Kiox" on the market since mid-October, which primarily deals with the artist's personal experiences. "Now listen to my world-hate-self-hate mix. There is always a little bit of disgust when you are part of this society.”
The fact that Kummer does not attach importance to glorifying himself is one reason for the thunderous applause he received in the sold-out Gloria Theater on Friday. It was the third stop on the "Kiox" tour in 2019. The audience, which consisted of "Kraftklub" fans, rap lovers and Kummer supporters, celebrated each of the twelve songs enthusiastically. Most had already bought the tickets before the album even came out. Expectations were correspondingly high: the first mosh pit after 30 seconds also put a smile on the face of the artist on stage.
"Hello, I'm Felix, or Kummer... Or whatever you want," he introduces himself down to earth. In general, it looks very authentic. Every song seems deeply connected to him and his views. The beats are bass-heavy and powerful like the rapper's voice himself. Some songs like "How much is your outfit worth", in which he criticizes the consumer behavior of rich young people, also have classic trap sounds.
"The album isn't as sad as it might sound at first," says the artist after the audience on "9010" screamed their hearts out. It tells of Kummer's clashes with a right-wing thug in his youth in Chemnitz, whom he encounters again as a failed personality. The political statement behind the lyrics is always in the foreground with "Kiox". And so it is not surprising that "Nazis out" calls come up and echo through the entire hall.
The rest of the evening also has self-ironic songs to offer. In "The Rest of My Life" Kummer deals with aging and the resulting narrow-mindedness. The refrain comes from the unmistakable voice of Max Raabe, unfortunately from the tape in the Gloria. "Every year again", on the other hand, puts the bourgeoisie in relation to Christmas customs and relationships.
Even if the vocal range of Kummers Rap remains relatively monotonous throughout the album, "Kiox" not only convinces the Gloria audience. But also Kraftklub songs like "Karl-Marx-Stadt" or "Randale" draw frenetic cheers, mosh pits and hip-hop hands. As Kummer says in his album: "I'll make rap soft again, I'll make rap sad again." But above all, he shows that rap has always been more than just self-promotion and showing off, but also sends political messages.
KeKe showed that before him on Friday. The Viennese newcomer was Kummer's pre-artist and, among other things, deals with feminist topics in her rap lyrics - a rarity in the rap scene.
heartache | 24.3. 8 p.m. | Palladium Cologne | 0221 967 90
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Social criticism and self-doubt choices - culture. Movie theater. Cologne.On his album release tour, Felix Kummer from Chemnitz shows that rap is often more versatile than it appears.
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Pass it on Social criticism and self-doubt | choices - culture. Movie theater. Cologne.On his album release tour, Felix Kummer from Chemnitz shows that rap is often more versatile than it appears.
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