Warheit

Warheit, a rap collective formed in 2002 and headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, delivers sharp societal critiques through its confrontational rhymes. The group’s breakthrough single “Hölle auf Erden” (2007), for example, targets the anti-terrorism measures enacted by the United States while George W. Bush held office. Its members are Azad of Kurdish ancestry, Chaker of Tunisian origin, Jeyz with Italian roots, and Sezai of Turkish background. Azad leads the outfit and stands among Germany’s foremost rap figures alongside Bushido and Sido thanks to his thriving solo output. He issued his debut album Leben in 2001 and soon afterward began working with Chaker, Jeyz, and Sezai as Warheit; one product of those sessions, “Ruhe vor Dem Sturm,” surfaced on Azad’s sophomore release Faust des Nordwestens (2003). In 2004 Azad founded the Bozz Music label and placed his Warheit associates on its roster. Occasional Warheit tracks appeared over the next several years, leading to the quartet’s first album, Betonklassik, in 2007. The project secured modest commercial success by reaching Germany’s Top 50 and generated the maxi-CD single “Hölle auf Erden.”