Dälek rocks Vienna: Political hip-hop with explosive topics!

Dälek rocks Vienna: Political hip-hop with explosive topics!

Wien, Österreich - Today, on May 26, 2025, the DaLek project, founded in 1998 in New Jersey from the college friendship between Will Brooks and Alap Momin, highlights the connection between hip-hop and political expression. With their progressive style, which exceeds genre boundaries and unites influences from jazz, herb rock and electronics, they are an example of how deeply rooted political issues in hip-hop are. Dälek are known for their pioneering debut album "Negro, Necro, Nekro", which has a clear political and socially critical orientation. Other important albums such as "From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots" (2002) and "Absence" (2005) underpin their influence in the genre.

The socially critical content of their music deals intensively with current topics, such as gun violence in the USA and police force, which are discussed in their last album "Precipice" (2022). Brooks is particularly critical of the political Situation in the United States and the role of weapons in the social structures. The band encourages the listeners to think about these grievances, which is still an important function for hip-hop. Parts of the hip-hop community have mobilized during various political events, which shows that music can be a powerful tool for social change.

The roots of hip-hop

hip-hop was created in the early 1970s in the South Bronx, New York, and produced four central elements: DJ, rapper (MC), B-Boy/B-Girl (break dancer) and graffiti writer. These origins were strongly shaped by the Black Power movement, which influenced self-confidence and cultural identity of young black people. The first official organization, the Universal Zulu Nation, recognized these elements in November 1973. This showed the way for a form of music that soon became a voice of the marginalized, in which social problems such as racism, poverty and violence were discussed.

The political statement in hip-hop became increasingly clear in the 1980s, especially by albums such as "IT Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back" by Public Enemy and "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A, which not only set the scale, but also thematically. While gangsta rap gained popularity, the socially responsible rap, also known as the CONSCIOUS rap, lost attraction, but still remains an important element of the genre.

The influence of hip-hop on political discourse

In the 21st century, experts observed a revival of the politicized hip-hop, especially after the presidency of George W. Bush and in the context of the Black Lives Matter Movement, which became more important by killing Trayvon Martin. Artists like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole address racism and social injustice in their texts and thus establish the Tradition of their ancestors that have used hip-hop as a platform for social and political criticism.

Dälek will give a concert in the Vienna Flucc on May 28, 2023. Tickets for the event are available on the website www.ntry.at. This event will not only be a musical experience, but also an opportunity to reflect the political meaning of art and culture and what it means to remain active in a time of uncertainty and change.