Retrogott aka Kurt Hustle from Cologne, who completely reshaped the track 10.000 Years Behind Me, is one of the most important representatives of German Independent Hip Hop ever since the mid-2000s. Collectors spend a small fortune for his 2007 debut album “Jetzt Schämst Du Dich!”, which has become the blueprint of German rap. He has remained popular, even when he changed his name.

It has been eleven long years since Urbs dropped his last album which was called “Toujours Le Meme Film”. Back then, the musician, DJ and producer created the soundtrack to a fictitious Film Noir, which was released on Kruder & Dorfmeister‘s G-Stone Label, but after touring Europe he almost completely retreated from public life. He does not consider his creativity as being his career, but rather as a part of his life which rarely is subject to concrete planning, and that is why Urbs quite consciously took his time to create his latest –untitled- album.

Urbs: “A lot of people totally appreciated my last album “Toujours Le Meme Film”, and over the years I’ve learned that it really means a lot to some of them. Which was a burden, because, obviously, you do not want to disappoint these people. By now, I think enough water went down Danube river to perhaps surprise some of them with something completely new. Those who know me know that I’ve always simply produced dope hip hop tracks.”

This time, as a consequence, this is no all instrumental album but a collection of 12 soulful hip hop tunes that feature some handpicked vocalist of the international rap, dancehall and soul scenes. On the album right next to EMC’s Wordsworth or R.A. the Rugged Man from New York, you will hear Ward 21 from Kingston, Jamaica, Voice Monet from New Orleans, One Self’s Blu Rum 13 from Washington DC, as well as long time companions like Skero from Vienna or Blabbwona from the group Abstract Art, who now lives in Munich by choice.

There also is a simple answer to the question of why the album has no title: “This album, so to say, is my competitive exhibition in this field and owing to the endlessly long ripening process it is wonderfully and intensively boiled down and on point. Therefore, no intros, no interludes, no title, no gimmicks, simply 12 good songs – period.”

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