Ersguterjunge

Lore & Background

Bass Sultan Hengzt was signed in 2005 but left shortly after the release of his album Rap braucht immer noch kein Abitur. DJ Ilan and DJ Devin also left due to personal issues. Chakuza and DJ Stickle, alias Beatlefield, were already part of the label as producers before DJ Ilan and Devin left; they were not replacements for them. Two more artists were signed later: Screwaholic, a producer who contributed to some releases of the group Anno Domini (later Anno Domini Nation) but was never a signed member, and Bizzy Montana, a rapper and producer. Female rapper Bahar left the label because in her opinion it did not provide the possibility of a successful album release. Nyze, who had been on several ersguterjunge releases, was signed in December 2006 and his album Geben & Nehmen was released in January 2007. Eko Fresh signed in January 2007, and Saad renewed his contract to release another album in early 2007. In 2006 Bushido formed the girl group Bisou, which consists of former candidates of the German version of Popstars; their debut single was released in 2007. With Kay One and Tarééc, two more artists were signed. In May 2010, Kay One's debut album Kenneth allein zu Haus was released and reached Top 10 in the charts.

Reader's Guide

Ersguterjunge played a notable role in German hip hop as an independent label distributed by a major, Sony BMG. Founded by prominent rapper Bushido and D-Bo, the label became a platform for several artists, though turnover was high: Bass Sultan Hengzt, DJ Ilan, DJ Devin, and Bahar all left, citing personal issues or lack of commercial support. The label also expanded into pop with the girl group Bisou, formed from Popstars candidates. Its significance lies in its reflection of immigrant slang and its position within the German hip hop scene, producing chart success with Kay One's debut album reaching Top 10 in 2010. The label's history illustrates the challenges of independent label management, including artist retention and the pursuit of commercial viability.

Did You Know?

• The label name ersguterjunge is slang used among some of Germany's immigrant population, meaning 'er ist ein guter Junge' ('he is a good boy').
• Bushido founded the label after leaving the indie label Aggro Berlin.
• Female rapper Bahar left the label because she felt it did not provide the possibility of a successful album release.
• Kay One's debut album Kenneth allein zu Haus reached Top 10 in the charts in May 2010.