Germany's most successful rapper: Apache 207

German rapper Apache 207 is on a roll. His song "Roller," released back in 2019, has replaced Wham's "Last Christmas" as the longest-running number one track ever in the German charts. And he is no one-hit wonder: All in all, Apache 207 has had 11 number one hits, with over two billion streams.

High time for two DW Culture writers — who know what they're talking about — to shed some light on this phenomenon. Torsten Landsberg is a hip-hop fan but is new to Apache. Katharina Schantz is a trainee at DW and has followed the Apache hype from the very start in the city of Mannheim, but she prefers techno to rap.

'Party music, but somehow odd'

Torsten Landsberg: What is noticeable is the constant use of auto-tune — digital pitch correction. This technology was originally intended to compensate for vocal weaknesses and to perfect vocals, but now the effect is widely used as a stylistic device. People who don't like auto-tune might have a hard time listening to German-language rap.

There is a bit of a gangsta attitude in the lyrics, Apache clearly loves to brag about himself, although sometimes ironically — which is immediately likable in a genre that can be astonishingly humorless. On the other hand, the rap and vocals are contain elements of Eurodance, a mixture of pop, dance and techno that was very successful in the 1990s and then just as quickly shunned. So this is definitely party music, but somehow odd. Does that explain Apache's rise to superstardom?

Katharina Schantz: I think it's the mix that makes it so popular. I'm definitely not into hip-hop, but Apache speaks to me 100%. And not just me, it's all ages — Gen Z, millennials, but also boomers and even my grandparents. Why? Stars are likable when they come across as authentic. That's the case with Apache. I can identify with him, even if his world is not my world.

His lyrics seem antisocial, they have this no-f***s-given mentality. Apache calls people a**holes and sings about living on the fringes, about Lamborghinis and Versace shoes. In classic rap style he shows off his wealth, but adds right away: "Pray to God, if money changes us / Then let us be poor all our lives."

He basically manifests his down-to-earthness as if he were afraid that one day it will be gone. His lyrics catapult me into another universe, but they are still thoughtful. That's why I don't feel swamped. Apache (the fictional character) himself is overwhelmed by his stressful, fast-paced life. That makes him approachable and, to stick with the lingo, "real."

TL: You have awesome grandparents! "Fictional character" is a good keyword, because it picks up on the constant tension between his alter ego and authenticity. People may find it exaggerated, but in hip-hop credibility is still a hard currency, and Apache knows that, of course. His image is perfectly staged. He had Amazon film a documentary that isn't a documentary, but a commercial — it doesn't show anything he doesn't want. He suggests an authenticity without revealing anything. That's pretty perfect marketing.

To me, these status symbols — big cars, cigars, women who fit the beauty cliches — are pretty tired, they're relics from the past. In some instances Apache veers from that, like when he rides a scooter, but then he's got a "Bitch like Barbie" sitting right behind him. In the end, it's gangsta or street rap style. That's all cool, I have nothing against it. The only thing I can't figure out is why it is so successful: more than two billion streams, 11 number one songs in the charts.

'Vroom vroom — that's just funny'

KS: Sure, he uses the usual motifs. Most artists who move up in the charts don't reinvent the wheel, Apache doesn't either. But he adds his own characteristics. Remember the irony you mentioned: what serious rapper would sit on a scooter and make "vroom vroom" sounds. That's just funny.

Apache is also pretty good at RAP-resentation. His next album is called "Gartenstadt." That's where he grew up, a dreary neighborhood in Ludwigshafen — a city many would say is the "ugliest city in Germany."

Acknowledging your roots and adding local color is important in the genre — Apache knows that, too. But he goes one step further and constantly sings about his mom, who also gave him his stage name. It's charismatic; it's sweet. And people salute that.

TL: And nobody knows the origin of his stage name — it's so very mysterious. Which song of his should we recommend?

KS: A good track for a first listen is the mash-up "Wham! - Last Christmas & Apache 207 – Roller." Funnily enough, it combines the two tracks that have been at the top of the German charts for the longest time!

This article was originally written in German.