The country’s recording industry association had criticized the lyrics but defended its choice in the name of artistic freedom. On Facebook last month, Farid Bang apologized to Esther Bejarano, a 93-year-old singer and Auschwitz survivor who had spoken out about the lyrics. But Jakob Baier, a researcher at the Hans Böckler Foundation focusing on anti-Semitism in German rap music, called the lyrics “despicable” and said they scorned the victims of Auschwitz. “But no one listens when you’re calm and polite, and so you have to use more drastic means.”Nevertheless, he faulted Kollegah’s and Farid Bang’s lyrics. “German rap is a scapegoat, because youth culture is always a scapegoat,” Ms. Funk, who directed “The Dark Side of German Rap,” said.

Source: New York Times April 18, 2018 23:09 UTC