dälek's music is dark, noisy and atmospheric, equally inspired by industrial music like Einstürzende Neubauten, the layered noise of My Bloody Valentine and the dense sound collages of Public Enemy. Their sound is often constructed through sampling and a musical base atypical of most hip-hop, making it difficult for people to classify their sound. They have been described as trip hop, glitch-hop, and metal-shoegaze-hip-hop, as well as criticized for their broad range of sound.
MC dälek described the group's music to the Chicago Sun-Times:
“It's purely hiphop, in the purest sense. If you listen to what hiphop has historically been, it was all about digging in different crates and finding different sounds, and finding different influences to create. If Afrika Bambaataa wasn't influenced by Kraftwerk, we wouldn't have 'Planet Rock'. So, in that sense, what we do is strictly hiphop.”
“If there is a difference, it's that the palette of sounds we work with is more varied than what has been called hiphop in the last 10 years. Somehow, as hiphop grew, it's been put into this box. I think it's funny when people are like "That's not hiphop. It's this and this and this." You can try to rationalize it as whatever you want to rationalize it as."
Studio albums:
• Negro Necro Nekros (1998)
• From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots (2002)
• Absence (2004)
• Abandoned Language (2007)
• Gutter Tactics (2009)
• Untitled (2010)
• Asphalt for Eden (2016)
• Endangered Philosophies (2017)
• Precipice (2022)
Collaborations, EPs and compilations:
• Megaton / Classic Homicide (2000) Split collaboration with Techno Animal.
• Ruin It (2002) In collaboration with Kid 606.
• Dälek vs. Velma (2002) Split collaboration with Velma.
• Derbe Respect, Alder (2004) In collaboration with Faust.
• Streets All Amped (2006)
• My Education vs. Dälek (2007) In collaboration with My Education.
• Deadverse Massive Vol. 1 (2007) Rarities 1999-2006.
• Griots and Gods - Les Eurockeennes Festival Belfort (2010) Live collaboration with The Young Gods.
Culture for Dollars
Dälek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now honor at best recessive trait
The sound and shape to come succumbed to malignant maelstrom
Malformed mentals stained expected outcome
And not to be outdone
Some speak in half phrases
No definition to brush strokes already out of phase with these statements
Raise children off pavement
When confronted with styles from gutter basements
Set to build like Freemasons, on three angles
All I see are minstrel MCs on these channels
Perceived battles only held to sell albums
Propagate stereotypes that bleed out us
Our own doubt us
But I remain devout scholar of skills of forefathers
Ignorance was forced on us
Define honest, if we all breath diseased lies
Define the MC if all he spits are weak lines
Who trades his culture for dollars?
The fool or the scholar?
Griot? Poet? Or white collared?
If my written word's slurs
Then my speech correct
Keep my meaning inferred to test your intellect
If you remember Hip-Hop nigga, 'nuff respect
Deadverse spoken with broken dialect
Spoken word held meaning
Hostile acts provoked
Formed metaphors
Created urban folklore
Never meant for these upper echelon aurals
That bought and stripped morals
From art that's gift for us
At heart I'm strict purist
Spit thoughts for poorest
5'6" Honduran sights set on own ruin
Rugged cadence meant to capture essence
Ancestor's wrath festers under surface of uttered sentence
Who trades his culture for dollars?
The fool or the scholar?
Griot? Poet? Or white collared?
If my written word's slurs
Then my speech correct
Keep my meaning inferred to test your intellect
If you remember Hip-Hop nigga, 'nuff respect
Deadverse spoken with broken dialect
In "Culture for Dollars," dälek speaks about the degradation of the hip-hop culture due to the influence of commercialization. The written word was once a powerful tool, but it has lost its significance over time with people prioritizing money over values. Mainstream culture has corrupted the essence of hip-hop by assigning stereotypes and promoting minstrel MCs who engage in perception-based battles just to sell albums. This has led people to doubt hip-hop artists who possess skills and follow the values laid down by the forefathers of the genre. The singer remains a devout scholar, combatting ignorance by questioning what defines honesty and the MC.
The singer then goes on to question who would trade their culture for dollars, and if it's the fool or the scholar, the griot or poet, or those in white-collar positions. The lyrics suggest that the degradation of the art form is due to the upper echelon exploiting and stripping it of its morals, releasing it in a maligned state, and taking credit for it. The singer remains a purist, creating art for the poorest and capturing the essence of the predecessors, exhibiting the wrath of the ancestors who faced similar struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Written word held weight
In the past, the power of the written word was once significant.
Now honor at best recessive trait
Today, honor and respect are becoming less important and almost lost traits.
The sound and shape to come succumbed to malignant maelstrom
The future of music and art is being overtaken by negative and harmful influences.
Malformed mentals stained expected outcome
Negative thoughts and ideas have infiltrated and corrupted what was thought to be good.
And not to be outdone
And to make matters worse,
Some speak in half phrases
Some people can only express themselves incompletely.
No definition to brush strokes already out of phase with these statements
Their words are vague and do not align with the world around them.
Raise children off pavement
People are giving birth to and raising children in the rough and unforgiving streets.
Pulse on frauds hasten
People are quick to follow whoever they believe is popular, even if it is a fraud.
When confronted with styles from gutter basements
People are not willing to embrace true art coming up from the streets.
Set to build like Freemasons, on three angles
Artists want to make a name for themselves and their craft like the Freemasons by using various strategies.
All I see are minstrel MCs on these channels
The rap game has become a mockery of its original purpose and art form.
Perceived battles only held to sell albums
Artists are creating beefs and battles with others to drive up album sales.
Propagate stereotypes that bleed out us
Negative stereotypes are continuously being perpetuated, dividing and hurting individuals within society.
Our own doubt us
We do not have confidence in ourselves as individuals and as a community.
But I remain devout scholar of skills of forefathers
Despite all of this, the artist remains dedicated to learning and keeping the original art form alive.
Ignorance was forced on us
We were forced to accept ignorance and lack of education as a norm.
Define honest, if we all breath diseased lies
In a world of corruption, it is difficult to determine what honesty truly is.
Define the MC if all he spits are weak lines
A true artist should be able to express themselves with integrity and originality.
Who trades his culture for dollars?
Who is willing to give up their values and traditions for money?
The fool or the scholar?
Is it the uneducated or the learned who are willing to sell out?
Griot? Poet? Or white collared?
Is it the storytellers, the writers, or the corporate workers who are turning their backs on their culture?
If my written word's slurs
If my writing is criticized for its flaws,
Then my speech correct
I will express myself through speech with precision and accuracy.
Keep my meaning inferred to test your intellect
I will challenge you to understand my underlying message.
If you remember Hip-Hop nigga, 'nuff respect
If you respect Hip-Hop culture, then you will respect me and my artistry.
Deadverse spoken with broken dialect
My lyrics may not always be eloquent, but they come from the heart and the streets.
Contributed by Jayce M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jack
A written article interview of the composer Vinsdval of the band Blut Aus Nord brought me here. Their music is dark like this, mostly very chaotic and insane blackish metal. Vinsdval gave Dälek a shout out in the article saying he'd love to work with him. I was surprised to hear he's a rapper.. This is very good. Great work. The beat sounds so much like something Blut Aus Nord would make so at this point I'm loving it.
stir
Had no idea Vinsdval gave credit to Dalek. Good to know!
Dan Relayer
one of the beast hip hop beats ever in its history.... so much power
groundzeroday
i worked at a rock club for 8 years
mixed relapse bands out the ass there for a minute at the beginning, until we started getting noise complaints, all the heavy shit dropped off until one night years later when the place was up for sale...
Publicist UK opened up for these guys
that night was the only time i overloaded the sound system in the 8 years i worked there
one of the best nights of my life
WOULD OVERLOAD AGAIN
Filip Wyka
Great song, Dalek is one of the most innovative rap groups today. :] New album is one of the best from 2009. PS. I'm suprised that this band have more fans from experimental/metalheads than hip-hopheads.
mrcuddles100
I know you wrote this 8 years ago but I simply have to reply. This music works for me because of the depth of sound and the profoundness of the lyrics.
PKSkyler
this is real expressive artistic hip hop. its gonna be timeless.
Jon 0098
@mrcuddles100 i know you messaged two years ago but this is the kind of music when someone listens to once they wont be able to get it off their mind. Dälek is amazing
Lucasart328
Agreed
Lee S.
@Jon 0098 Agreed