ENGLISH:

Daniel Kretschmar (b. September 19, 1971), better known by … Read Full Bio ↴ENGLISH:

Daniel Kretschmar (b. September 19, 1971), better known by his stage-name D-Flame, is an Afro-German hip hop and reggae musician of Jamaican origin.

Biography:
D-Flame grew up in Frankfurt where he encountered racism at an early age, often witnessing how his mother was insulted in spiteful fashion. His childhood experiences alongside his literary encounters with Black Power icons like Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, shaped his outlook on life strongly. He grew up with Jamaican reggae and African American soul music. He encountered hip hop music at a young age, in the early 1980s when he first heard the Sugarhill Gang's Rapper’s Delight at a party. From then he was captivated, participating in the mid-1980s breakdance wave in Germany and worshiping films like Wild Style.

He spent many years rapping in the rough Frankfurt underground, where he flourished, thanks to the support of his mentor, Rebel X of the Black Angel Music, in 1991 even being named best rapper of the city. He was a member of two noteworthy Frankfurt groups, namely Foreign Accent and Asiatic Warriors. The latter, aside from D-Flame, comprised Azanin (aka Azad), Combad and A-Bomb. They released an EP, called Told Ya, which was to remain the only one, as the group split up in 1994. That year he traveled to Jamaica, where he came in contact with the local reggae and dancehall scene, inspiring him to work with established German reggae soundsystems Soundquake from Bielefeld and the renowned Pow Pow Movement from Cologne.

His first commercial success was with Bremerhaven's DJ Stylewarz, appearing on his classic 12"-track Heiß wie Feuer ("Hot as Fire"). In 1999 he met Beginner rapper/producer Jan Eißfeldt who inspired him with his upstart label Eimsbusch, to which he signed. His first single was a small-release track with dancehall MC Tolga, called Highsgeliebtes Gras ("'highly' loved weed"), a love song for marijuana. His first larger scale release was the bombastic Heißer ("hotter") which was made its mark in the German charts. His name recognition increased in hip hop circles through features on Eimsbusch affiliated B-sides and remixes and an appearance as a support acts on Dynamite Deluxe’s and Ferris MC’s tours. The album Basstard ("base-tard") was accordingly a major success with its blend of hip hop and ragga and features like long-time associate Guru, Elephant Man, Samy Deluxe and Jan Eißfeldt. Flame's duet with the latter, entitled Sorry was released as a single. Many underground rappers began during this time to dissociate themselves from the Hamburg City mainstream and Flame's old Asiatic Warriors colleague Azad launched a wide-ranging diss against commercial hip hop, causing tension between the two former friends as Flame sided with his new Hamburg City posse.

In 2001, Flame toured with Eißfeldt who had released a reggae album himself, Denyo and Illo77 on the 60 Hertz-tour after having released his first single of reggae-proper, Sie macht mich glücklich ("She Makes Me Happy"). Afterwards he participated in the anti-Nazi Brothers Keepers project, rapping interchangeably with Samy Deluxe on the single Adriano. His text expressed much of his anger at German culture, saying: [Samy:] "Ich hörte schon im Kindergarten Weiße zu mir [Flame/Samy:] Nigger sagen". ("Already in kindergarten I heard Whites calling me a nigger"). He continued in this vein with his 2002 autobiographical album, tellingly entitled Daniel X – eine deutsche Geschichte ("Daniel X – A German Story"). On it, he confronts his life in Germany in classic storytelling rap, revealing much entrenched racism in German society. Many hip hop fans rejected what they perceived to be a pseudo-black power pose and the record was not particularly successful, but was critically acclaimed and welcomed as a more mature work than Basstard.

Stoically, D-Flame continued touring Germany while preparing his next album. While Daniel X was purely a hip hop album, D-Flame decided to explore his dancehall roots, which had also become commercially viable since the success of Eißfeldt’s reggae album (as Jan Delay), the Berlin ensemble Seeed and Gentleman from Cologne and due to the growth of a reggae underground. In late 2003, he released the purely reggae/dancehall album Unaufhaltsam ("Unstoppable") and toured with his band, the KP Crew. The album was much more successful and catapulted D-Flame back into Germany’s musical mainstream with his single Stopp.

Music:
D-Flame's trademark voice is incredibly deep and sonorous. His famous sound "aaaaoooooo", with which he begins almost every song has become a favorite among fans. His lyrics are intensely political, addressing racism, life in Germany, hip hop & reggae lifestyle, marijuana laws etc.

Even his hip hop tracks clearly reveal Flame's dancehall roots, his beats are very deep and vibrant and he often exhibits dancehall style double-beats in his tracks, which was unusual when he first became successful. He also sports more relaxed reggae tracks on which Flame even sings. On stage he usually performs with his live band, the KP Crew.

GERMAN:

D-Flame (* 19. September 1971; bürgerlich Daniel Kretschmer) ist ein deutscher Rapper & Reggae-Artist aus Frankfurt am Main. Er veröffentliche bisher 3 Alben. Basstard machte 2000 den Anfang. Als eine Mischung zwischen Hip Hop und Dancehall lässt sich sein erstes Album beschreiben. Tendenziell Richtung Hip Hop ging sein zweites Album "Daniel X - eine schwarze deutsche Geschichte" aus dem Jahre 2002. Ma könnte es als audiobiographisches Werk bezeichnen, es ist eine Biographie in Liedern verpackt. Sein bisher letztes Album war dann ausschließlich Reaggae- & Dancehall-Musik. Es erschien 2003 und trägt den Titel "Unaufhaltsam". Er hat schon mit bekannten und erfolgreichen Künstlern wie Samy Deluxe, Jan Delay, Denyo 77, Xavier Naidoo, Afrob und J-Luv zusammen gearbeitet.

D-Flame ist eines der Mitglieder von Brothers Keepers. Außerdem war D-Flame Mitglied beim ehemaligen Hamburger Hip-Hop-Label Eimsbush-Entertainment.

Außerdem moderiert er immer Dienstags eine Sendung über Rap, Dancehall und Reggae beim Frankfurter Jugendsender You FM.

Universal
D-Flame Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(feat. Guru (GangStarr))

[Hook: Guru & D-Flame]
It's Universal you Play with Fire it might hurt you or Burn you
Die es nicht fühlen wollen die hören zu
[x4]

[Verse One: D-Flame]

Endlich am Geburtsort New York scheiss ich auf Rufmord
Oder auf die Gerüchte für die deine Kuhdorf,
Crew sorgt nach ein paar Tuborg
Kommst du dir zu Cool vor dabei bist du immer
Noch der der bei der ganzen Crew schnort.
Die werden niemals sehen was D-Flame sieht
Während sie weiterhin nix verstehen Recorded
Er Tracks in D&D mit ihren Weekend Beats bekommen
Die nie ein Fanbrief merken die nicht das es ihren
Neuen Stil längst gibt.Da wo alles begann wird
Klar das sogar ein Kaltes land überhaupt keinen
Mann mit einem Ziel in seinem Leben halten kann
Wer hätte gedacht das ich nochmal den Track mit
Guru mach bestimmt net der Depp der schwätzt das
Für mich eine Hure schaft Purer hass ne über die
Story wurde nur gelacht da ich liebe im Herzen und
Mehr als einen Bruder hab. Peace an alle in St.Mary
Kingston, London South East, N.Y, 'Bush, Nord-West ihr
Wisst wie es in mir aussieht.

[Hook x4]

[Guru]
New York to Germany eternaly we burn MC's
Rappers I rip in half cause there Riff Raff aint concerning me
A lot off y'all forget what this is about
Poppin shit on your verses like you got all the clout
But your phoniness came out and now your fans are in doubt
Your career was cut short now your plans you reroute
Punk you rap where you started had to sell you fancy car
That's what happens when you Pussy try to front like you Rah Rah
I teach game as we stomp out each lame
Me and D-Flame it's our turf we came to reclaim
I kick back after I spit on this sick track
Your heart and your self-respect you wich you could get back
We took that and that's the reason you shocked jack
This time we go all out full blast and never look back
Supreme delication feedin the nation
Control it with soul plus extreme dedication

[Hook x4]

[D-Flame]
Schwarz Deutsch und in Frankfurt am Main Geboren
Ich sehe klar heut doch am anfang klein und verloren
War ein fahrzeug aus den U.S.A zwischen den ohren
Und die klarheit kam in Videokasetten form.
Mohammad Ali zeigte mir wie die wahrheit aussieht
Das jeder sein ziel ereichen kann wenn er nie Aufgibt
Wie mentale Kraft stärker sein kann als Fausthieb
Und wie mann in Babylon mit erhobenem Hauptsiegt.

[Hook x4]

Overall Meaning

The song "Universal" by D-Flame featuring Guru of GangStarr is an introspective analysis of the rap game and the idea of universal truth. The hook emphasizes that truth is universal and warns listeners not to play with fire, as it could hurt or burn them. In the first verse, D-Flame declares his disregard for rumors and reputations as he raps in his birthplace of New York. He criticizes other rappers who act cool but are still addicted to drugs and emphasizes the importance of understanding and seeing things from a deeper perspective. He also touches on the idea that one's birthplace can limit their potential, but he remains optimistic about his future in the rap game.

In the second verse, Guru emphasizes the idea of burning MCs and calls out rappers who are fake and try to act tough. He teaches listeners the importance of learning from mistakes and how dedication and soul are keys to success in the music industry. He stresses the unity between himself and D-Flame as they work together to reclaim the rap game. In the final verse, D-Flame reflects on his upbringing as a black German in Frankfurt and how watching Muhammad Ali's videos taught him the power of mental strength and perseverance. The song ultimately emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself, working hard, and recognizing universal truth in a world dominated by superficiality.

Line by Line Meaning

It's Universal you Play with Fire it might hurt you or Burn you
This message applies to everyone: if you mess with dangerous things, there's a chance you'll get hurt or even burned.

Die es nicht fühlen wollen die hören zu
Those who don't want to feel it, will still listen to the message.

Endlich am Geburtsort New York scheiss ich auf Rufmord / Oder auf die Gerüchte für die deine Kuhdorf,
Now that I'm in my birthplace, New York, I don't care about rumors or gossip from small towns.

Crew sorgt nach ein paar Tuborg / Kommst du dir zu Cool vor dabei bist du immer / Noch der der bei der ganzen Crew schnort.
After a few drinks, your crew thinks you're cool, but you're still the one who can't handle their drug use.

Die werden niemals sehen was D-Flame sieht / Während sie weiterhin nix verstehen Recorded / Er Tracks in D&D mit ihren Weekend Beats bekommen
They'll never see what I see, as they continue to not understand. I record tracks in D&D using their weekend beats.

Die nie ein Fanbrief merken die nicht das es ihren / Neuen Stil längst gibt.
They don't notice the fan letters, or that their new style has already been done before.

Da wo alles begann wird / Klar das sogar ein Kaltes land überhaupt keinen / Mann mit einem Ziel in seinem Leben halten kann
Where it all began, it's clear that even a cold country can't hold a man with a purpose in his life.

Wer hätte gedacht das ich nochmal den Track mit / Guru mach bestimmt net der Depp der schwätzt das / Für mich eine Hure schaft Purer hass ne über die / Story wurde nur gelacht da ich liebe im Herzen und / Mehr als einen Bruder hab.
Who would have thought I'd do another track with Guru? Definitely not the haters, who called me a whore. They only created pure hate towards me, but I have love in my heart and more than one brother.

Peace an alle in St.Mary / Kingston, London South East, N.Y, 'Bush, Nord-West ihr / Wisst wie es in mir aussieht.
Peace to everyone in St. Mary, Kingston, London South East, NY, Bush, and North-West. These people know what's inside of me.

New York to Germany eternaly we burn MC's / Rappers I rip in half cause there Riff Raff aint concerning me / A lot off y'all forget what this is about
From NY to Germany, we will always destroy MCs. I tear apart rappers because their irrelevant noise doesn't matter to me. Many of you forget what true hip hop is about.

Poppin shit on your verses like you got all the clout / But your phoniness came out and now your fans are in doubt
You talk big on your verses, but when it comes down to it, you're a fake. Your fans are questioning you now.

Your career was cut short now your plans you reroute / Punk you rap where you started had to sell you fancy car / That's what happens when you Pussy try to front like you Rah Rah
Your career was ended abruptly, so now you're reshaping your plans. You had to sell your fancy car because you're a weakling trying to act tough.

I teach game as we stomp out each lame / Me and D-Flame it's our turf we came to reclaim / I kick back after I spit on this sick track / Your heart and your self-respect you wich you could get back
I teach the game as we eliminate weak rappers. D-Flame and I came to reclaim our turf. After I spit on this sick track, I relax. You wish you could regain your heart and self-respect.

We took that and that's the reason you shocked jack / This time we go all out full blast and never look back / Supreme delication feedin the nation / Control it with soul plus extreme dedication
We took what we wanted, which is why you're surprised. This time, we're going all out and never looking back. Our supreme dedication feeds the nation. We control it with soul and extreme dedication.

Schwarz Deutsch und in Frankfurt am Main Geboren / Ich sehe klar heut doch am anfang klein und verloren / War ein fahrzeug aus den U.S.A zwischen den ohren / Und die klarheit kam in Videokasetten form.
I'm black and German, and born in Frankfurt am Main. I see things clearly now, but in the beginning, I was small and lost. I had an American vehicle in my head, and clarity came in the form of video cassettes.

Mohammad Ali zeigte mir wie die wahrheit aussieht / Das jeder sein ziel ereichen kann wenn er nie Aufgibt / Wie mentale Kraft stärker sein kann als Fausthieb / Und wie mann in Babylon mit erhobenem Hauptsiegt.
Mohammad Ali showed me what the truth looks like. Anyone can achieve their goals if they never give up. Mental strength is stronger than physical blows. You can win in Babylon with your head held high.

Contributed by Evelyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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