They formed in 2000 in Oslo, Norway and released their first EP in 2004, Glasskår. They later released their first full-lenght album titled Rett fra hjertet in 2006.
Karpe Diem was established when the two wanted to enter a music competition, which they ended up winning with the song "Hvor er Willy?" and have been rapping together ever since.
They have performed live at more than 200 shows and the number is just growing. Karpe Diem is notorious for their sarcastic and politically engaged lyrics, and for their down-to-earth and nobel personalities.
On March 5th, 2011, they received the greatest Norwegian musical prize there is, "Årets Spellemann".
This was the first time in history that a hip-hop/rap group received this award.
Discography:
2006 - "Rett fra hjertet"
2008 - "4 vegger"
2010 - "Aldri solgt en løgn"
2012 - "Kors på halsen, ti kniver i hjertet, mor og far i døden"
2015 - "Heisann Montebello"
Rett i foret
Karpe Diem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kanskje datteren til Hassan har fått en jøde som mor (Hvem vet?)
Kanskje Hassan synes jøder er cool
Kanskje en jøde kalte Hassan for bror, hvem vet?
Jeg ber til Lillelord, Lord Stovner
Hvem skal løpe maraton med barna mine når våren kommer?
Hvem vet? Ikke du
Hvem vet? Ikke jeg
Hva skjedde med James Alex Fields?
Hva skjedde med Anton Lundin?
Hva skjedde med Anis Amri?
Hva skjedde med Salman Abedi?
Hva skjedde med Mohyeldeen da han var kid?
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
Og jeg vippser en banan til et skatteparadis
Rett i foret, rett i foret, rett i foret
Yah, yah, yah, yah
Rett i foret, rett i foret, rett i foret
Yah, yah, yah, yah
(Ooh) Se åssen Hassan slåss for den regninga
(Ooh) Foran alle, det er bare han som får ta regninga
(Ooh) Han sier det er bare norske folk som deler regninga
Jeg sa, Det er racist, Hassan, han ba meg velge lag
For siden vi var små, siden vi var små
Har du alltid hooka skolebolle og saftposen i hånd, så [?]
Lillelord, Lord Stovner
Under bordet, bare rett i foret, yah, yah, grov sommer
Ville du, ville du, ville du vært med meg uten dinarer?
Jeg er ingen byrde, jeg er din ferietur til Maui
Ingen Abu Dhabi, ingen [?] nedi Saudi
Ville du? Ville du, ville du, ville du, ville du?
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
Og jeg vippser en banan til et skatteparadis
Rett i foret, rett i foret, rett i foret
Yah, yah, yah, yah
Rett i foret, rett i foret, rett i foret
Yah, yah, yah, yah
Hva er et liv?
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
The lyrics of "Rett i foret" by Karpe Diem speak about the delicate balance of race relations and the underlying prejudices and misunderstandings that exist within society. The opening lines of the song describe the ambiguity of Hassan's attitude towards Jews - we don't know whether he views them positively or not. The lines that follow offer various possibilities for why he might or might not hold a favorable view. The following lines declare a prayer to Lillelord and Lord Stovner, two versions of the same revered personage in different parts of Oslo. The prayer asks for a hypothetical marathon-running partner, highlighting the loneliness and solitude that can come with grappling with these issues.
The second verse takes a more overtly political tone. It lists the names of four individuals who have committed acts of violence in the name of various political or religious causes, and poses the question "what happened?" The verse then pivots back to the personal, with the chorus line "I run marathons with Hassan and Nils" couched as a defiant answer to these violent tendencies. The final verse continues the personal theme, with the singer reflecting on his own friendship with Hassan and offering up the possibility of a trip to Maui as a sign of his gratitude and affection. The song concludes with the simple, somewhat existential question "what is a life?"
"Rett i foret" addresses complex issues of race, violence, and personal relationships with nuance and sensitivity. By highlighting the difficulties and misunderstandings that can arise in these areas, the song challenges listeners to examine their own biases and assumptions.
Line by Line Meaning
Kanskje Hassan fikk seg hjørnekontor
Maybe Hassan got himself a corner office
Kanskje datteren til Hassan har fått en jøde som mor (Hvem vet?)
Maybe Hassan's daughter's mother is a Jew (Who knows?)
Kanskje Hassan synes jøder er cool
Maybe Hassan thinks Jews are cool
Kanskje en jøde kalte Hassan for bror, hvem vet?
Maybe a Jew called Hassan 'brother', who knows?
Jeg ber til Lillelord, Lord Stovner
I pray to Lillelord, Lord Stovner
Hvem skal løpe maraton med barna mine når våren kommer?
Who will run a marathon with my kids when spring comes?
Hvem vet? Ikke du
Who knows? Not you
Hvem vet? Ikke jeg
Who knows? Not me
Hva skjedde med James Alex Fields?
What happened to James Alex Fields?
Hva skjedde med Anton Lundin?
What happened to Anton Lundin?
Hva skjedde med Anis Amri?
What happened to Anis Amri?
Hva skjedde med Salman Abedi?
What happened to Salman Abedi?
Hva skjedde med Mohyeldeen da han var kid?
What happened to Mohyeldeen when he was a kid?
Jeg løper maraton med Hassan og Nils
I run a marathon with Hassan and Nils
Og jeg vippser en banan til et skatteparadis
And I'm sending a banana to a tax haven
Rett i foret, rett i foret, rett i foret
Straight to the pocket, straight to the pocket, straight to the pocket
Yah, yah, yah, yah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Ooh) Se åssen Hassan slåss for den regninga
(Ooh) Look at how Hassan fights for the bill
(Ooh) Foran alle, det er bare han som får ta regninga
(Ooh) In front of everyone, he's the only one who has to pay the bill
(Ooh) Han sier det er bare norske folk som deler regninga
(Ooh) He says only Norwegian people share the bill
Jeg sa, Det er racist, Hassan, han ba meg velge lag
I said, 'That's racist, Hassan', he told me to pick a side
For siden vi var små, siden vi var små
Because since we were little, since we were little
Har du alltid hooka skolebolle og saftposen i hånd, så [?]
You've always hooked on school buns and juice boxes, so [?]
Under bordet, bare rett i foret, yah, yah, grov sommer
Under the table, straight to the pocket, yeah, yeah, rough summer
Ville du, ville du, ville du vært med meg uten dinarer?
Would you, would you, would you be with me without dinars?
Jeg er ingen byrde, jeg er din ferietur til Maui
I'm not a burden, I'm your vacation to Maui
Ingen Abu Dhabi, ingen [?] nedi Saudi
No Abu Dhabi, no [?] down in Saudi
Ville du? Ville du, ville du, ville du, ville du?
Would you? Would you, would you, would you, would you?
Hva er et liv?
What is a life?
Writer(s): Tobias Jimmy Jimson, Chirag Patel, Magdi Y Abdelmaguid, Eirik Kiil Saga, Thomas Meyer Kongshavn, Oda Felicia Bardal Sigstad
Contributed by Alexander C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.