One of the group’s trademarks was the experimentation with Dutch lyrics, which resulted the (back then) four piece in being the first ever crew in The Netherlands to release a complete demo in their native language. This turned out to be the start of a new genre they still call ‘Nederhop’ to this day, a term consisting of the words “Nederlandse” (Dutch) and “Hip-Hop”.
The start of Osdorp Posse can be tracked back as far as 1986, when Def P (real name Pascal Griffioen) made his debut on the Dutch hip-hop scene with the group Funky Fresh Force, consisting of him and DJ Dov, who would later become a famous House DJ under the pseudonym DJ The Prophet.
In 1988 Griffioen started experimenting with Dutch lyrics as a joke (translating American rap lyrics from groups such as N.W.A.), and a creative exercise (writing a couple of ‘real’ songs). His nephew Marco (later on taking on the nickname IJsblock – a literal translation of N.W.A.’s infamous Ice Cube) joined in the musical tomfoolery, as they recorded raps on instrumental tracks from their record collection, using nothing but a tape deck and a microphone.
It wasn’t until Marco and Pascal met Robin (now known as Seda) and Arthur (King) that they got down to writing real material that they found suitable for recording. Even though their musical playground that they had by then labelled Osdorp Posse (named after the Amsterdam neighbourhood Osdorp, where they all lived) consisted of a large group of friends with a continuously changing line-up, the core of the Posse was the four guys, and would remain so until twelve years later. With a lot of the co-rappers leaving the group with no interest in taking Osdorp Posse to a next level, the group recorded an infamous demo as a fourpiece. The nameless cassette – which quickly became known as ‘De Rode Demo’ (The Red Demo) – was handed out to friends, and travelled the country, taking the underground alternative music scene by storm through the tape trading circuit.
One of the many people who got hands on De Rode Demo was Saskia Sleger, the owner of the underground dancelabel DJAX. Recognizing the originality as well as the obvious talent, Sleger decided to contact the group and offer them a contract. Hardly believing what just happened to them, the young rappers immediately signed with DJAX, without reading the fine print. Def P later described this move in the band’s biography ‘Tien Jaar OP’ as impulsive and a bit naïve, but it turned out to be a good thing: the start of legendary career.
Now having to actually release cds instead of fooling around with a tapedeck, Pascal, Marco, Robin and Arthur franticly started writing out the material that they had come with before heading to a local studio in 1992, recording the first ever ‘Nederhop’ cd: the poorly produced yet explosive, hardcore and edgy twenty three song classic ‘Osdorp Stijl’ (Osdorp Style).
With an official release in stores, the group started on a journey that moved their live-shows away from the squat- and fret houses, onto the ‘ real’ alternative music scene. The album was an instant underground classic, which not only spawned an entire generation of Dutch Hip-hop acts at the time, but also quickly finding a following within a diverse group of alternative music fans such as punkers, metalheads, rockers and many alike.
The following two releases were plagued by the same production problems as their infamous debut, but through their sheer determination, explosive live shows and hardcore, relentless lyrical attitude became underground hits nevertheless. It wasn’t until they were asked to play the warm-up show at the biggest festival in the Netherlands, Pinkpop, that they got recognition from a larger audience. Their fourth cd entitled ‘Afslag Osdorp’ (Osdorp Exit), was released soon after the legendary festival appearance, and was the groups largest commercial success to that date. Riding the wave of word-to-mouth advertising following Pinkpop and their years on end of touring and self promoting (being ignored by mainstream media and critics), Afslag Osdorp sold thousands of copies; an achievement that was until then unthinkable for a Dutch rap act.
Later that year, with their popularity growing to a new height, Osdorp Posse played one of the most legendary and afterwards most talked about performances on the Dutch alternative music scene at the Lowlands Festival. Something that was euphemistically called a programming mistake, the group was set to play the smallest tent (Charlie) in the afternoon. Even though the Amsterdam crew warned the festival organisation about the possible consequences, the foursome’s advice to move their show to a bigger tent fell was ignored, resulting in half the festival attendees trying to fit in the small, claustrophobic space in anticipation of what was then one of the biggest things in Dutch music: Osdorp Posse. After the first couple of notes were played, the frantic crowd started to mosh, pogo and crowdsurf with such an enthusiasm that they nearly destroyed the entire tent. Def P later explained he had no idea how dangerous the situation was, that eventually led to an early ending of the gig when the crowd rushed to the stage, crushing the structure. No one got seriously hurt, yet everyone had witnessed and taken part in a legendary festival moment, talked about to this day.
In 1996 the group received the prestigious ‘ Pop Prijs’ (Pop Prize), as a recognition of their pioneering role in the Dutch hip-hop scene. That year also marked another legendary festival performance; the Dynamo Open Air festival – at that time the most important Heavy Metal event in the world – playing as the first and only hip-hop crew ever in front of more then a 100.000 longhaired metalheads, a large portion of whom were stoned Germans (enjoying the music all the same). The following year, ‘ Osdorp’ returned to Pinkpop, this time playing not once but twice: first on the small stage, returning on the final day at the main stage in front of 60.000 people.
After the commercial and artistic successes of albums such as ‘Briljant, Hard en Geslepen’ (Brilliant, Hard and Polished) – recorded with death metal band Nembrionic, and the chart success ‘Geendagsvlieg’ (literally: No day fly, as a play on words to the term ‘one day fly’, emphasizing their timelessness) the Posse left their long time label Djax to start up their own label called RAMP Records (consisting of the first letters in their names: Robin, Arthur, Marco, Pascal). In 2000, the group’s first release on their own turf called ‘ Kernramp’ (Nuclear Disaster) became their biggest commercial success, and remains so to this day. For the first time in their 12 year long career, Osdorp Posse even landed on the Dutch TOP 40 charts with their single ‘ Origineel Amsterdams’, which eventually ploughed into the top 10.
The release of their eighth album also marked the first change in line-up the group had seen since the early demo days: DJ ‘Deegmeester’ Daan – who already joined the band on stage for quite a while – became the fifth member of Osdorp Posse. That year they returned to Lowlands Festival as a five-piece, this time on a bigger stage. Once again controversy was part of the group’s performance, with Def P openly protesting against the nationwide crowd surf ban (as a result to the Roskilde tragedy earlier that year).
Around that time the music industry started crashing down. With programmes such as Napster and Kazaa providing fans with free – yet illegal – music, Osdorp Posse’s new label had a hard time lifting off. Every release after ‘ Kernramp’, such as ‘ Tegenstrijd” (meaning both Counter Battle, and Contradiction in Dutch) and Hollandse Hardcore Hip-Hop Helden all saw decreasing sales figures. At the same time, the genre the group created – Nederhop – had become a mainstream phenomena with acts such as Extince, Def Rhymz, and new school artists and groups like Raymster and Opgezwolle taking over the Dutch hiphop scene. Osdorp Posse, never being a favourite of the mainstream media – could only witness their own decline.
Around 2004, the group had plummeted back into the underground scene, once again playing the smaller venues. The groups hardcore following had eye for their later releases with bands such as Laberinto and Blind Justice, but stayed true to their heroes all the same.
Near the end of 2008, the group has announced to call it quits. After a release party of their final effort entitled ‘2 Decennia’ (Two Decades), Osdorp Posse embarked on a farewell tour, taking them to all the places they played, rocked the mike at, and witnessed their fanatic following go crazy to their hardcore style of performing.
The group’s swansong took place on their own turf, in the Amsterdam club De Melkweg in September of 2009, leaving a legacy that can not be ignored or forgotten: the invention and perfection of Nederhop.
Carrière maken
Osdorp Posse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
zelf opgestuurd naar Ewout)
Ik zit alleen en ik voel me kut
en ik zit stomweg te drinken.
Ik ben m'n vaste baan kwijtgeraakt,
maar ik laat de moed niet zinken.
Ik wil liever niet de W.W. in gaan,
dus ik zeg meteen maar ja
en ik denk daar nu over na.
Neem ik de eerste de beste baan
dan zal die wel saai en vreselijk kut zijn.
Maar dat is nog altijd tien keer beter
als fokking nutteloos en blut zijn!
Stel je voor dat ik simpel werk blijf doen
voor de rest van mijn hele leven,
ben ik dan een geboren looser?
Ho! wacht eens even!
Dat is nog altijd tien keer beter
dan zo'n geile carrierepik
met maar twee woorden in z'n kanes;
GELD, GELD en IK, IK!
Want je bent pas een echte looser
als je zo diep valt voor de poen,
dat je niet eens meer weet wie je vrienden zijn
en altijd egoistisch moet doen!
De zakenman, de zakenman,
ik kijk ernaar en ik braak ervan!
Jouw dure auto, huis en snol,
die kunnen mij niet raken man!
Altijd en overal vergaderen, bellen,
en saaie contracten lezen,
Zoveel stress en zorgen aan je kop,
dat je geen tijd heb om gelukkig te wezen!
Jouw hele leven draait om je carriere
en macht, en je enigste barriere
is de weg die ligt tussen jou en je geld,
die je moet en zal bewandelen met alle geweld.
Of over de ruggen van anderen,
maar je zal toch wel niet veranderen,
want je bent een egoist en een materialist,
je moet alles maar hebben, desnoods met een list.
Alles in jouw wereld is schijn en nep,
je weet zelfs niet wat je aan je vrienden hebt,
want al die achterbakse coke-yuppies om je heen
laten jou in echte nood vallen als een baksteen.
En zoals onze Hennie al liet horen:
"Het is fijn om er niet bij te horen!"
Nee, mijn overtuiging om daarvoor niet te kiezen
is groter dan jouw angst om alles te verliezen!
De zakenman, de zakenman,
ik kijk ernaar en ik braak ervan!
Jouw dure auto, huis en snol,
die kunnen mij niet raken man!
Altijd en overal vergaderen, bellen,
en saaie contracten lezen,
Zoveel stress en zorgen aan je kop,
dat je geen tijd heb om gelukkig te wezen!
Carriere maken...
Carriere maken...
Carriere maken...
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The song "Carrière maken" by Osdorp Posse is a commentary on the pursuit of a successful career and the sacrifices that come with it. The singer is at a low point in his life, having lost his job, but he is determined to keep going and find a new one. He is willing to take any job that comes his way, even if it is boring or unpleasant, because it is still better than being jobless and broke. However, he also reflects on the dangers of becoming too obsessed with one's career and losing sight of what truly matters in life.
Throughout the song, the singer contrasts the simple life of a regular worker with the high-pressure, materialistic existence of a successful businessperson. He sees the latter as selfish and shallow, driven solely by a desire for money and power. He points out that these goals can consume a person to the point where they forget about their friends and loved ones, and lose touch with what really brings them happiness. The singer ultimately decides that he would rather live a fulfilling life with meaningful relationships and modest means than chase after a career at any cost.
Overall, "Carrière maken" presents a critique of capitalist culture and the societal pressure to be successful at all costs. It encourages listeners to consider their own priorities and not to allow their pursuit of career success to overshadow everything else in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Ik zit alleen en ik voel me kut
I am sitting alone and feeling miserable
en ik zit stomweg te drinken.
and I am mindlessly drinking.
Ik ben m'n vaste baan kwijtgeraakt,
I have lost my steady job,
maar ik laat de moed niet zinken.
but I won't lose hope.
Ik wil liever niet de W.W. in gaan,
I don't want to go on unemployment benefits,
dus ik zeg meteen maar ja
so I immediately say yes
tegen elke baan die ik krijgen kan,
to any job that comes my way
en ik denk daar nu over na.
and I am currently contemplating about it
Neem ik de eerste de beste baan
If I take any job I can get
dan zal die wel saai en vreselijk kut zijn.
it will probably be boring and terrible.
Maar dat is nog altijd tien keer beter
But that is still ten times better
als fokking nutteloos en blut zijn!
than being completely useless and broke.
Stel je voor dat ik simpel werk blijf doen
Imagine if I keep doing simple work
voor de rest van mijn hele leven,
for the rest of my life,
ben ik dan een geboren looser?
will I be a born loser?
Ho! wacht eens even!
Wait a minute!
Dat is nog altijd tien keer beter
That is still ten times better
dan zo'n geile carrierepik
than being one of those career-obsessed people
met maar twee woorden in z'n kanes;
who only care about two words: MONEY and ME
GELD, GELD en IK, IK!
MONEY, MONEY, and ME, ME!
Want je bent pas een echte looser
Because you're only a real loser
als je zo diep valt voor de poen,
if you fall so hard for money,
dat je niet eens meer weet wie je vrienden zijn
that you don't even know who your friends are anymore,
en altijd egoistisch moet doen!
and you always have to be selfish!
De zakenman, de zakenman,
The businessman, the businessman,
ik kijk ernaar en ik braak ervan!
I look at them and I want to puke!
Jouw dure auto, huis en snol,
Your expensive car, house, and mistress,
die kunnen mij niet raken man!
cannot touch me, man!
Altijd en overal vergaderen, bellen,
Always having meetings, making calls,
en saaie contracten lezen,
and reading boring contracts,
Zoveel stress en zorgen aan je kop,
So much stress and worries on your head,
dat je geen tijd heb om gelukkig te wezen!
that you don't have time to be happy!
Jouw hele leven draait om je carriere
Your whole life revolves around your career
en macht, en je enigste barriere
and power, and your only barrier
is de weg die ligt tussen jou en je geld,
is the path that lies between you and your money
die je moet en zal bewandelen met alle geweld.
which you must and will walk with all your might.
Of over de ruggen van anderen,
Or over the backs of others,
maar je zal toch wel niet veranderen,
but you probably won't change,
want je bent een egoist en een materialist,
because you're a selfish and materialistic person,
je moet alles maar hebben, desnoods met een list.
you have to get everything, even if it means using deceit.
Alles in jouw wereld is schijn en nep,
Everything in your world is superficial and fake,
je weet zelfs niet wat je aan je vrienden hebt,
you don't even know what you have in your friends,
want al die achterbakse coke-yuppies om je heen
because all those conniving coke-snorting yuppies around you
laten jou in echte nood vallen als een baksteen.
will drop you like a hot potato in real need.
En zoals onze Hennie al liet horen:
And as our Hennie already said:
"Het is fijn om er niet bij te horen!"
"It's nice not to belong!"
Nee, mijn overtuiging om daarvoor niet te kiezen
No, my conviction not to choose that path
is groter dan jouw angst om alles te verliezen!
is greater than your fear of losing everything!
Carriere maken...
Making a career...
Carriere maken...
Making a career...
Carriere maken...
Making a career...
Contributed by Michael F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.