Ruhrpott AG (RAG) was a German hip hop group formed 1996 in Bochum.

… Read Full Bio ↴Ruhrpott AG (RAG) was a German hip hop group formed 1996 in Bochum.

RAG first found recognition in the German hip hop scene in 1998, with the album Unter Tage. The second and final album Pottential followed in 2001. RAG's music was characterised by profound, poetical lyrics containing numerous similes, and by relatively restrained, often heavy and melancholic beats.

Ruhrpott is local slang for the heavily industrialised Ruhr Area of northwest Germany, and the abbreviation AG (Aktiengesellschaft) is equivalent to "plc".

Formation

RAG arose from two earlier (and still active) hip hop collectives in the Ruhr Area: Filo Joes (with the two MCs Pahel and Galla) and Raid (MC Aphroe and DJ Mr. Wiz). Mr. Wiz is from Oberhausen, rather than directly from Bochum, and Aphroe is originally from Herne. Both groups have been active in the hip hop scene since the early 1990s.

Raid and Filo Joes encountered each other at jams and other events – they discovered they were linked by a similar mentality, and decided to make music together under the name "Ruhrpott AG". One of their earliest recordings (although not actually released until it appeared on their second album) was the original version of Tief im Westen: a stream of emotions, associations, similes and metaphors concerning the band's native region, the "Ruhrpott", painting a multi-layered and often contradictory but nevertheless affectionate picture.

After two albums the members of RAG went their separate ways in 2003. Pahel and Galla released solo albums on different labels (entitled Natur des Menschen and Swing Kid respectively), while Aphroe, who has stated on his MySpace that there will not be a third RAG album, is also pursuing a solo career. His first solo album 90 was released in 2012.

Galla died in 2011 at the age of 38 after suffering from cerebral infarction.
Lyrics and music

RAG's lyrics and beats, particularly on Unter Tage, conveyed a fairly heavy and melancholic mood, with the band members expressing their feelings about their lives in the Ruhr Area. Their complex use of language, dense with imagery, excurred at times into fantasy. They frequently used metaphors, often relating to their self-knowledge and also their place in the world, for example in the hip hop industry. The second album, Pottential, expanded their range from the early heavy, dreamlike style towards a harder-edged, more concrete lyrical approach in which the storytelling was not always shrouded in indirect imagery.

Examples of this are Nackte Stadt and Pro & Contra (both from the second album). Nackte Stadt is a collage of thoughts and feelings from various city-dwellers, who are all connected by a web of relationships that none of them can see in full. Pro & Contra, another song with a noticeably harder sound than Unter Tage, is a wordplay which builds sentences through the association of words beginning with the syllables pro and kon.

Former members

Galla
Aphroe
Pahel
Mr. Wiz

Stratego
RAG Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

1) Keine Verträge, keine Wege..

....für wirklich rare Exemplare, die ich in Plattenregale lege, verbale

Randale in Zahlung gebe, kostbare opale hebe nur für prozentuale Pauschale rede.

Selbst wenn Ich allen Mächten unterliege, bleiben meine Rechte exclusive,

die echte Exzessive, bin zufrieden, wenn der Rest der Riege es empfängt,

wie das Fest der Liebe, Kopf gesenkt vor den feinen Unterschieden.

Alles kreist um den gleichen Scheiß, um ihn rauszukriegen.

Wo sind die besten fliegen, imun vor den Pestizieden ??

Wir kennen den Plan, und haben im Wahn nix unterschrieben

Tief im Westen wird der Clan Schadstoffarm betrieben.

Überbrücken keine lücken, wie Amalganblomben,

horten Bomben in Katakomben, wie Irak und Iran,

Ihr braucht mehr Gott-Connection als der ganze Vatikan,

den Arafat und Saddam waren nur ´n blinder Alarm

Chorus: RISIKO- wie tropische Gelbsucht,

Ich setz mein Ego mit Stratego im Feldzug

RISIKO- Ich könnte heulen wie Pierrot

doch am Ende ist sowieso alles nur Teil der großen Show

(Two times)

2) Fälle vorschnelle Anfälle von Starallüren und Escapaden

Ich kann spüren, wie sie den wahren Kardinalen bei den Wahlen schaden.

Geh auf die Barrikaden, brech durch die Ballistraden,

spreng Blockaden vor Ladenschluß mit Schachrochaden.

Lauf auf hundertachzig, ohne daß sich unter massig getuneten Chassis

Vokabeln mit Tachonadeln verkabeln.

Was is??

Vergiss Sylvester, so richtig knallen laß ich´s, wenn´s nur das ist.

zeig allen, daß ich fallen lass auf wen kein verlass ist.

Wenn Du das As bist, hab Ich vier davon.

Ich kombinier Revierjargon, mit den Foltermethoden der Vietcong,

als stünd Ich mit dem Libanon in Liaisson, künftig rollen Gigatonnen

Gift im Rangierwagong wieder nach Bonn.

Man sieht es kommen, wie Nostradamus das Chaos in Nahost,

korrupte Gremien, eingeschleuste Alien,

das Ende um die Jahrtausendwende durch Bio-Bakterien.....

.....Wie lange macht Gott wohl noch Ferien..???

Chorus: (Two Times)

3) Das gute ist die Route ist, gerad´ so wie mir´s zu Mute ist,

nicht weil´s in Mode ist.

Ich hab´s durchdacht wie Aristoteles und Sokrates.

Alles ist so Grotesk und Paradox, daß Du es heut noch nicht verstehst,

selbst wenn Du´s deutlich auf dem Radar lockst

Ich riegel hier schon mal hermetisch ab, red ich episch bebt die Stadt,

weil Ich diesen miesen Fetisch hab.

Jetzt ist vorbei mit unseren fetten Zeiten, kein Platz mehr für Nettigkeiten,

bis eure Kettenfahrzeuge stecken bleiben.

Keine Anfahrt von Standart, der Mossart als Ein-Mann-Aparat in herber Gangart.

Verwandel ganz Beirut´s Wut in eine Sinnflut.

Ich bring Pro-Pain zum COALTRAIN und Rap Styles wie´n Chintz-Zug.....

Chorus: (bis zum bitteren.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to RAG's song Stratego delve into themes of exclusivity, self-sufficiency and detachment from societal norms. The opening lines "Keine Verträge, keine Wege" (No contracts, no paths) convey a sense of independence and individuality. The following lines describe the singer's tendency to hoard rare items and engage in verbal confrontations. They embrace their exclusivity and remain satisfied as long as their peers recognize their superiority. The lyrics then shift to a commentary on larger societal issues such as pollution and corruption, with references to Saddam Hussein and Arafat being mere distractions from the real problems. The chorus of the song compares life to a game of Stratego, where taking risks is a necessary part of success.

The second verse delves into the singer's feelings of superiority and their willingness to break societal barriers. They express a desire to show their power, even if it means hurting others, and make references to the Viet Cong and the chaos in the Middle East. The final verse touches on the tension between individuality and societal expectations, with the singer choosing to detach from "fetten Zeiten" (fat times) and prioritize their own needs. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is fiercely independent, detached from societal norms, and driven by a need to prove themselves.

Line by Line Meaning

Keine Verträge, keine Wege...
I don't make deals or compromise for the rare records I collect; I may engage in verbal arguments but only for a percentage of the profits. Even if I lose everything else, my rights to exclusivity remain. I'm satisfied as long as my message reaches the crowd, though I do acknowledge and bow down to the fine differences that exist. Everything revolves around the same issues- trying to figure it all out. Where are the best talents immune to corruption? We know the plan, we have made no commitments in the mayhem. Our clan runs on low pollution in the west. We don't leave gaps or loopholes like toxic amalgam fillings. We store bombs like Iraq and Iran in catacombs. You need more God-Connection than the entire Vatican. Arafat and Saddam were just false alarms.

Fälle vorschnelle Anfälle von Starallüren...
I sense how pretentiousness and escapades can harm the authenticity of true cardinals in elections. I go on barricades, break through ballistic fences, and smash barriers just before closing time using chess moves. I run at 180mph with no vocabulary intertwining with the needle on my modded engine. I forget about New Year's; I only cause fireworks when it's necessary to show that I will only fall for trustworthy people. If you're good, I have four of a kind. I combine dialects with torture techniques of the Vietcong, as if coordinating with Lebanon in the future. Tonnes of toxic substances will again travel on tank wagons back to Bonn. We are already seeing the chaos that Nostradamus predicted in the Middle East. Corrupt committees have introduced alien life, and the millennium will end with bio-bacteria. How much longer will God take a vacation?

Das Gute ist, die Route ist gerad'...
The best thing is that my path is straight, not because it's fashionable, but because it's how I feel. My actions are a result of Aristotle and Sokrates' philosophy. Everything is so grotesque and paradoxical that you may not understand it today, even if it's clearly visible. I fortify myself here and speak in epic ways because of my dirty obsessions. Our luxurious times are over; there's no room for niceties until even your armored vehicles get stuck. There's no standard or Mozart approach- it's just me, operating in high gear. I can turn all of Beirut's anger into inspiration. I mix Pro-Pain with COALTRAIN and rap with the grace of a chintz cloth.

RISIKO- wie tropische Gelbsucht...
This line begins the chorus, which means that just like tropical jaundice, there's a risk to every move I make. I execute my strategy using the board game Stratego. I could cry like Pierrot, but in the end, everything is part of a great show- portrayed twice in the song.

Contributed by Arianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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