Hungary is a very strange, surrealistic place, for example our Dear Leader is an orange midget in raised heel shoes. His newest slogan is ora et labora. Pray and Work. This is the Benedictine Order’s slogan. Apropos, order. The country is full of big propaganda posters:  + 3500 POLICEMEN. HUNGARY DOES IT BETTER. Briefly we are living here such as in a Roald Dahl novel that take place in a post-soviet state.

The Hungarian hip-hop scene consists of wide pants, baseball hats and slogans. My favourite story about them: some years back an organizer team invited 50 Cent to Budapest. He came and took the fee before the gig then went to the club. There he said that the place is big pile shit and the organizers breached of the contract so the gig is cancelled. The organizers entreated him, but he stayed unyielding and went back to the hotel. Naturally he didn’t give back the money. Thereupon the organizers called the police to one of Budapest’s most expensive hotel. You try to imagine the scene! Two policemen arrive before the Hotel Le Meridien (by the way there was the headquarters of the Budapest Police until 1997), where a team is waiting, they have on gangster rap style masquerade. The gangster rappers greeting to the policemen, explain the situation and ask help. They go into the hotel and call 50 Cent down in the hall. Thereupon the policemen don’t speak in English so the gangster rappers are translating. The policemen ascertain that there didn’t occurred crime so ask autograph and say goodbye. 50 Cent goes to the airport and flies to Amsterdam. Respect!

The best hip-hop act in Hungary is the Budapest based international Homeless Millionaires with English, American and Hungarian members. They use instruments like guitar, drums and percussions too, and play, say, experimental alt-hop. His first album has been released recently and it is very good. There you don’t find any pose, stupid lyrics and musical cliches.

You can find more tracks here, here and here and buy the album here

Bobafett, the best Hungarian language rapper is living in Amsterdam and working as a rickshaw. His third album has been released recently too. It is free to download.