Fettes Brot

Dubbed "Hamburg's hip-hop dinosaur" by their own members, German trio Fettes Brot are perhaps best likened to the Beastie Boys, sharing with their American counterparts a similar longevity, a comparably eclectic creative sensibility and the same white skin color. Fettes Brot (roughly, "fat bread," and a slang expression meaning "excellent hashish") formed in 1992 following the dissolution of the rap group Poets of Peeze. They scored their first hit with the novelty single "Nordisch by Nature," winning kudos for their interwoven rhymes and technical prowess. A year later, "Jein" further established Fettes Brot's commercial credibility, a streak that would last well into the 21st century. ~ Jason Ankeny