187 Strassenbande

Founded in 2006 by rapper Bonez MC and graffiti artist Frost, 187 Strassenbande is a German gangsta rap group from Hamburg. What initially started out as a graffiti crew soon evolved into a full-blown hip-hop collective that began performing under the moniker Deep Cover. Over the course of the next few years, 187 Strassenbande consolidated its lineup with the addition of MCs Gzuz, Maxwell, LX, and Sa4. Beatmaker Jambeatz was also brought into the fold. After two independently-released LPs—2009’s 187 Strassenbande and 2011’s Der Sampler II—the group’s career took off, mainly thanks to the success of Bonez MC’s and Gzuz’s solo endeavors. In 2015, their third full-length Der Sampler III peaked at Number 2 on the German charts as the group accompanied Wu-Tang Clan on their European tour. 187 Strassenbande continued their hot streak with Der Sampler 4 (2017) and Der Sampler 5 (2021), both of which reached the top of the charts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Der Sampler 5 also featured their first Number 1 hit “Extasy,” featuring Berlin-based rapper Frauenartz.