European hip-hop

European hip hop refers to hip hop music and culture originating from Europe. Emerging in the 1980s following the genre's popularity in the United States, European hip hop has evolved into a diverse and influential musical movement. It encompasses a wide range of styles and subgenres, reflecting the continent's varied cultural landscapes and the experiences of both ethnic nationals and immigrant communities. Notable regional scenes include British hip hop and grime, German hip hop featuring both ethnic German and Turkish artists, and French hip hop, which has undergone several distinct eras of development. Other countries such as the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Romania have also produced significant hip hop scenes, each with its own unique characteristics and prominent artists.

By region

Northern Europe

Denmark

Hip hop music in Denmark has seen significant growth in popularity over the past fifteen years, beginning with Danish-language acts such as MC Einar and Rockers by Choice. Other early contributors included lesser-known groups like Rip Rap & Rock, Flopstarz, Humleridderne, and Faktaposen. Danish rap music gained broader acceptance in the 1980s, particularly with the release of "Rap Nu," a rap song by Gunnar "Nu" Hansen, a well-known Danish football commentator. This song was released in conjunction with the European football championship and helped introduce rap to a wider Danish audience.
In the early 1990s, English became the preferred language for underground hip hop acts in Denmark, with artists like Dope Solution, Kidnap, and No Name Requested—one of the first groundbreaking female rappers—blending rap with reggae well before other Danish artists adopted the style. By the late 1990s, Danish-language rap experienced a resurgence, driven by artists such as Jokeren and his group Den Gale Pose. The Funky Fly record label played a significant role in this evolution.
Unlike in many other countries, hip hop in Danish has been as successful, if not more so, than English-language acts locally. Some Danish rappers who perform in English, such as Static and NATiLL, have gained more recognition abroad, particularly in Germany and other parts of Scandinavia, than they have in Denmark.
Prominent Danish-language hip hop artists include members of Full Impact Productions, such as Orgi-E, Bai-D, Troo.L.S, L.O.C., Rune Rask, and U$O. This group often refers to themselves as F.I.P.G.C.. The rap group Suspekt, consisting of F.I.P. members Orgi-E, Bai-D, and Rune Rask, has been a notable force in Danish hip hop, with L.O.C. frequently collaborating as a guest artist and Troo.L.S producing most of their tracks alongside Rune Rask.
In 2005, Troo.L.S and Orgi-E released an album titled *Forklædt Som Voksen*. Although the group has not officially disbanded, they have stated that they do not plan to release any new albums, though they continue to perform together. L.O.C., a member of F.I.P., is considered the most successful solo rapper in Danish hip hop history, with his albums achieving significant sales. His first album, *Dominologi*, included popular tracks such as "Absinthe" and "Drik Min Hjerne Ud". His second album, *Inkarneret*, was also a major success, featuring hits like "Undskyld", "Hvem", and "Pop Det Du Har". His third album, *Cassiopeia*, was released on September 15, 2005, with the song "Frk. Escobar" becoming a major hit.
Producers Rune Rask and Troo.L.S. have been instrumental in creating many of F.I.P.'s most successful tracks and have been recognized as one of the best producer teams in Denmark. In 2006, they produced the song "Gangsta Bop" by Akon, which was featured on his second album, Konvicted.

Finland

Finnish hip hop music is an increasingly robust part of the Finnish music scene. While some rappers based in Finland choose to record their rhymes in English, the majority use Finnish. Rapper Amoc utilizes the indigenous language Sámi in his music, which is one way to localize this global genre. The first recordings were released in the late 1980s but the real boom of Finnish hip hop came in the late 1990s.
Finnish hip hop, also known as suomiräp or suomirap, is an increasingly robust part of the Finnish music scene. While early Finnish rap was often performed in English, particularly by artists like Nuera, Paleface, Redrama, Jimmy Smallz, and Tommy Sky, the majority of contemporary Finnish rappers now use Finnish in their lyrics. Some artists, such as Amoc, have also incorporated indigenous languages like Sámi into their music, reflecting a localized adaptation of the global hip hop genre.
The development of Finnish hip hop began in the late 1980s, with some of the earliest recordings released during this period. However, it wasn't until the late 1990s that the genre gained significant momentum. The first recorded Finnish rap song, "I'm Young, Beautiful and Natural," was made in 1983 by General Njassa and was performed in English. Finnish rap made its initial breakthrough in 1990 when groups like Raptori and Pääkköset, as well as solo artist Nikke T, achieved chart success in Finland.
Raptori, in particular, became a nationwide phenomenon, known for their distinctive style that blended humor and dance-pop influences from the 1980s. This early wave of Finnish rap was markedly different from American hip hop, and while it achieved popularity, it was later criticized by some for its humoristic approach. Nikke T himself expressed regret over his early dance-influenced rap, suggesting that the humor-rap trend undermined the credibility of the Finnish rap scene, which only began to recover in the late 1990s when the genre started to gain mainstream popularity.
Mainstream rap artists and groups in Finland include Eevil Stöö, Mikael Gabriel, JVG, Gettomasa, Cheek, Uniikki, Teflon Brothers, Mäkki, Elastinen, Spekti, Daco Junior, Ezkimo, Nikke Ankara, Kapasiteettiyksikkö, Petri Nygård, Redrama, Juju, Pyhimys, Kube, Heikki Kuula, and Cledos.

Iceland

The first prominent hip hop group from Iceland was Quarashi, who were marketed in the United States as being influenced by the rock hybrid sounds of the Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine. Quarashi disbanded in 2005. Around the time they released their first album, several other Icelandic rap groups emerged, including Subterranean, who are credited with producing one of Icelandic hip hop's most significant works, Central Magnetizm. Other notable groups from this period were Team 13, Multifunctionals, Oblivion, Bounce Brothers, and Hip Hop Elements. Most of these groups performed in English, with the exception of Multifunctionals, who released a song titled "Númer 1" in Icelandic.
The early 2000s saw the rise of the first hip hop acts performing entirely in Icelandic. Notably, XXX Rottweiler, in collaboration with Sesar A, released the first Icelandic-language hip hop albums in 2001. This milestone was followed by a wave of artists who embraced Icelandic as their primary language for rap. Among them were Bæjarins Bestu, a group known for their freestyle battle prowess, Móri, a gangsta rapper, Afkvæmi Guðanna, Bent og 7Berg, Skytturnar, Hæsta Hendin, and Forgotten Lores. Over time, many of these early groups ceased making music, but new artists continued to emerge within Icelandic hip hop.
Icelandic hip hop lyrics are often characterized by their directness and aggressive tone, with battle raps being a significant component of the genre. Today, the Icelandic hip hop scene includes active artists such as Gísli Palmi, Þriðja Hæðin, Cell 7, Kilo, Shadez of Reykjavík, Úlfur Úlfur, Aron Can, GKR, Alexander Jarl, Agust Bent, and Emmsjé Gauti.
In addition to music, Icelandic hip hop culture encompasses other subgenres, including breakdancing and graffiti. Element Crew, founded in 1998 and led by Gretski, is the leading b-boy crew in Iceland. Breakdancing first appeared in the country around 1983, experienced a decline in the early 1990s, but saw a resurgence around 1997 with the Shakers Crew.
The graffiti scene in Iceland began around 1991 with writers such as ONE, Pharokees, Atom, Sharq, Kez, and Youze. The early influential crews were SR and LCF. In 1997, TMC gained prominence, followed by the formation of CAN Crew by Sketz and Sare One. Sare One, now known as Nores and a member of TMC, is considered one of the most influential figures in Icelandic graffiti. Foreign artists who temporarily resided in Iceland, such as Kegr and Jiroe, have also contributed to the scene.
One of the largest hip hop events in Iceland is Rímnaflæði, a freestyle competition held in Miðberg, where young MCs and rap groups compete by performing a single song on stage. The inaugural jury for the event included Sesar A, BlazRoca, and Omar Swarez.

Ireland

Hip hop culture arrived in Ireland in the 1980s and has enjoyed a steady underground scene ever since. By the early 1990s, the scenes in Dublin, Cork and Belfast included such performers as First Kouncil, Third Eye Surfers, Marxman, Messiah J. and The Expert, Homebrew and Scary Éire. Despite this, it has never had the same worldwide recognition that British hip hop has seen in recent years.
Currently hip-hop in Ireland is still going strong.
Dublin hosts names such as Lisa Dee, B-z Blaze, Kid Swisha and Galway born Big Que who is presently based in the United Kingdom. Ireland has its own urban music magazine RAP IRELAND, an urban brand that also promote clubs and concerts, and run Dublin-based Blackhouse Studios and the Rap Ireland DJ School. Recently, 86 Ink has come up as an alternative to British drill rap, using his Irish accent instead of putting on a London/British accent.

Norway

Hip hop would spread to all of Scandinavia, including Norway, in the early 1980s. With breakdancing and graffiti art growing increasingly popular, a number of underground hip hop musicians gained fame among the genre's limited fanbase in the late 1980s. These included A-Team and Tommy Tee, who also put out a prominent hip hop magazine/fanzine called Fat Cap and a radio show Strictly Hip Hop.
The early to mid-nineties saw acts like Warlocks, Ellers Det, Captain Anarad and Dream Of Utopia struggle for recognition. In the late 1990s and into the beginning of the 21st century, performers like Opaque, Darkside of the Force and Gatas Parlament became prominent. Tungtvann, Apollo, Klovner i Kamp, Spetakkel, Jaa9 & OnklP, Karpe Diem and other Norwegian-language hip hop crews, achieved some mainstream popularity after the turn of the millennium.