Hip-Hop is one of the most popular genres in Poland, with rappers like Malik Montana and Taco Hemingway drawing millions of views on YouTube. The genre has been used to make political commentary on the current political turmoil in Poland and Taco Hemingway’s track, “Polskie Tango” (“Polish Tango”) is considered to be a criticism of the country’s right-wing government.
There is a historical pattern of genres emerging after times of political turmoil or change. For instance, ‘Disco Polo’ appeared after the fall of the Berlin Wall. This genre is known by every Pole and is often played at weddings and parties and exudes joy, which perfectly encapsulates the feeling after transitioning into a post-socialist environment. At the time, Conservative journalists lambasted the genre and many radio stations refused to even play Disco-Polo songs. Then the popularity of Hip-Hop emerged after Poland joined the European Union in 2004, characterising the feeling of a country that has joined a globalised world, sending Polish Conservatives journalists into a frenzy yet again.
Hip-Hop in Poland is called ‘czarna muza’ which means ‘Black music’, so it is evident that the roots of the genre are acknowledged. However, there is a lack of representation of ethnic minorities within the genre itself as the country isn’t multicultural.
However, a Black Polish rapper has recently gained popularity, showcasing the Black Polish community unbeknownst to the world before people started making Tiktoks about one of his tracks. Alberto, a 27 year old Warsaw-based rapper, recently blew up on Tiktok with his drill track, ‘Dwutakt’ (“Two-Stroke”) Polish drill isn’t necessarily a thing yet, but the tracktion it has received in the past year is interesting. As of August 2021, the YouTube video for “Dwutakt” has over 32 million views. The track has garnered attention from YouTubers around the world with reaction videos comparing Alberto to Pope Smoke and Dutchavelli, who he has personally cited as an inspiration.
Polish drill has the potential to be used as a political force in a similar way it has in the UK. It could be argued that this genre could be the next in line after Disco-Polo and Hip Hop, in terms of encapsulating the feelings and frustrations within the country. It could definitely be a driving force in reducing the anti-immigrant rhetoric and giving the Polish Black community the voice they deserve.
