How Has German Gangsta-Rapper "Kollegah" Used Digital Media for Self-Marketing?

Michael Ahlers
Profile Picture of - Michael Ahlers

Michael Ahlers

Abstract information

For music artists, the marketing possibilities of digital media have opened up new opportunities independent from the major music industry. MICHAEL AHLERS has examined this process using the German Gangsta rapper Kollegah as example. As Ahlers describes in this video, his research team conducted an interdisciplinary two-part study in focusing on Kollegah’s skill set and knowledge in one part and in the other one on the reaction of the media to Kollegah. They established diverse strategies that make the rapper both successful and controversial in his genre but also in mainstream media. This study is the first proof of concept of the success of musical self-marketing. Conducted in 2017, the results of the study don't take into account the events in the aftermath of the 2018 German Music Award "Echo".

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB10603

Researcher

Michael Ahlers is Professor of Music Education and Popular Music at Leuphana University Lüneburg. Before this appointment, he was Professor of Music Education and Digital Media at the University of Augsburg. Among his current fields of study are empirical research on music education and popular music. He is a reviewer for a number of academic journals and institutions, including the Federal Court of Cologne on copyright issues and the Journal of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. Since 2017 he has been a member of the scientific board of the German Society for Popular music Studies.

Institution information

Leuphana University, Lüneburg

Leuphana University Lüneburg is a public “model university” established in 1946, known for its radical departure from traditional German academic structures. It operates on a unique liberal arts-inspired model where all undergraduate students, regardless of their major, start with a shared interdisciplinary “Leuphana Semester” to foster critical thinking and social responsibility.

The university is highly regarded for its focus on sustainability, cultural studies, and education research. Its central campus is visually defined by the Libeskind Building, a deconstructivist landmark designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. As a climate-neutral institution, it emphasizes humanism and entrepreneurship, serving as a prominent hub for social innovation and sustainable development in Lower Saxony.

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Original Publication

“Kollegah the Boss”: A Case Study on Appropriation, Acoustic Capital, and Virtuosity in German Gangsta Rap

Michael Ahlers

Published in

Citation

Michael Ahlers, 

Latest Thinking, 

How Has German Gangsta-Rapper "Kollegah" Used Digital Media for Self-Marketing?, 

https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB10603, 

Credits:

© Michael Ahlers 

and Latest Thinking

This work is licensed under CC-BY 4.0