Chrst! One of the fathers of Czech rap, an absolute legend of the genre, and an innovator who is always looking for untrodden paths leading to unexplored places. Hugo Toxxx aka Hekr aka King Laus Krab are pseudonyms that need no introduction on the domestic scene. For the first time, we have chosen a Czech album as Album of the Week, specifically the project Mumie (2021). Hugo is an artist of global proportions, and his distinctive style is unparalleled even on the American scene. We hope that the article will be interesting for our English-speaking readers as well. Hugo Toxxx and his uncompromising Mummy.
Sarcophagus
Let’s talk about the rapper and producer himself for a little bit. Hugo Toxxx started making his own music in 1996. He started as a member of the duo K.O. Kru, which earned him early respect among his peers. Duo later transformed themselves into the now-iconic Supercrooo. In 2004, Toxxx together with James Cole (as a Supercrooo) released album Toxic Funk which is one of the most if not the most significant Czech rap album of all time. Toxic Funk managed to single-handedly change the rules of the whole Czech scene and offered something never seen before: beats that we could not even dream about before, abstract lyrics that reminded us more of music by Kool Keith than the more strongly story-oriented lyrics of boom bap, which was the dominant style back in the day on our scene.
Hekr released his first solo album, Rok psa, in 2008, and ever since, that just adds more and more wood to the fire. The rapper has released more than 10 albums so far; our favorites are Legální drogy (2011), Ilegální kecy (2011), Bauch Money Mixtape (2012), Tra$h Rap Mixtape (2014), and 1000 (2019). In 2011, he started his own label, Hypno808, which has signed artists like Voodoo808, Frank Flames, and Marat. But now let’s look at Toxxx’s newest album, Mumie, and pick apart his unique style.
Mummy
The album was released in December 2021, and less than a month later, it was followed by a Deluxe version. Toxxx wanted to create a dark, uncompromising album, which he managed to accomplish more than well. Rapper has been very clear on what he wants to create since the beginning of the project. The artist was looking for a certain type of energy, mood, beats, and visuals that would fit exactly into the concept he had in mind. Mumie is an uncompromising symphony of electronic trap beats, full of hi-hats and foggy synthesisers. Toxxx took on the look of a mummy, which to him signifies immortality, invincibility, and time travel.
We were wondering how the whole album works so well, and then we realized that it is thanks to Hugo’s calm, authentic, relaxed lust for new experiments and trying new things. King Laus Krab found huge inspiration in Kool Keith, who later featured on Toxxx’s track Eins, Zwei, Polizei. Ever since the beginning of his career (same as his idol), he has liked to get into different characters and write abstract lyrics. Similar to innovator Kool Keith (who took on a different identity on his albums Black Elvis/Lost in Space, and Dr. Octagonecologyst), Hugo Toxxx has done the same thing here as he takes on the identity of a different space entity from another planet. The artist moves through the universe and time, visits all sorts of locations and situations, and the lyrics of each track are completely surrounded by the emotion or memory that the rapper wants you to feel through, but the lyrics are not conceiving of one specific topic; they are foggy, full of associations, or intentional repetition of one phrase over and over again.
Hugo, however, goes about it differently than the already-mentioned Kool Keith. Where the American pioneer pulls out elaborate, almost fanciful texts full of complex technical words or scientific terminology, Hugo makes do with simple verses full of distinctive slang about situations from various stories about nightlife in Prague. However, he does not describe anything in concrete terms; he approaches the situations almost surrealistically, and thanks to that, nothing he says comes across as didactic; everything is fresh. Toxxx’s other role model is Soulja Boy. From him, he borrows authenticity and a relaxed approach. Hugo hasn’t written lyrics in a while and always raps straight to the beat. The first take is sacred to him; he has the purest emotion and energy.
And here is where the magic of Mumie comes in. Hugo’s style is a fusion of the supernatural that breaks the boundaries of underground classics (Toxxx loves albums like Funcrusher Plus, which are absolutely unknown to his home audience) with a pinch of swag and lightness. The Czech rap father covers himself in comic book esthetics, just as mummy peaks at you from around the corner when you least expect it. The rapper, on top of making his own music, supervises the whole Czech scene and supports young artists, which he later uses on his own projects with real grace. In between the guests on Mumie, you can hear names like James Cole, Hirmix, Luisa, Arleta, Lil Quill, OFF Culture, Dokkeytiono, and Viktor Sheen. If it were any other album, we would be a little bit scared by the list of all these names, but here Toxxx gives space to the artists, and their verses tie exactly to their needs and talents, and thanks to that, all of their verses are absolutely perfect, and you never get bored. OFF Culture is taking us to the uncompromising underworld of Ostrava, where Arleta breaks down rap stereotypes during her bone-chilling track Kód and James Cole and Hekr himself carry the torch through the dark nights of the rising Czech rap scene.
Thanks to the ambiguity of his lyrics, flawless flows, and personal presentation, the rapper is being appreciated by young and old generations, so we think that album will not get old, but oppositely, with each release, it will get more and more ripe. Rap’s Amadeus, on his latest album, floats through dark trap beats, opens doors to different parts of his world, oversees the rap game, bullies dishonest players, and uses cheat codes that he collected over the course of twenty years in a game.
“When I was a kid, I was in Roxy
and since that I knew, that’s what I want, that’s what’s coming.”
Hugo Toxxx – Sky
We’re at the end of today’s Album of the Week. Did you like the article? Let us know on Instagram or Twitter.
Translated from Czech by Rado.
Resources: Wave.rozhlas, Footshop
