How does Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrick Streeck and drug counselor Feller view the documentary in terms of addiction education?
Experts praise the open way in which arrest warrant deals with his drug problem in the documentary “Babo – The arrest warrant story”. “Huge respect for Aykut” for discussing his addiction in such a way and having the courage to speak about it so openly, said Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrick Streeck (CDU).
Editorial recommendations
Federal Drug Commissioner comments positively on the presentation
The scenes were violent, but also touching, said Streeck, according to “Deutschlandfunk”. The documentary is not just about the consumption of drugs, but also about “how drugs ultimately consume people”. In his opinion, cocaine in particular is often portrayed as harmless or cool in rap music.
Drug counselor: A good and deterrent example of drug use
Stuttgart drug counselor Elena Feller agrees. In “SWR” she rated the Netflix film as “helpful”. The documentary is a very good example of how strongly drugs can influence and change someone. The arrest warrant documentary is a good and deterrent example of drug use. You can see the consequences – how the arrest warrant disappoints his family and changes, the station says. However, Feller is convinced that 25 years of cocaine use was only possible for him because he was a successful musician with the financial resources and reputation. In their opinion, others would have long since lost their apartment and their job as a result.
However, there was also criticism on social media about the documentary’s portrayal of addiction. Cocaine is never explicitly described as problematic, said one user on Instagram. This could give young viewers the wrong impression, especially.
“The more money you have, the more you do coke”
“Babo – The Arrest Warrant Story” has been on Netflix since October 28th and was produced by Elyas M’Barek and Pacco-Luca Nitsche. Rap greats like the late Xatar, but also Celo & Abdi and Jan Delay can also be seen in the film, which shows the most personal side of arrest’s life behind fame and success.
In the documentary, the German rapper talks in particular about his experiences with drug consumption and trafficking. While his criminal past has long been known to fans, the film makes it clear for the first time how close the rapper came to death in his worst moments.
Arrest Warrant, whose real name is Aykut Anhan, got into the drug business as a child. “I started taking cocaine when I was 13,” he says in the documentary. Instead of attending school, the Offenbacher dealt drugs on the market square. Even success as a rapper didn’t change that: “The more money you have, the more you do coke.”
In 2022, the rapper suffered a collapse at a concert in Mannheim. “I slept for eight days. Eight days!” he recalls on Netflix. His therapist warned him that he would perish as a result. But he ignored this warning.
“One gram on the left, one gram on the right, every 20 minutes”
The big bang came a year later: As arrest warrant tells in the film, he reached his lowest point after an argument with his brother Cem, who also raps under the name Capo. “One gram on the left, one gram on the right, every 20 minutes,” is how he describes his cocaine consumption. That night he collapsed and had to be resuscitated. “I was practically dead,” the arrest warrant states in the documentary.
Brother Capo then had him forcibly admitted to a clinic in Istanbul. “I would have died if I hadn’t gone in there,” says Arrest Warrant, looking back today. It remains unclear in the documentary whether he has since given up drugs.
If you or someone you know is facing drug problems, there are several points of contact for help and advice. The nationwide addiction and drug hotline can be reached at 01806-313031 (charges apply), the telephone counseling service at 0800-1110111 or 0800-1110222 (free and anonymous) as well as the number against grief at 116111 for children and young people and at 0800-1110550 for parents.