We met the rapper and the “Head of Music Operations” at TikTok Germany for a chat.
August Jean Diederich aka Ski Aggu not only created a huge catchy effect with his single “Party Sahne” in 2022, but also made his breakthrough. His debut album “2022 war film been” followed in the same year, on which he brings together topics such as heartbreak, love, but also his party life and drug consumption. His optical trademark is a mix of mullet, ski goggles and jogging suit. Technically, he manages to stand out from the German rap scene by combining several styles: With him, the genre meets electronic influences, mostly combined, mostly with a touch of humor. However, the native of Berlin has not only been making music since last year. Already in 2018 Ski Aggu released songs on Soundcloud, on which his friend Adrian Julius Tillmann alias Ritter Lean was often represented. We got to meet the rapper and talk to him about his success, the person behind the ski goggles and his upcoming Think About It tape. We then spoke to Ski Aggu and Charlotte Stahl, Head of Music Operations at TikTok, about the platform and how it is influencing and changing the music industry today.
musikexpress.de: There are many different descriptions of your music. It is usually interpreted as techno-German rap with party lyrics. What do you think about that?
Ski Aggu: Well I would say I just have my own way of rapping and that includes entertaining punchlines or that I talk about partying with my friends in Berlin. If you look at it from a distance, it fits into the category of the guys from BHZ or viko63. But of course I have my own style in this New Wave Berlin rap context. And while my music has an electro influence, I don’t think it’s wrong to call it techno — it’s more like electronic dance music.
In an interview you said that you don’t listen to German rap yourself. At the same time you explain in “Broker” that you tried rap as a teenager. How did you get into the genre?
Ski Aggu: I listened to rap when I was young, it just got less and less over time. And of course I tried it myself at some point. I think everyone went through that phase where you thought you could rap and it was easy. But then you quickly realize that it’s not that and you sound like shit (laughs). My first own lyrics were pretty bad, but eventually I got better and my friends then pushed me to publish some of them. I’ve always liked rap, but now I find other genres better.
In “look drunk in the mirror” you say: “The mirror does what I don’t do because it reflects my blatant drug use”. What else do you see in your reflection?
Well, how do I answer that now? I have to say that I’m actually pretty happy when I look in the mirror. Of course I don’t do everything perfectly, but I also tell myself that I can be proud of myself — I also like to look at myself in the mirror (laughs).
In the said interview you described yourself as “unprofessional”. For what reason?
That was also conscious. Everyone should do what they want, but I always think it’s cooler to do things your own way — and not the industry’s. You can tell by the artists too. Maybe the music isn’t the most professional, but it’s the most authentic. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to keep up. For me it starts with video shoots. Most artists with my success simply spend 20,000€ for a video production and it is a mega high-quality video, but the personal touch is missing. For Rent Free, I wrote the script, directed and edited the video myself — with the help of friends, of course. Of course it’s more work, but I feel it more in the end.
You want to be elected Chancellor in 2025 and you stand for a beer price brake, a stop to kebab inflation and an unconditional basic income. Where would your party be positioned politically?
Definitely left of center. I’m not a communist, but for a more social capitalism. That’s the theme I have: to make things fairer. However, I don’t want to say completely left. Otherwise completely left-wing people could feel triggered by me because I make music that is too unpolitical. I always find it difficult when some people claim that I’m doing it. I might have a political line here and there, but the probs in that area belong to other rappers, like Apsilon.
Your “Think about it” tape will be released in October. To what extent does the work differ from your debut album “2022 war film been”?
It’s a development of mine, but I’ve stayed true to myself. The same aggu but different tracks with a different style. The tape doesn’t go in the party direction like my last singles. There will be quieter numbers on it, but also reggaeton and drum’n’bass. I tried it out a bit and at the same time it’s the same concept as “2022 war film been”: All the songs that I feel are written independently of each other. Maybe it will become a tradition now that I always release a tape with my favorite tracks at the end of the year (laughs).
Can you tell us a still unknown detail about the tape?
I can say how the name “Think about it” came about: I was with Adrian, alias Ritter Jean, on Mallorca in the Mucke studio. And after a long day of drinking and smoking weed, we did a really stupid skit song in the evening. We said after every stupid line “think about it” – as if it were mega deep. We laughed our heads off and somehow it worked out. Somewhere everything has a deeper level to think about, but of course everything is always meant with a wink. That’s why my tape is now called that.
Ski Aggu is not only known for its musical output. He also created a character of himself on TikTok and not only manages to entertain thousands of viewers, but also to promote his music. One influences the other: while the rapper becomes better known with his works on the platform, he generates a greater reach through them. We were allowed to take a closer look at the TikTok meets music industry phenomenon with him. We also spoke to Charlotte Stahl, Head of Music at TikTok, and got the perspective of the musician and the representative of TikTok. Stahl first worked for the Sony label, later she became part of the music team at YouTube, and three years ago she switched to TikTok. As Head of Music Operations, she has been in charge of the music team for a few months and, among other things, takes care of the cooperation between artists and the platform.
One of your goals is to drive the music content on TikTok. What exactly is your plan?
Charlotte Stahl: My goal, together with my team, is to help all artists and the music industry to use the potential of TikTok for themselves. We’re more concerned that the artists we work with who are motivated to use TikTok have everything they need to do so. Which has really helped many to advance their careers.
TikTok is often criticized for turning people into commercial products. What do you say to musicians who refuse to use TikTok because of this?
Ski Aggu: I think it’s totally okay when people don’t feel like it or find it exhausting. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity somewhere that is missed. It offers a huge opportunity: to reach an extremely large number of people in a very short time. I can already say that TikTok helped me a lot because it spread my stuff like wildfire. But if artists decide to use the platform, I think it’s important that they find their own way there and don’t make videos on cramps.
Charlotte Stahl: I see it similarly and it also requires a certain openness. But if it is there, then my team can support the artists in taking the first steps. And we have accompanied many artists through the phase from “I don’t think it’s for me” to “Okay, now I understand why and how I should be on TikTok”.
Would you say that the music industry is influenced by TikTok? And if so, to what extent?
Charlotte Stahl: In fact, TikTok has changed the music industry extremely in recent years and in a way that has also democratized the industry a lot. The barrier to creating content and possibly being successful with it is now very low. There is a lot of decision-making power and potential in the hands of the artists and the community. TikTok doesn’t decide what goes viral next or what becomes the next big trend, it really comes down to what content and ideas are brought to TikTok and how the community reacts.
Ski Aggu: I think it’s really cool how TikTok influences the music industry because it takes power away from the major labels. Artists can market themselves and make it big without being dependent on a label. Instead of the criticism, TikTok should get this praise even more.
How would you describe the music industry today in terms of its integration with TikTok?
Ski Aggu: The music industry has become very fast-moving as a result. There is a lot of hype that comes and goes. Everyone can now make music and you can find out about them faster, which means a huge offer. However, the attention span of consumers is getting shorter and shorter and maybe at some point you will only hear TikTok hits – precisely because musicians feel compelled to make such music instead of making three-minute intros and outros like Pink Floyd, in which hardly any sound can be heard (laughs).
Charlotte Stahl: I would also say that certain processes that perhaps traditionally existed in the music industry were broken up by tools like TikTok. The means it takes to participate in the industry today are different. This allows you to rethink certain formats and free yourself from long-established structures.
How do you think this merger will evolve in the future?
Charlotte Stahl: It’s a constant change and we’ve already noticed a lot of it. More and more dare to use the platform. We have now reached legends like Udo Lindenberg, Herbert Grönemeyer and Otto Waalkes and I believe this will continue in the future.
Ski Aggu: I think TikTok is becoming more and more important. You can see it now from the fact that songs that have a TikTok hype also end up in the charts. Just as there used to be promo tours and CDs at MediaMarkt, TikTok will become an integral part of the industry in the future.