BACK TO TAPE | New chapter for successful ‘Back to Tape’ format

Porsche publishes travel and cultural guide on hip-hop in Europe

Stuttgart. Together with music journalist Niko Hüls, Porsche is presenting a new book: Hip-Hop Culture – A Road Trip through Europe. Part of the ‘Back to Tape’ content series, the 212-page travel and cultural guide is published as a Christophorus edition by Delius-Klasing-Verlag and sheds light on the development of the urban hip-hop youth culture in European cities. It features 17 artists from Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Spain and Denmark, all of whom have made a significant contribution to the development of the hip-hop culture over the past 25 years. The book is available online for 24.90 Euros and Porsche and Niko Hüls are to donate all the proceeds from sales to the non-profit organisation Viva con Agua.

“This book is an invitation to encounter European hip-hop culture with all its diversity in an open and positive way,” says Hüls, who is publisher of the hip-hop magazine Backspin. In 2018 and 2020, he went on a road trip with the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer in Germany and throughout Europe, delving deep into the creative scenes of cities such as Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Copenhagen and London. The integrated storytelling approach includes two film documentaries as well as specially tailored social media content on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Spotify. So far, the collaboration has won more than 20 prestigious communication and media awards. Now Porsche and Niko Hüls begin the next chapter.

The travel and cultural guide combines portraits of hip-hop stars such as Kool Savas (Berlin), Lord Esperanza (Paris), Edson Sabajo (Amsterdam), Falsalarma (Barcelona), Lars Pedersen (Copenhagen) and the Flying Steps (Berlin) with destinations that every hip-hop and road trip fan in Europe should visit. The book is enriched with interviews and stories about the influence of youth culture on European society, the German language, clothing styles and the constant development of rap and hip-hop as a counterpart to everyday racism and xenophobia. The book focuses on the connection with values such as respect, pioneering spirit and integration.

“Hip-hop and Porsche – at first glance, this may seem a surprising combination,” says Dr Sebastian Rudolph, Vice President Public Relations, Press, Sustainability and Politics at Porsche AG. “But this pairing stands for diversity and cultural values. With the Back to Tape project we share interesting insights into the European hip-hop
culture and the people behind it.”

Porsche and Hüls are donating all proceeds from sales of the book to Viva Con Agua. The non-profit organisation aims to give people around the world access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation. Supporting WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), Viva Con Agua has so far provided a better water supply in many countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Mozambique and South Africa.

Hip Hop Culture – A Road Trip through Europe can be ordered now for 24.90 Euros at www.back2tapebook.com.

Further information, film and photo material: newsroom.porsche.com/backtotape

Note: Niko Hüls and Porsche produced their European road trip before the outbreak of Covid-19.

Porsche, Backspin and the artists involved are aware of their social responsibilities and are advising against recreating such a trip until it is safe and travel is permitted.