Audio88: somewhere between cynicism and chart success

Our Artist of the Month for June is a legend: Audio88, real name Florian Kerntopf, is a fixture in German hip hop. Born on 13 January 1983 in Leverkusen, he spent most of his youth in Cottbus before moving to Berlin. There he developed his unique style, which is characterised by sarcastic lyrics and unconventional rhyming schemes. He became known for guest contributions with artists such as Morlockk Dilemma, Hiob and Retrogott.

Musical development and discography

Audio88’s musical career began with the album “Bild und Ton” in 2005. Further solo albums followed, such as “Wer schweigt, gibt recht” (2007), “Die Erde ist eine Scheide” (2011) and “Der letzte Idiot” (2014). His album “Sternzeichen Hass” (2017) reached number 25 on the German charts.

In 2007, under the pseudonym EINERVONUNS, he released the album “Die Ruhe traut sich nur vor dem Sturm nach draußen” and the “Propaganda EP”.

In 2022, he released the album “Schwerer Verlauf”, which reached 12th place on the German charts. A year later “Schwererer Verlauf” followed, which made it to 6th place.

Collaboration with Yassin

Together with Yassin, Audio88 forms the duo Audio88 & Yassin. Their first joint album “Zwei Herrengedeck, bitte” was released in 2009. They achieved their breakthrough with “Normaler Samt” (2015), which  reached 22nd place on the German album charts. Other successful albums followed, like “Halleluja” (2016) and “Todesliste” (2021).

Current album and tour

In 2025 Audio88 released the solo album “Böse Wörter”. Together with Yassin, he announced a tour that will take place in November and December 2025 throughout Germany and Austria.

In summary – somewhere between cynicism and chart success

Over the years, Audio88 has established himself as a critical observer of society. He has made a long-term impression on the German hip hop scene with his unique style and his collaboration with Yassin. His current album and upcoming tour show that he continues to create relevant and provocative music.

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See more of Audio88 on Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
Once a month, recordJet has an Artist of the Month. The recordJet crew chooses an artist that has especially impressed us. Take a look at our AotM playlist – it is a playlist of all of our AotMs from past years up to today.