Born in ’82

Marteria and Casper made an album together called 1982. Both born the same year in Germany, different towns, different careers. Now they’re making something as a pair. First track is Champion Sound.

I know their work separately well enough to notice they don’t think about music the same way. Casper’s someone who pushes German hip-hop forward by working inside it—he evolves with the form without ever seeming to chase it. There’s something smart about his instincts. Marteria’s always been weirder. His whole career’s built on refusing to fit the shape that’s expected. He moves through these big ideas—what material stuff means, empathy, tolerance—filtered through his own history. Rostock, New York, the particular weight of being someone who came here as a refugee. His music carries that without ever being heavy about it.

The collaboration isn’t a vanity thing. Two guys who’ve clearly thought about music enough to have something genuine to work through together. Using their shared birth year as the whole frame is honest—a small detail that matters. That’s where Champion Sound is coming from.