Haftbefehl

Haftbefehl – born Aykut Anhan on 16 December 1985 in Offenbach am Main – is widely regarded as one of Germany's most influential rappers. The son of a Turkish mother from Giresun and a Zaza-Kurdish father from Tunceli, he grew up in a German-Turkish working-class environment that has shaped his music ever since. His stage name literally translates as "arrest warrant", a symbol of his outsider status within German society. He broke through in 2010 with his debut album *Azzlack Stereotyp*, which charted at number 59 in Germany. He founded his own label Azzlack before signing with Echte Musik. His second album *Kanackiş* (2012), featuring Jan Delay and Sido, cemented his reputation. The single *Chabos wissen wer der Babo ist* became his first official chart entry and embedded the word "Babo" (Romani for "boss") into German youth slang. *Russisch Roulette* (2014) turned him into a critical favourite, while *Das Schwarze Album* (2022), produced by Cologne-based Grimme Award winner Benjamin Bazzazian, is considered a milestone in German rap. His track "069" has surpassed 110 million Spotify streams. In 2025, Netflix released the documentary *Babo: The Haftbefehl Story*, co-produced by actor Elyas M'Barek.