Lakmann is speaking in Bochum today - and you get in for free
Short and painless for everyone, who don't have any plans this evening: The Ruhrban Festival of Golden Times starts today in Bochum's Ehrenfeld, and the program item, which is why I'm even typing this, is the talk about hip hop culture with Falk Schacht, Lakmann and Rubi in the Goldkante. No concert, no show, no fireworks — just three people, who have something to tell, and then the whole thing turns into a listening session.[^1]
And now this part, which many will miss: Today's festival day costs nothing. The complete program on 31.07. is freely accessible, without a ticket, just go there.[^2] By the way, so are the workshops on both days. You only need tickets for tomorrow, when the big Hip Hop BBQ takes place in the rotunda - plus two more sentences.
Why I pay more attention at a talk than at some concerts? Because the cast is in place. Lakmann is for the pot, what one can without exaggeration call an institution. Creutzfeldt & Jakob, Witten, in the game since the late 90s - whoever makes rap around here, At some point he couldn't get past this man, whether consciously or unconsciously. When he talks about the culture instead of rapping about it, this isn't a promo number, this is a first-hand history lesson.
Plus Falk Schacht, who has been writing about German hip hop for decades, talks and podcasts and brings with him a rare quality: He asks questions, because he is interested in the answers, not because he needs the next headline. And with Rubi there is another voice from the Bochum scene in the group. Three perspectives on the same culture - that's exactly how it should be.
What I generally enjoy about the format: It happens in the gold edge, not in some sterile conference room with name tags. The Ehrenfeld is having a neighborhood festival - Rotunda this weekend anyway, Gold edge, Zwanzik Store, Open Space and the trumpet, everything within walking distance. Today, in addition to the talk, there is a breaking workshop in the open space and a DJ workshop with Rubimental on the trumpet, plus a photo vernissage by Sabrina and Choko and the film “Ruhrbeat”, before the opening party in the Goldkante closes for the day.[^1] This is the kind of event, where you go in with a plan and leave with five new numbers in your cell phone. Whoever has someone for a feature, was looking for a cover or a mix: Tonight the people are all in the same shops. That's what I call structures, that the scene builds itself - nobody waits for a label, no one asks an algorithm for permission.
For the sake of completeness, because the question comes anyway: Morning, am 01.08., Then there's Lakmann with music instead of microphone talk. The Hip Hop BBQ in the Rotunda brings, among other things, Bring Da P (The P & MP Freshly), TaiMO & Danny111, Dexter and the Betty Ford Boys take the stage, dazu Streetfood, Beatcypher, BGirls & BBoys, Flea market and after-show party - and if you want to get creative yourself: The graffiti workshop and the producing workshop run tomorrow.[^3] You then need a ticket for the BBQ. But today? Today the path to Ehrenfeld is enough.
My conclusion in advance, without having seen the evening: When someone like Lakmann sits down and talks about three decades of Ruhrpott rap, while outside the next generation is warming up at the open mic, then that is worth more than any documentation. There's nothing like that on stream. There is only such a thing, when you go there.
See you in the Goldkante.
— Flex Barker
[^1]: Bochum Journal for the Ruhrban Festival Weekender: https://www.bochum-journal.de/2026/07/24/ruhrban-festival-weekender-im-sommer/ [^2]: program & Information about 31.07. (admission free) when going out: https://rausgegangen.de/en/events/ruhrban-hiphop-und-art-festival-2026-1/ [^3]: Tickets & Lineup fürs Hip Hop BBQ am 01.08. in the rotunda: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/hiphop-bbq-bring-da-p-taimo-lakmann-ruhrban-festival-by-goldene-zeiten-tickets-1991194135260