Beogradski Sindikat (Serbian Cyrillic: Београдски Синдикат, English: Belgrade Syndicate) is a Serbian hip-hop collective from Belgrade, Serbia.[1] Beogradski Sindikat is one of the pioneers of the second wave of Serbian hip-hop.[2] The band is known for its socially critical lyrics, especially in relation to political corruption, propaganda and bad governance in Serbia and the Balkans. Other main themes are the idealization of friendly togetherness, a sense of belonging to the city of Belgrade, and patriotism towards Serbian culture and the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as the rejection of foreign political influence on Serbia.[3][4] Due to their critical nature, Milo Đukanović, the president of Montenegro, called the group's lyrics an insult to honor.[5]
History
It was formed on March 21, 1999, by uniting two underground hip-hop bands: Red Zmaja (Order of the Dragon) and TUMZ (Tehnika Upravljanja Mikrofonom i Znanjem)[6] together with solo artists MC Flex (Feđa) and Šef Sale. Prota and DJ IRon then joined the group in 2004 and 2006 respectively.
They have released three albums, the first one was highly acclaimed and marked the beginning of the second wave of Serbian hip hop.[7] They own their record label, Prohibicija.[8]
After a five-year break, Beogradski Sindikat was back in November 2015 with a new single, "BS Armija". Beogradski Sindikat will be releasing new songs in form of "singles" in the future. They will not release anymore songs in form of an "album" for now.[9] On Saturday 28. April and in 2012 they held a full house concert Belgrade arena which is also their biggest concert ever.[10][11] At last, Beogradski Sindikat released the album Sindikalno Proleće on the 12th June 2023.
Political and social commitment
They distinguished themselves as a very committed group, with sharp political views and a strong patriotic note in their songs. Feđa Dimović, one of the leaders of the Belgrade trade union, a lawyer by profession, sharply criticized the Brussels agreement.[12] They performed in prisons and detention centers throughout Serbia.[13] In its founding, the union criticizes NATO countries such as the United States and the European Union. The dissatisfaction with the separation of Kosovo from Serbia resonates strongly in their work.[14]
^Bilbija, Ksenija; Fair, Jo Ellen; Milton, Cynthia E.; Payne, Leigh A., eds. (2005). The Art of Truth-telling about Authoritarian Rule. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 55. ISBN9780299209049.
^Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn (2018). "Serbia". In Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn; Fonseca, Anthony J. (eds.). Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 633–635. ISBN9780313357596.
^Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn (2018). "Serbia". In Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn; Fonseca, Anthony J. (eds.). Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 633–635. ISBN9780313357596.
