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-Volkan, you ready? -Just fixing my hair.
To me, Apache is a born superstar.
He broke an unbelievable amount of records.
27 X GOLD, 7 X PLATINUM, 1 X DIAMOND MORE THAN 2 BILLION STREAMS
IN 2019 AND 2020, HIS HIT SONG "ROLLER" WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL GERMAN SONG
He is one of the few artists who is the full package.
He was able to unite genres and different target groups.
All together.
My mom listens to him. Former Eurodance fans would be like,
I wanna be your lover...
Nothing is better than someone who is successful
but still represents rap culture, and he does that well.
He took over the German rap scene in no time.
He sold out stadiums in a few minutes as a newcomer.
What else is there to say?
HIS STADIUM TOUR IN GERMANY WAS SOLD OUT IN 16 MINUTES.
IT HAD TO BE POSTPONED TWICE.
There's something there.
Where?
Did you cut it yourself?
-Can you tell? -No, not at all. Looks good.
Let's get going.
ONE HOUR LEFT UNTIL HIS FIRST SOLO SHOW
What's there to say? It's finally time.
Tonight, I'm playing my first solo show. Live.
Boys, fun's over. It's about to get real.
In front of thousands.
And this is on my 24th birthday.
Boys, it will be fine.
I know the gold, platinum and diamond records won't help me up there.
Not even the 2 billion streams.
If you don't perform well for your fans, all can be over quickly.
That's just how it is.
What's the Lambo doing here?
What motherfucker comes to the festival in a Lambo?
We did something wrong.
And yeah, tonight is the night.
In front of my own audience.
I am doing great, brother.
Alone for the first time.
I'm ready.
This is what we dreamed of, brother. We dreamed of this.
Apache!
APACHE STAYS APACHE
Yeah, so why a documentary about me?
I'd say this is the most extreme period of my life.
All of the success and expectations are now at their peak.
When you rise this quickly in such a short time,
nothing remains normal.
Apache
For three years, it's been like a non-stop high.
I still don't fully understand what happened.
It was like being in a tunnel. That's why I kept quiet.
I didn't feel like I could say anything that would help people.
My aim for this documentary is to pass something on to people.
What I experienced over the last three years was crazy.
Right now, this is my first interview.
Yeah.
FIVE MONTHS LEFT UNTIL THE FIRST SOLO SHOW
Are they darker already?
They are.
Whoa, they're dark. They were clear a second ago.
Hiding my eyes wasn't an artistic idea.
It just happened that way.
I'll check it out in the bathroom.
It wasn't meant to be a costume or anything. That's just me.
Wow...
That looks awesome.
The color is sick.
I am so happy right now.
Cool to look through.
Have a look!
I didn't grow my hair because of my music.
I've had long hair for 10 years.
Pretty cool.
We didn't have to think about my stage name Apache.
Totally cool.
It was my nickname. My mom called me that.
Totally sick.
Same with the glasses.
I just feel better with sunglasses.
The eyes are windows to your soul.
And I want to be able to decide what parts of my soul people get to see.
That's it.
Volkan has always been an extraordinary guy.
Sometimes, I criticized that.
I'd say "Let's keep it simple, normal."
THEODOR-HEUSS HIGH SCHOOL
That's Apache!
His clothing style was unusual.
I've asked myself how he would ever do a nine to five job one day.
I asked myself that.
-Can I hug you, Ms. Pfaff? -So nice to see you.
Did you get even taller?
-Not at all. -Fatter.
We went to the same school since fifth grade.
Volkan was always good at learning.
He had a backpack for school.
But the backpack was empty.
There was maybe a notepad and a pen, if at all.
I also got through school just fine,
without having to try too hard.
I think that's why we got on, because we had the same mindset.
Hello. How are you doing?
Hello. So many familiar faces.
-Hello. -Do you remember me?
Of course, I don't know how to act now.
So much authority in one place.
-We wanted to say hello. -So nice.
That's sweet.
The teachers always thought Volkan was a nice guy.
At times, we skipped school a lot, but when it mattered, we delivered.
I think that's why the teachers forgave him.
I taught you music, then you chose art.
Everyone asks, "How did he do in music lessons?"
I did art not because I didn't like music.
I heard art was more chill.
-Yeah, it's okay. -I just wanted to pass.
In the end, it all worked out.
Yeah, all good.
As a rapper, they want you to say
that they always bullied you and stuff in school.
But I couldn't tell such a made-up story.
Yes.
But it's nice to be here again.
A lot of stuff that reminds me of the old days.
So nice.
Johannes is, above all, my best friend.
A lot has changed, but Johannes has remained my best friend.
That says a lot about him.
I only have good memories.
JESSICA PFAFF TEACHER
They never attracted negative attention.
-Quite the opposite! -Well said.
-Yes. -But that's important.
Because as she said, we were at an age where you find yourself at a crossroads.
Either you take the straight path and do something proper,
or you drift off course.
In the neighborhood where we're from and grew up in,
everyone tends to take what they think is a shortcut.
Or the wrong way.
And the fact that we often came to school dressed in tracksuits
but were not confronted with prejudices
and weren't bullied...
We don't have that typical story.
We were supported. I am happy about that.
And you performed at your prom.
It was probably the last free concert.
The students and teachers did not know it then.
But he sang during prom.
When I heard it, I thought, "Wow, that sounds really professional."
'Cause all of me
loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you...
I knew I wouldn't embarrass myself on stage.
But when I saw what it really did to people,
it just filled me with energy.
And I think it definitely affected me subconsciously.
It fueled my hunger and ambition
to make it.
When I began to write,
I only wrote rap lyrics initially.
My friends thought it was awesome.
My brother said, "Not bad, but I wouldn't perform it publicly."
I wasn't enthusiastic at the start,
like, "Yes, let's do this."
I had different thoughts than the others.
I thought the risk of failure was big,
and to carry the whole burden of providing for the family alone
would be too much.
FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA POST
They say they like me...
I knew I could sing.
I knew I could write.
I wanted to connect those dots
to write song lyrics.
And to use the rap parts with purpose.
Whatever Apache raps they find incredible...
Then I performed it for my brother, and he was like,
"Okay, this has huge potential."
That's when we started to brainstorm.
"How are we going to finance this?
"How do we plan this? How do we launch and on which channels?"
Apache 207, video shoot.
Apache is a gang and I am a member.
For our first video,
we spent about 130 euros at IKEA.
We chose IKEA, because it's easy to return stuff there.
So, where are we going?
-Returning deposit bottles. -Why?
Scraping together the last euros for the video.
We all emptied our trunks and got stuff from basements.
I think Volkan was in a comfortable situation.
People took days off regularly, sacrificed holidays.
The tables are set up. I did everything. Beautiful.
With a lot of hard work and help from friends
and a strong will, we made up for the low budget.
Making the video was an important element. We all worked on it.
It cost about 400 euros in total.
Or maybe 350 euros for the first music video.
Once we decided to launch this career,
we took it seriously.
We wanted to rise to the top from the start.
Bro, Jonas just called me. His memory card is blown.
All clips for Famous are gone.
We have to reshoot in one day.
We'll do it in my area. Ghetto, one-take style.
Apache is the gang and my chain is gold, Apache
The wasted guy who voms into the crowd, Apache
And still he rocks the stage in the end, Apache
They call him the new David Hasselhoff, Apache...
Back then, we had momentum,
and the song immediately took off.
And Volkan managed
to get 2,000 clicks on YouTube on the first day.
After two weeks, I think, we got to 19,000.
And then very quickly, the video
had been viewed 500,000 times.
Goes without saying that he doesn't leave his hood
For a bit more cash in his leather pouch...
People took note that there is a new artist.
He had 500K views, long hair, wears sunglasses. Crazy guy.
Apache!
Apache
Never heard anything like it.
It's rap, sounds a bit like Falco,
a bit like '80s German New Wave. I don't know.
Eurodance and stuff. But it's fresh as fuck!
A 6'5'' German-Turkish dude with long hair who calls himself Apache.
Our first hit...
I think everyone would say it was Roller.
But I wouldn't underestimate the groundwork that Kein Problem
and Brot nach Hause have laid.
Worst...
They paved the way for Roller to take off like that.
You bastard, you blowhard
You are a lot, but not a man
Apache, the gangster
Who dances now and then
You bitches, you whores You want stress, but don't know Mannheim
Walking alone with my girl in the city, I worked for this status
I don't care what you're up to You glare, your story bores me...
The feeling you get from him
is a certain charisma.
LOREDANA RAPPER
He was going to be a huge star.
And Mom, if I am not home again
Please don't cry, I earn our bread
I earn our bread...
His song Brot nach Hause, I just played it to death.
That was the first song, which I really...
just blasted at home all the time.
Feels like everyone's into it, not just hip-hop fans.
Please don't cry, I earn our bread...
There was a time when I was in a club in Berlin,
everyone sang along to it at this place with such feeling.
I had never seen this in a club before.
In that intense moment, I realized that this is huge.
We started to play with clichés
and created a different vibe and themes.
Drive through my city
I don't give a fuck, 200 km/h
For all that I say...
He was the first to have the courage
to perform music with visuals and sounds
that may be seen as ridiculous
by the German hip-hop scene.
But he totally pulled that off.
You need confidence for that. That was so hard.
He is no clown rapper. He doesn't do comedy.
He is fucking serious. I revel in that.
His most successful songs were always up-tempo.
These had '80s elements,
where he uses his voice.
That got him played in living rooms.
I wouldn't say he is a rapper or a singer.
He is an artist. Don't pigeonhole him.
Volkan writes most of the video scripts himself.
Not many people are that creative to have these ideas.
Why are you doing this to yourself?
You say you can cope, but for how long?
He was super fresh and surprising.
It was highly interesting...
The moment we realized that this could be huge
was when we were in the studio with him.
At this early stage,
it was impressive to see
that he knew what he wanted.
He also knew
what worked and how to work towards it.
He had a good feeling for that.
FOUR MONTHS UNTIL THE FIRST SOLO SHOW
FEDER HOLDING LLC
Gucci belt.
There it is.
Dude, what?
Seriously?
This thing costs 140 euros.
It's just a black shirt.
Come on.
We'll discuss this later after the shoot, my friend.
We just borrowed it. It's fine.
Bro, you know one of my managers is Swabian.
You can't do that.
We had 10 number one hits,
seven of them in a row.
If I'm not wrong, I think it only happened once in the '70s or '80s.
I used to get goosebumps when I saw someone else's gold records.
Now, I wonder if we got 14, 15 or 16.
Volkan won the German Music Authors' Prize twice already.
It doesn't look bad for his third year, either.
GEMA wanted to have a photo of us celebrating.
So I sent them a picture where I...
hold them like that.
And had a photo taken like this.
If I get a third one, I'll hang it down here.
We won it with Roller, two years in a row.
It was a hit for two years in a row.
It wasn't for two different songs.
Why is my head fucked? My head bursts
Gucci sandals, I wear them out of spite
Yet, still they copy me I can't believe it
Dear God, thank you for protecting me when I ride my scooter
When I ride...
I came back after a break, and the loop was set.
Coincidentally, it was repeating the line, "Apache stays Apache."
And then I knew. "Okay, this is it."
That is the moment.
Apache stays Apache
Apache stays Apache...
When we reached number 1 the first time,
we still shared a room with friends.
A room which was actually a single.
Top of the charts!
I feel so stupid talking about the past
like some rock star looking back on his career 30 years later.
But it wasn't that long ago.
You can't go any higher than where he was.
I think that was the peak of German rap.
it's the coolest you can ever be.
All of us artists want that.
To be up there, to reach that peak.
But to stay there?
I don't know how you do that.
I don't know if it is possible to reach a bigger audience in Germany
with the language of my music.
I think most people will have
somehow heard my music.
Those that get it, get it.
You can't force it
just for the sake of repeating past success.
I don't want to be super pessimistic.
But to think that there is still more room for growth...
would be wrong, I think.
Work continues. He didn't try to just remake Roller.
He has high standards.
So he said, "This worked, but I want to evolve.
"At best, I can repeat the success,
"but with a different sound."
He is one of the most successful artists in Germany.
Of course, you want to maintain the level of success.
That's not possible though. Nobody can do that.
There's fear that it could all be over tomorrow.
And it could happen.
If you achieve so much in such a short time,
nothing stays normal.
It's so... unreal, I can't put it into words.
When the first rays come through the window in the morning
And tickle your nose while you sleep, you sneeze...
I know that I've peaked professionally.
Financially, I also achieved all I dreamt of when I was a kid.
Hey, what's up?
I find happiness in remembering where I come from. What my mom taught me.
I try to capture that in my lyrics.
I sing in the chorus of Fame,
"Mom, look, your son made it. You became a millionaire overnight."
That's the most beautiful line.
Hey, what's up?
Mom, look, your son made it
You became a millionaire overnight...
You get what that means.
What's mine is yours now, like how yours was mine back then.
I get goosebumps every time I perform that.
When my mom is nearby and hiding in the crowd.
That's quite the moment.
Mom.
Thank you for everything.
You were there.
You supported us without a father.
You've always supported us. Thank you.
I am grateful that our mother showed us that you get nothing for free.
She let us have our freedom.
Up to a point, of course.
And she showed us a lot of love.
Yeah.
THREE MONTHS UNTIL THE FIRST SOLO SHOW
We were born in Mannheim.
We moved to Ludwigshafen when we started school.
In Gartenstadt, on the street Abteistrasse.
If you were to call something a ghetto, then I would call this a ghetto.
It's a dump.
Made clear by the fact that no family
of German descent lived there for generations.
We were the first from there to pass the university entrance exam.
It's that kind of neighborhood.
Asking me now to look back, I would have to say we were really poor.
Really, really poor.
The kind of poor where you'd go to McDonald's
to take advantage of the free refill
and get a Coke by taking a used cup from a tray.
I don't want to tell an exaggerated sob story here.
It's just to give an example.
I'd say that we had a hard childhood.
Nothing out of the ordinary, though.
I think many people grow up like this, but it was a difficult childhood.
From a family, financial or social environment point of view.
And also just how we lived.
I remember this being much bigger.
-Yes. -What's this, man?
It's 4 square meters, tops.
Oh, man.
It's not that long ago that we lived here.
But it feels like an eternity.
It makes you realize how much life has changed.
I worried about my little brother.
People we knew were in prison.
And drug use was all around us.
It was everywhere.
You are confronted every day by it and all it would take is a yes or no.
This was our room.
Yes.
How long? Twenty years?
Nineteen or 20.
Yeah, 19 years.
We were always close.
I often slept half the night in my brother's bed.
We wallpapered it ourselves.
Remember that?
We always had long chats at night.
Very long.
And we'd discuss intense things.
Often we had to say,
"I promise this is the last sentence, then we stop."
Here was the desk for two where you never worked.
We had this desk that went from one end to the other.
With two chairs.
Just in case we both had to do homework at the same time.
But I never did homework.
And besides that,
I hardly did anything for school, at least not here.
I spent a lot of time there.
Hakan was like a father to me.
He is a total role model.
Unbelievable.
He has a heart of gold, and he was like a father.
Volkan calling me a role model makes me want to live up to that.
It's also because we had a mother
who sacrificed everything for us for years.
We wanted to show our gratitude.
Now you got me.
The janitor used to live here.
We used to jump down the stairs and she'd complain about it.
With a one-of-a-kind Italian accent.
A woman with a lot of class.
-Down here, I cut hair. -A lot of hair.
I cut a lot of hair.
What's up, friends?
Today, you are the lucky one.
After my very long break, you get a haircut from me.
Let's go.
Want me to shave a dragon outline?
Or a Nike logo?
That would be cool.
It was crazy. Fridays and Saturdays were the busiest.
Until late at night.
Cutting hair under flickering lights.
That was my life.
What's up, bro? Are you up next?
I used to hate cutting your hair.
Bro, I just fucked with you.
I'm so triggered right now.
He used to fuck with my head a lot. He cares so much about his hair.
Unbelievable, bro.
How is it? Still got your A7?
-Yes, bro. -Cool.
I just got a garage around here.
-Killer! Here? -Yes, bro, here.
They are tearing it all down, right?
Yeah, I need to get out of here.
I think I'm the last one to leave.
-Gotta go. -Bye, bro.
-See you, bro. -Take care.
Bye.
It feels like years ago.
Johannes was always here.
-True. -Always.
I always came after school with Volkan.
And I'd just sit here the whole day.
True.
Looks great.
At the start, he still cut hair.
We did it for a limited circle.
At some point, that ended.
It didn't work anymore.
There are always downsides.
We were a part of this neighborhood,
40 to 50 teens, playing soccer together.
We boxed and fought each other,
made up again.
We ate together, returned deposit bottles together,
bought candy and other stuff at the supermarket.
And then you grow up and you no longer do that
or don't have to.
I...
I just miss my youth.
It's the thing you miss most.
And that's the thing.
If we had at least known...
No matter how awesome it is now,
or how much you'd say we got lucky, which is problematic too.
Many people will say
that you should be happy with what you have,
because others have it worse.
It's super problematic to compare your luck
with the bad luck of others.
To hinge it on that. It's the dumbest thing ever.
When you are on the road,
you're basically a homeless rich man,
living in clean, slick hotel rooms.
It's an empty bubble. There is no life in it.
This... This has life.
Memories everywhere.
Yes.
I can say that I now have what I have always wanted.
But it also comes with some melancholy,
and I think that my life back then was nicer.
-Bro, are you coming? -No, I'll stay.
I'm gonna sleep here today. I can't let go.
It's hard.
As I said, there are some emotional moments
where you think it would be cool to have the old life back.
But you can't just push a button to go back.
And if it was like back then, I would miss this life now.
That's the thing.
Bro, I was out with a girl for dinner.
She had a Swabian accent. I was so turned on.
-Turned on? -Yes.
-No way! -And she looked great!
She looked great.
And had this hardcore Swabian accent. What a turn on.
So I was like, "I might throw a party this weekend."
And then, the day before it'd happen, she asks,
"What about the party?"
I said, "What?" "You said tomorrow's the party."
"Tomorrow's the party"? No way.
-I swear, bro. -No way.
The first thing I heard from him
was a song someone sent me on WhatsApp.
It took me about
30 seconds to a minute to know
that I want to sign this guy.
I wrote to Lucas immediately.
He was surprised, too.
He had never seen me react this way before.
Those boys had balls. I had gone in and said,
"Hi, I'm Lucas.
"I have a label at Sony with Bausa.
"I manage Bausa, KMN, Loredana and Reezy.
"What's up?
"Let's talk, send me songs."
And he was like, "No, but we can come over."
"We don't know you. We're not sending you a demo."
He said, "I didn't mean it like that."
Lucas is a good teacher.
Lucas came to me and said,
"There's this new guy. Everybody wants to sign him.
"I absolutely want him.
"But I don't know if we can compete,
"from a financial point of view."
I think the boys always wanted to know who they were working with.
It was clear that they valued having good relationships.
I think we got along well right away.
And I think that's why he decided
to work with us.
But yeah, no songs were sent.
Two Sides took care of the financial resources.
There wasn't much in the beginning,
because it was a newcomer contract.
But we didn't just focus on the money.
The huge trust Lucas and Two Sides put in us was very important.
It's impressive when somebody like Volkan,
who comes from nothing,
doesn't reach for the quick buck,
but holds on to his vision and sticks with it.
For us, it was like finding a Ronaldo or a Messi.
Bro, I heard this song you did, Frühling.
What a sick song you made there. So cool.
It's not 20 years, but you have been in the game much longer than me.
To still have so much ambition after all these years
and write such a song, that's cool.
I gotta tell you, it's more like it came back.
Yeah?
I think you are in a phase right now
where the pressure to succeed
taints everything a bit.
You guys worked really hard.
That's...
hard to understand for outsiders.
How hard that is and how much energy it takes.
But it will pass.
So the crew's been listening to us?
-Yeah. -I talk about whores and coke now?
-Can they cut that out? -We can cut that.
Apache!
We are both perfectionists.
We work hard to get the best possible song.
Very meticulous, in love with details.
We're ready to keep going until it's perfect.
We needed three attempts for Madonna,
a song on my album.
Like I said, we were not happy with it.
And then, we had this Madonna session.
And it happened like a bang. Magic was in the room.
At the end of a very long night, the song was done.
This song was reasonably successful.
It was the most successful German song this year.
The coolest video, too.
So, this situation with the double,
who does a backflip from the edge.
Right before that happens, Apache comes to me and says,
"Hey, how about this?
"We do a cutaway and suddenly I'm in the audience."
This idea just came to him during the shoot.
And it made the video even better. Hysterical.
I think my colleagues at Sony and our team
are proud to say...
"He's with us."
Is there something?
My first memory of Apache
is actually an Instagram post.
At the same time, Lucas Teuchner
also sent me his music.
He wanted to know my thoughts.
Lamborghini.
It is an insane car.
I thought it was extraordinary.
At first, I thought it would change everything.
-What's up? Good to see you. -What's up?
Then I had some doubts.
I thought it might overwhelm people.
Both musically and aesthetically.
For Patrick,
it's important he only shows up in his BMW i3.
And that should actually be cut in.
What's more important than the motorbikes
is that we've sat together on this floor here.
And talked about upcoming projects.
This place is kind of a refuge.
It's important to acknowledge that
he is under a lot of pressure.
Contract-related pressure.
It's about achieving certain goals.
Of course, we all want financial success.
MAJORCA SPAIN
Not every music session is the same.
Even if the surroundings are perfect.
You got a great producer with you,
you are in a mansion and you are abroad.
But something seems off.
Everything seems difficult. Every word and sentence.
Tell me, can't you count, whore?
You compare yourself to me
Your legacy, 300 songs
Apache...
We will get that last line.
It was good up till then.
It's a mistake to compensate for a lack of creativity
with alcohol.
This has happened to me a few times.
It always ended badly.
My legacy isn't even 40 songs...
Loop those three lines and I'll get the right flow.
The poor producer has to deal with it.
When you slur into the mic.
Tell me, can't you count, whore?
You think you're on my level
You compare yourself to me
Your legacy, 500 songs
We both have one billion streams
Apache
Bro.
Bro, you're done now. Go to bed.
Lots to do tomorrow.
I'll be honest.
The way they expect us to release so quickly...
I've run out of things to say.
I need one more song, but I've got nothing.
And you know, every time
you make real music,
you feel like you're cutting off a part of yourself.
You give some of you away.
You give up a part, but how many have you got?
I don't know, but I do know
that in three or four years or so,
I won't do week-long sessions.
And smoke one or two packs of cigarettes a day.
I don't want to cut off my foot because of smoking or something.
We negotiated hard for one album a year,
and we can't deliver less than that.
If I had known it was like this,
I would have thought twice about it.
100%.
I would have done it, but I would have thought about it.
I wouldn't have thought, "How cool is that?"
-Yeah. -I mean, it's cool, for sure.
But also so hard. So hard.
Tricky.
The music business is you entering a shark tank as a seal.
You either get eaten or you become a shark.
There is no other way.
Everyone wants a piece of you.
They say, "This is standard, sign here.
"Those fees and wages are standard."
Then you sign three to four contracts and you're stuck for four to five years.
At the top, it's only about numbers.
You need a good lawyer and a good team.
Apache's got that, you know.
That's why, for me, this is the bright side of it all.
Johannes is just as important to Apache and Volkan,
as a private person, as I am.
He is equally emotionally invested in him.
It's impressive how much
we've already experienced by this time.
And how close we have become.
I'm proud of how we've managed that.
Combining friendship and business.
I'm usually the resolute one,
and Johannes is the one who can have long negotiations
without losing his cool.
The first test of friendship
is when you're teens just out of school,
and you're about to start your adult lives.
That's when most friendships break apart.
It's a hard time for many friendships.
That's funny because you just reminded me.
We've said that years in the music business are like dog years.
One year in the music business ages you seven years.
If you look at Johannes four years ago, it looks like 15 years ago.
The same for Volkan.
The best thing that can happen to you as an artist
is having a brother who's a good manager.
In cases where your brother is a shitty manager,
he's only doing it because he's your brother.
For Apache, his best friend
and his brother developed great manager skills.
At the start of our career, we sat down to discuss who earns what.
Johannes and I didn't say that we were doing the management.
We didn't know what we were doing. We didn't call ourselves managers.
It was just clear to us that we'd give it our all.
They did things back when we had no guarantee of success.
They showed me that they are really on board.
There are many shady guys in German rap.
Our strategy was to avoid the gangster stuff,
and to make sure that we don't owe anyone.
Even if we could have used them,
we did not accept favors.
Very smart, what Volkan and Hakan did, and I can only recommend
the same to any rapper who wants to be successful.
Do not accept favors.
I know from other rappers how difficult it can be,
when someone does you a favor and think they own you.
As you slowly become a star,
offers come in to lend you money, locations, cars.
They want to treat you to expensive meals.
Some people don't understand that.
And I get why they don't understand.
"Hey, he's a friend of mine."
Yeah, bro. I know.
And that's going to be the problem.
It's the same with actual companies.
Don't accept presents.
Even with big companies, no more than 40 euros a year.
I used to work in compliance.
If you take a Ferrari that has a daily hire value of 3,000 euros a day,
of course, they'll come knocking later.
TWO MONTHS UNTIL THE SOLO SHOW CONCEPT PLANNING VIDEO SERIES 2SAD2DISCO
On July 31, 2020, Treppenhaus was released.
That was my last album. And now, 2sad2disco.
This album is huge for me.
It has a different style. It's a bit more melancholic.
You have to really immerse yourself to get some of the songs.
The videos have to reflect that.
No zeitgeist lasts forever.
No trend lasts forever.
I think he knows that.
We hear, see and feel that he knows it.
Because he changes the zeitgeist.
Of course, it's important that the album is successful.
But in the way that I define success.
I don't care if it becomes a sales hit.
I don't pressure myself.
I won't chase success for the album.
People will either think it's brilliant or shit.
RHINELAND-PALATINATE
No!
I hope you like it.
Huey, Dewey and Louie. What's up?
They ate too many worms.
Volkan can do all he wants here.
It's a place of refuge for musicians.
It's a little out of the way, not in a city.
So, he has his peace here.
We shot so many videos here.
We actually shot Angst here.
Many people say that he didn't jump in there.
MEHMET BULUT SOUND TECHNICIAN - ROCK'N'RENT
He was in there, with his head under.
We all laughed. He didn't.
It is cold out here
Full of violence
I don't want you to be scared for me, baby...
He is no diva.
Unlike my expectations of rappers,
I always thought heavy metal types
are the tough guys.
He is a metal head at heart.
My brother-in-law called
and said that he knows a rapper who's looking for a studio.
Volkan immediately sang something.
And I remember thinking,
"Fuck me. What a great voice."
This is the sacred rehearsal hall.
Not super sacred,
but relatively sacred to me.
One day, they asked me if I wanted to be their sound guy.
Since then, it's more than just work. It's friendship.
We rehearse here. We are often here.
When we have some ideas, we come in here and rehearse.
We try to give Volkan
a sense of safety.
COVID is continuing to spread in Germany.
The government has banned large events of more than 5,000 people.
News of cancellations of major events reach us every day.
Mannheim artist Apache 207 had to cancel his sold-out tour.
I'm on the road again
Have to shine
But when you call me, I'm here When you look for me
Call me and I come to you...
Without having toured before, we managed
to sell out an arena tour within minutes.
It's a big show of trust by the fans.
We will do everything to meet their expectations.
After two years of selling tickets and having to cancel the shows,
which is super annoying for the fans
and especially for him as an artist.
Fans are everything.
That's why these pandemic years were so hard.
Almost no interaction with the fans.
The recognition of your art is missing in real life.
Not just digital.
Not just online comments.
They are nice to read,
but every artist would agree,
nothing is better than playing live.
I'm on my way
Alone
And everything I want...
He's a huge success and he's never toured.
Wait, my mom does this.
Exactly like that.
At least we can play this show in Switzerland.
In front of thousands of fans.
It will be crazy, especially after all this time.
Apache is live, you know?
He will go crazy live.
We can expect a big bang.
Okay, I understand. Bye.
They want cheesecake all of a sudden.
Not tiramisu?
Do you want a massage?
Yes, bring it.
It even massages my ass.
Crazy.
You got the shopping list?
There are two sides to fame.
You can't really go out in public by yourself.
You are known in public. You can't just go to Aldi.
Or buy milk to make cake or go to the cinema.
There is always a crowd following you.
I grew up with Volkan.
We had great times in the basement in Ludwigshafen.
Hey, Tuna, I'll read it out.
"Burger buns, pepper, eggs, garlic."
Neither of us are here because we applied to be in this position.
We're here because he trusts us.
Musti is a great example of what it's like to work with friends.
I'd go easy on him sometimes, but other times I'd be too strict.
He's a bit like my little brother.
-Yo. -Yo, bro.
I'm just getting the buns, do you want sesame on top?
Get the American style ones.
-Do you know what I mean? -American style.
Okay, got them.
-Okay. Bye. -Okay.
It's not really a job for us.
We get along really well. We laugh.
-We hang out. -Yeah, you're right.
Why do I have the list and the cart?
Chill, bro.
Do I look pretty?
We'll take it.
My bad, sorry.
Referee! Substitution!
Sure, it's an aspect of what you give up for this kind of career.
You can't do normal things anymore.
It might seem to the audience like it's just...
"Oh, poor thing. He can't go shopping."
But it's more a problem of spontaneity.
It's a problem to just want to leave the house.
It's a bigger problem than you think.
Every day, someone wants a photo with you.
The photo itself is not the problem.
It's your mood.
Sometimes you are sad, sometimes you look like shit, bro.
And you just don't want to.
It was a big mental burden for me.
Definitely. I really couldn't deal with it.
And I often thought
about giving up.
You are the best.
I'm a long-time fan.
-Really. -Thank you.
-Another one? -Us three.
I have...
No idea if I should say this.
I've had a wig and cool glasses for the past year.
It works pretty well, I gotta say.
I heard it from a manager in the film business,
who was in Berlin with Sharon Stone.
"She just wears a wig and goes out to party."
And I was like, "Really?"
I tried it and that shit works.
Sometimes, it works. When it doesn't, it's embarrassing.
You stand there disguised.
I was once in the petting zoo.
I was disguised and thought, "What do I have to do?"
Instead of wide trousers, I wore tight ones.
Instead of pulling them up, I pulled them down.
I wore all this stuff.
And I wore a cap to hide my bun.
Nevertheless, a kid recognized me.
"You're Apache."
"No, I'm not Apache." And I had a mask on.
"No, my mom said you're Apache."
"Kid, please just go away."
Okay, I have to find the right music.
Many see the materialistic stuff from the outside.
They think all of that is cool and great.
They see what they want to see.
It's clear that fame comes with disadvantages.
Of course, you try to make up for what you've lost
in your private life.
If I am sitting in a cage, then it better be gold.
Fucking gold.
I can't share everything we went through in the last two years.
It's like there's a fucking door.
I open it, and it's another world.
You won't experience it twice. Not even with money.
You only experience it if you are successful with music.
Shit, man.
Cool brothers!
There are so many girls who think I'm a great artist.
And when we're together, they say,
"I thought we'd get a dog,
"have three kids and move into a house
"with a small garden.
"And you'll only go to the office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m."
I'm not into that.
If I meet someone, I want
to meet someone independent who does not need that.
SIX WEEKS UNTIL THE FIRST SOLO SHOW
We're almost there, baby. Are you at Two Sides?
What do you want to drink?
-Two Sides! -See you soon.
I want to show off a bit in the city.
What's up? Good to see you.
-So happy you are here. -So cool.
The boys did something.
You just have to listen.
Okay, show me.
I'm so rude, I didn't even let you guys get settled first.
When I work with Volkan, there are such magic moments.
That's why I love working with him.
The day before,
I'd prepared a song and a beat with Koda.
We had some ideas and I showed it to Volkan.
He heard it and was like, "That's cool."
I was like, okay, I expected a bit more as a first reaction.
We'll have to see, dude.
Just chill now, bro.
Let's have a smoke.
Have some vodka.
My crew is gangster.
When he's in Berlin, we do sessions together.
I often stay until the end, till 5 or 6 a.m.
We start the Jägermeister machine in the office.
And then, let's go.
Your weapon.
Most of the time, we just try out stuff.
He sings melodies and we listen back.
And we think about what could be the verse melody
and what could be the pre-hook and the hook melody.
Yeah!
Sounds good.
Gives me the chills.
-Done? -Yes.
He has a different approach from others.
I play him a beat.
And either something appeals to him within a few seconds,
or it doesn't.
He goes, "That's cool. No, not that one, no way."
He's always been straightforward.
-He always knew what he wanted. -Right.
-Classic. -That's a classic.
-"At the end of the road"? -There's a hit like that.
The magic happened again. Nice, dude.
He writes easily and is one of the few who writes himself.
He has a very unique writing style.
He always somehow manages to fit the words to the melodies.
I always wonder how he did that.
So tricky sometimes, how is that possible?
That really surprised me about him.
Baby, you wanna be with me
-Yeah. -Right!
Baby, you wanna be with me
But believe me, it can't be
What you don't know
At the end of the road I'll be breaking your heart...
-We got it! -Yeah!
What you do not know
At the end of the road I'll be breaking your heart
-Nice. -Yeah!
We need VFX. Devil's horns on him.
Lucas the devil.
Yes, you want it but I'm not what you need
-Good. -One more time.
Yes, you want it but I'm not what you need
I told you so.
You can use driving as a metaphor for your life.
You can shoot a video in a race car.
I'm overwhelmed.
Shit, I did not expect that.
What do we do now?
It's not for 2sad2disco.
I know Lucas wants that, but we are done with 2sad2disco.
It's done, bro.
Bro, I believe! I believe!
It happened again.
It's cool.
Bro, this is going to be sick.
I need a beer, bro
The coolest thing is that we're a community.
If someone asked me,
"What was the best moment you experienced together?"
I wouldn't say, "When we played soccer."
Because we'd always play, and it's always great.
We have a great baseline,
and the rest is just the icing on top.
Now, the fun starts.
Volkan, here.
Being Apache has something to do with who I am,
but I wouldn't have made it
without the people I'm surrounded by.
That's why I say "we" became stars.
The benefit of working with friends is obvious.
You just have more fun.
It's a big part of our success,
that we're so close to each other.
Today, some girls are here...
Promise, tomorrow I'll work out
You're all musicians, yes!
Cool brothers!
FIVE WEEKS UNTIL SOLO SHOW VIDEO SHOOT FOR 2SAD2DISCO
KYIV UKRAINE
We are shooting six videos in Kyiv
for the new album 2sad2disco.
Music videos are almost as important as the music.
I really give my all for these videos.
We wanted the videos to be kind of like musicals.
So we contacted some choreographers.
And they managed to turn my dancing into something that you can look at.
Lucas, can you take my watch, bro?
It's going to be intense.
Better put them on.
He's not afraid to leave his comfort zone
and doesn't rest on his laurels.
CHOREOGRAPHERS
"I'm not staying where I am, I'll try something new."
Bro, respect.
You did it.
Well done.
Two weeks ago, I couldn't tie my shoes.
And now this!
Here you go.
Take a look at that car, dude.
It's my dream car, bro.
I sat down and wrote most of the storyboard myself
without camera directions.
Have a look. I can't draw at all.
This is the video. Here is the Lambo.
The suitcase is thrown in the trunk.
Then they drive around. That's cool.
It's the constant creation of something big.
It always starts really small.
It's super satisfying.
It makes you super happy.
Too sad to disco
Where are you?
Too, too sad...
You have to stand behind your music as an artist.
For me, the end of 2sad2disco
is also the end of a part of my life.
Hello.
We have to wake Volkan.
Bro. Gotta...
Gotta be on set in 20 minutes.
They're shooting the dog scene.
Fine, then.
Can't we just cancel it and go into a white room?
Just put a flashy car in there?
Get one or two models...
And they just dance a bit.
It could be awesome.
We're at an intense period of time right now
because the expectations are huge.
This is the point where the wheat is separated from the chaff.
When you see whether you can find your place as an established artist,
or if you've just been a momentary hype
that's fading out.
When you're a diamond artist
with two successful albums, you want to keep that up.
For someone with Apache's success,
expectations for a new album are huge.
They're through the roof.
SHORTLY BEFORE THE VIDEO PREMIERE OF 2SAD2DISCO
RHINELAND-PALATINATE
Sad, sad to disco
This bit's off.
-What do you mean? -It's out of sync.
I can tell it's out of sync. Also in another part.
-Ouch. -How can that happen on release day?
Ouch. Let me see.
It's out of sync. A million percent.
The video is just wrong.
It's out of sync by one second.
Audio and video.
-Fuck. -Horror. Horror.
Man, I thought these times were over.
Last minute upload.
It's worse than ever.
When we say it's wrong, we're not being stupid.
You come at us with such confidence that it's the same or whatever.
Look, I was in Berlin to edit this video.
I signed that video off, and that's not the video I just saw.
Something is off. One million percent.
I don't know how it was yesterday.
For yesterday's version,
I didn't focus on the beat.
I focused on the color grading yesterday.
I don't get it.
Maybe...
we should do this.
That's it, right?
-Yeah? -Yeah.
We can finish now.
Well done, everybody.
Everything is running smoothly. All good.
"Ludwigshafen, Gartenstadt."
"Two houses down from Apache."
At least there are seven dislikes. That's okay.
True. Just disliking on principle.
It's shocking.
No matter how often you say that it doesn't bother you,
every dislike is annoying.
It's just like that.
Subconsciously.
"Those seven motherfuckers..."
"If I catch them..."
Still 24 minutes or is it frozen?
-Four minutes. -Four minutes.
Do you have to refresh or what?
Bro, this nervousness never goes away.
I would be okay...
Let me be honest.
Not like in 5th grade, like, "My picture is ugly."
"No, your picture is great."
No.
I would be very happy...
I'm going to be honest, even if it's less...
I would be happy
if I had 800,000 to a million views.
On the first day.
That's what my video deserves, I think.
It's starting.
Four, three, two,
one...
THE VIDEO 2SAD2DISCO REACHED 571,788 VIEWS ON THE FIRST DAY
More people disliked the video than usual.
I do think
that it gets to you.
For one song,
15% of the people were disappointed.
But those who liked it
left comments that leave you speechless.
They brought up comparisons
with Michael Jackson and stuff.
But for you, that one negative comment gets stuck in your head.
Yeah. I have to stop doing that, I think.
It was an interesting experience.
When you are constantly used to a high standard,
you get too confident.
And that was the reason
why those 15% for 2sad2disco just got to me.
Of course, there's hate and all that shit.
As a young artist, it's often problematic.
But at some point, you get over it.
You know how to handle it and don't let it get to you.
I hope he wasn't too hard on himself.
To me, it's not failure
when you were number 1 yesterday and number 5 today.
It's failure to me if he changes
and tries to conform.
But if you still do your music
and stay authentic and true to yourself,
then it's a strength to me and you are still on top.
But I think you can tell it bothers him
a bit.
ONE WEEK UNTIL THE FIRST SOLO SHOW
All should be ready when the artist arrives,
or there'll be "Apache trouble."
We are now in the hall
where we'll rehearse for three days
the new Apache show that will premiere in Chur.
While other artists start
with live shows in small clubs,
Volkan starts like this.
And he hasn't played a single live show.
And he is allowed to play in front of tens of thousands.
That's crazy.
It's going to be interesting to stand in front of so many people.
I still have this hunger for it.
I am happy and looking forward to it.
...come through the window
And tickles your nose and you sneeze in your sleep
Our blocks are too high We can't enjoy it
Not even the sun gets in here
Hey, what's up? We are cruising through my hood
I just write on the iPhone what I experience
Shit, now we are famous
Hey, what's up? Hey, what's up?
What's up, Switzerland?
Wow, the fire was pretty intense.
I thought it got the cameraman.
This one here.
I am curious how he will do on stage.
And how the show will be received.
How Volkan will react emotionally to the show.
And the fan interactions.
I hope everything goes well.
He goes to Switzerland, and it's his first show.
It's the first time he'll get to see real emotions from his fans.
Until now, it's YouTube comments, streaming numbers. No real emotions.
ONE DAY UNTIL THE FIRST SOLO SHOW
If you let your successes define you,
you'll break.
We held emergency meetings
when songs went to number 1,
but we measured it by our standards.
We have more to learn, too.
To deal with expectations.
It fucks with your head.
I've also noticed that there are some things
that I haven't processed yet.
Stuff that came along with this career.
Sometimes, when you lie back and stare at the ceiling,
you wonder if it's all real.
And not just in a positive way.
Like a state of shock that just sticks around for a while.
Everything that happened was so extreme,
and I found out that even positive stress is stress for your body.
It did not just impact me but also those around me.
ONE HOUR UNTIL THE FIRST LIVE SHOW
-Apache! -Leave it, I like it.
His environment is important,
because it's the last space where he can still
be Volkan from four to five years ago.
Boys, it will be fine.
I could list his gold and platinum records,
but his biggest success is that he stayed Volkan Yaman.
I am ready, bro.
I think Volkan understands one thing,
which can be the key to happiness, and that's gratitude.
I think when you have a solid environment,
which stays consistent,
then nothing can happen to you, no matter what.
We don't have much to lose,
because we've never had anything.
And we're convinced that we'll be happy if it's all gone.
This is what we dreamed of, brother. We dreamed of this.
Apache!
You were done after my first word
It's lonely at the top
They buy the Benz with their advance
I buy the Benz with my income
We party hard
We love the risk
After 22 years I realized my dad didn't just get some cigs
It's almost evening again
I put my little sister to bed
I am out on the streets
Now and then a nose breaks
Not made of sugar, but nights are cold
Love calls, but no reception
Cell vibrates in my hand
Can't read it, I am drunk again
When the sun comes through the window
And tickle your nose you sneeze in your sleep
Our blocks are too high We can't enjoy it
Not even the sun gets in here
Hey, what's up?
We are cruising through my hood
I just write on the iPhone what I experience...
It started on an old ladies' bike.
It became huge.
Hey, what's up?
We drive Porsches. We drive AMGs.
But I know,
when this is gone,
and I'll say this is true friendship,
I'll have people around me,
with whom I could cycle to a smaller office.
I wouldn't fall.
I'd lose something, but I wouldn't lose myself.
First show, what can I say?
Are those bras?
Guys, thank you so much
for being at my first solo show.
This show deserves a good ending.
We will end on Roller,
but I want my friends, my brothers, on stage.
I wanna hear you all, okay?
Why is my head fucked?
My head bursts, Gucci sandals I wear them out of spite
Yet, still they copy me I can't believe it, dear God
Thank you for protecting me when I ride my scooter
When I ride
I am on my way
With my baby, it stings Get out of my way
With 10 HP through your city
This won't be nice
On my scooter and it will put you to sleep
One on one, he gets a bomb, calls his bro Forgets my brother, box his brother
Driving with my hair down with a bitch like Barbie, hood safari
Get on your Speedfight
Fuck Kawasaki, let's go, Barbie
Kickdown at 70 to your party
They take photos, bags explode
But Apache stays Apache
Bro, I need to go
When the scooters scream
Talking to me about coke and stabbings
But they have to go when our scooters scream
Apache stays Apache
Apache stays Apache...
Thanks Switzerland. It was an honor!
Thank you so much!
Hearing your fans scream
is the most intense feeling.
But when it's over, it's suddenly quiet.
And you can still hear it faintly...
Apache stays Apache
And you feel all this love in a muted way.
That's when you are a bit closer to paradise.
And that feeling
will stay with me forever.
Translated by Melanie Martin