The new Netflix documentary, Babo: The Haftbefehl Story, delves into the complex psyche of one of German hip-hop’s most influential and polarizing figures: Aykut Anhan, the man known as Haftbefehl. The production is not a typical music biography but an incisive psychological portrait that seeks to dismantle the “gangster rapper” facade to reveal an individual at a critical turning point. From the outset, the narrative paints a picture of a man “locked in a constant struggle with the demons of his past and present.”
The film’s central conflict is devastatingly encapsulated in a statement from his wife, Nina Anhan: “I love Aykut… not Haftbefehl.” This line serves not only as the documentary’s emotional anchor but also establishes its fundamental thesis: the person and the artistic persona are not just distinct but are in a direct and destructive conflict. The film finds the artist at a “critical moment” in his life, a period where, after monumental success, things have grown “quieter” around him, hinting at a personal crisis the narrative sets out to unravel.
The project promises a “radically authentic and unfiltered” vision, a “rare and unadorned portrait” that mirrors the same rawness that catapulted his music to fame. This approach distinguishes the documentary from a hagiography. It is not a celebration of success but a dissection of a crisis. The main conflict is not external—society versus the rapper—but internal: Aykut versus Haftbefehl. The persona, “Haftbefehl,” is thus positioned not as the vehicle for his success but as the primary antagonist in Aykut Anhan’s life story.
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Chronicle of Offenbach: The Roots of the Rage
To understand the man, the documentary immerses itself in the streets of Offenbach am Main, the city where Aykut Anhan was born to a Turkish-speaking family, with a mother from Giresun and a Kurdish-Zaza father from Tunceli. His music is a direct echo of the “harshness of his youth,” an environment where “poverty, crime, drugs, and violence were omnipresent.” The film uses “powerful imagery” to illustrate how the traumas of his childhood gradually pushed him “to the edge of the abyss.”
The catalyst for this spiral was his father’s suicide when Anhan was just 14. The documentary explores this wound with harrowing rawness. His brother Aytac recalls Aykut’s visceral reaction to the news: “he slammed his head against the wall.” Anhan himself reflects, “I was so psychologically screwed up, I didn’t even realize it.” Months earlier, he had prevented a previous suicide attempt by his father, staying awake all night in the hallway for fear he would die. This trauma is presented as the central psychological wound that informs his subsequent decades of addiction and turmoil.
The family environment was already a powder keg. His father is described as a “gambler, mobster, and drug dealer” who handled millions at the casino while the family lived in a social housing block with “two million marks hidden under the mattress.” After his father’s death, Anhan’s life became chaotic. He fled to Istanbul to avoid a prison sentence, lived in the Netherlands, and eventually returned to Offenbach to write his first lyrics. These experiences became the raw material for his art, underpinning an “uncompromising authenticity.” Unlike other stories in the genre, in Haftbefehl’s work, “there are hardly any exaggerations. Much of what he raps about happened exactly that way.” The name of his first label, Echte Musik (Real Music), was a declaration of principles he has followed literally to this day.
The German Rap Revolution
When Haftbefehl burst onto the music scene, he “changed it forever.” He became a figure with whom many young people, especially those with immigrant backgrounds, could identify. His impact stemmed from a combination of “powerful beats,” a “raw way of rapping,” and a “distinctive slang (‘Kanakiş’)” that permeated popular culture. Terms like “Azzlack” and “Babo” not only defined his music but also became integrated into German youth slang.
His career is marked by a series of albums that left an indelible mark on German hip-hop. His debut, Azzlack Stereotyp (2010), firmly established him on the scene and coined the term “Azzlack.” It was followed by Kanackiş (2012), which solidified his status by reaching the top 10 of the German charts. However, it was Russisch Roulette (2014) that was hailed as his “masterpiece,” turning him into an unexpected “darling of the cultural press.” Years later, he would continue to explore darkness and self-criticism with Das weisse Album (2020) and reach a new creative peak with Das schwarze Album (2021), a work seen as a “milestone in German rap” that explores despair and the apocalypse. These landmark albums trace the evolution of an artist who went from a voice of the streets to a cultural phenomenon.
Haftbefehl’s unlikely appeal to intellectual circles and the “feuilleton” (the cultural section of the press) is a central aspect of his legacy. Although the “Goethe of the streets” label has become a cliché, his ability to articulate the “frustration, anger, and sadness” of a marginalized generation with brutal poetic force is undeniable. His success was not purely a musical phenomenon but a sociological one. He didn’t cross over to the mainstream; he dragged the mainstream’s attention to his world.
Behind the Camera: Crafting an Intimate Portrait
The documentary’s credibility is anchored by its creative team. It was directed by Juan Moreno, an award-winning journalist, and Sinan Sevinç, a multi-award-winning filmmaker. For two years, they followed Anhan, adopting an approach that combines journalistic rigor with a polished cinematic vision.
A key figure was actor Elyas M’Barek, who makes his debut as a producer. The initial idea arose from conversations about a potential fictional feature film. However, at M’Barek’s suggestion, the concept evolved into a documentary, a decision that underscores a commitment to authenticity. M’Barek acted as a “creative mentor,” guiding the project through his production company, 27 KM’B Pictures.
The philosophy that guided the production is summed up in a rhetorical question posed by the creators: “What good is a mirror if it only shows a smile, but never the scars?” The primary goal was “truthfulness,” the intention to show skin that “not only shines but also bleeds.”
The Voices of the Documentary: Family, Friends, and Peers
The portrait of Haftbefehl is constructed through a chorus of voices, from his innermost circle to the most respected figures in German music. The main cast includes Aykut Anhan himself, his wife Nina, and his brothers Cem and Aytac.
Nina Anhan’s perspective is particularly revealing, offering a brutally honest view of the destructive impact of the “Haftbefehl” persona on her family. She describes feeling “almost like a single mother” and laments how their connection has weakened due to the “rockstar life” her husband leads.
To counteract this harsh reality, the documentary features an impressive lineup of industry figures—Xatar, Marteria, Jan Delay, Kool Savas, Peter Fox, Bausa, and Moses Pelham, among others—who testify to his artistic genius. Despite knowing his struggles, there is a unanimous consensus: “there hasn’t been a greater artist in German rap to date.” This juxtaposition creates a complex portrait where his genius is indisputable, making his journey toward self-destruction all the more tragic.
The Inner Struggle: On the Edge of the Abyss
The documentary unflinchingly addresses its darkest subject: drug addiction and mental health crisis. The film follows the artist “on the verge of self-destruction between gangsta rap, family, and enormous amounts of cocaine.” Anhan himself describes his addiction cycle as a form of escape: “When I see that everyone is okay, I withdraw and want to be high… Then I go into my hole, I’m high, and I come out after five days.”
The situation became so desperate that his younger brother, Cem, was forced to intervene, convinced that “if we don’t do something now, he’ll die.” This intervention led to a stay in a closed institution in Istanbul, a turning point that Haftbefehl himself recognizes as vital. “I would have died if I hadn’t gone in there. I was practically already dead,” he reflects.
The documentary explicitly positions itself “far from the street rap clichés that glorify drugs or violence.” Significantly, the narrative subverts the typical redemption arc. It offers no clear conclusion on whether Haftbefehl is clean today, leaving the viewer with a lingering sense of concern for his future. This choice is a powerful statement on the chronic nature of recovery. The struggle is not over, and the film refuses to offer easy answers.
Babo: The Haftbefehl Story transcends the music documentary genre to offer a complex and deeply human portrait of an iconic artist at an existential crossroads. It is not a success story, but a chronicle of survival and an examination of the high cost of radical authenticity.
The documentary premieres on Netflix on October 28.
