Kaliber 44

Biography

Kaliber 44 is one of the biggest Polish hip hop groups, formed in 1993 in Katowice. The group is dubbed the most influential Polish hip hop band, while their so-called hardcore psycho rap style is the most prominent. It was formed in the early nineties in Katowice, and its current members are Marcin "Abradab" Marten and Michał "Eprom" Baj. Over the years, the band was also co-founded by Michał "Joka" Marten, Piotr "Magik" Łuszcz, Sebastian "DJ Feel-X" Filiks, Rafał "Jajonasz" Łukaszczyk and Rafał "Gano" Wywioł.
With over a million albums sold, it is one of the most popular hip-hop bands in the history of the Polish music market. K44 was awarded the Fryderyk for the album 3:44, and was nominated for the award five times.

Origin of the name

As revealed by Abradab in an interview aired on TVP, "the name comes from the time we weren't completely sane and played gangsta". Later on members provided a revised interpretation: first part of the name indicates the calibre of problems the group sings about. The number 44 is a reference to a prophetic poem Dziady written by Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz.

Musical Career

"Księga Tajemnicza. Prolog×Księga tajemnicza. Prolog1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Wejście0:192Nasze mózgi wypełnione są Marią3:503Usłysz mój głos2:084Brat nie ma już miłości dla mnie4:045Psychoza4:126To czyni mnie innym od was wszystkich4:237Więcej szmalu 23:598Do boju zakon Marii3:569Bierz mój miecz i masz4:1610+ i -4:5511Moja obawa (bądź a klęknę)4:0212Psychodela5:4913Bez wyjścia0:31", released on 10 November 1996, is widely regarded as the first Polish hardcore psychorap album and one of the earliest Polish releases to employ live-scratching techniques. At the time of recording and release, most members of the group were minors, which required parental consent to enter into a recording contract. The album achieved significant commercial success in Poland, selling several hundred thousand copies and receiving multiple nominations for major national music awards.
The group’s second studio album, "W 63 Minuty Dookoła Świata×W 63 minuty dookoła świata2 March 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracksA1Suczka3:28A2Gruby czarny kot on przebiegł nam drogę, a chuj mu w dupę nawet w 13 piątek3:53A3Kontem O.K.4:21A4Film5:19A5Pierwszy kot0:49A6Dziedzina6:38A7C.Z.K.3:38A8D.J. Feel - X5:31A9Dziękuję moim MC0:42B1Może tak, może nie (Kobi remix)5:05B2Międzymiastowa1:58B3Intro Dab1:20B4Abradababra4:26B5Psy4:47B6Drugi kot0:42B7Może tak, może nie5:01B8Jeszcze więcej MC5:34B9[untitled]0:19", released two years later, marked a departure from the darker aesthetic of the debut. The album incorporated stronger jazz influences, leading to comparisons with jazz-hop. Despite the stylistic shift, the release achieved a level of popularity comparable to that of the group’s debut.
On 2 September 2000, the group released their third album, "3:44", which featured a more traditional hip-hop sound, often compared to contemporary American productions. The album proved to be a critical and commercial breakthrough, earning the group the most prestigious accolades of their career up to that point.
The group’s fourth studio album, "Ułamek Tarcia×Ułamek tarcia13 February 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Intro / Wdech0:372(Why Is It) Fresh3:123Rok podniesionych w górę rąk3:244Piosenka skit0:235Towarzystwo4:166Pewniak3:037Boogie skit0:238Razowy4:059Kung fu3:4810Nieodwracalne zmiany4:1311Miłość skit1:2412Historia3:0013Superstary2:5314Goń3:5715Bounce skit0:2416Bogusław Linda4:0617CzerKaptur5:4118Outro / Wydech0:04", released on 2 March 2016, was met with widespread critical acclaim. The release reaffirmed the group’s established position within the Polish music scene and resulted in a return to the top of national music charts.

Piotr Łuszcz

Soon after release of the second album "W 63 minuty dookoła świata×W 63 minuty dookoła świata2 March 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracksA1Suczka3:28A2Gruby czarny kot on przebiegł nam drogę, a chuj mu w dupę nawet w 13 piątek3:53A3Kontem O.K.4:21A4Film5:19A5Pierwszy kot0:49A6Dziedzina6:38A7C.Z.K.3:38A8D.J. Feel - X5:31A9Dziękuję moim MC0:42B1Może tak, może nie (Kobi remix)5:05B2Międzymiastowa1:58B3Intro Dab1:20B4Abradababra4:26B5Psy4:47B6Drugi kot0:42B7Może tak, może nie5:01B8Jeszcze więcej MC5:34B9[untitled]0:19" Magik retired from Kaliber 44, and formed new band called "Paktofonika" together with Sebastian "Rahim" Salbert and Wojciech "Fokus" Alszer.
On 26 December 2000, at around 6:15, "Magik" committed suicide by jumping out of the window of his apartment situated on the ninth floor of the building, in Katowice. At around 6:45, he was pronounced dead in a local hospital, leaving his wife Justyna, and a 3-year-old son, Filip.

Singles

"Magia i miecz×Magia i miecz1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Moja obawa (bądź a klęknę) (radio version)4:082Moja obawa (bądź a klęknę) (vocal version)4:353Więcej szmalu 24:054Plus i minus (radio version)4:495Plus i minus (instrumental - hook)5:04" (The Magic and the Sword) (1996)
"Film" (The Trip) (1998)
"Konfrontacje/Rutyny" (Confrontations/Routines) (2000)
"Nieodwracalne Zmiany" (Irreversible Changes) (2016)
"(Why Is It) Fresh" (2016)
"Czarny Śląsk" (Black Silesia) (2023)
"TEN STYL, TEN RAP" (THAT STYLE, THAT RAP) (2024)