The Youth of Today
The first success of De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig was the result of a fortunate coincidence. At the initiative of producer and band member Bas Bron, the song Watskeburt?! was recorded at the end of 2004, which revolved around a then-popular Amsterdam slang word. The words on an acquaintance's T-shirt gave the group their band name. Besides producer Bas Bron, the lineup of De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig stabilized around Rappers Willie Wartaal, Vieze Fur, and Faberyayo. After a hesitant start, "Watskeburt?!" became a huge hit in 2005, reaching number one in the Top 40. This surprising success led to countless covers and parodies in various languages, dialects, and accents. That same year, Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig performed as the opening act for Snoop Dogg during his show at the Ahoy in Rotterdam.
In 2005, the band Parels Voor De Zwijnen released their debut album through the TopNotch record label. While its success was modest, the story of De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig continued apace with albums like De Machine (2008), De Lachende Derde (2010), "Ja, Natúúrlijk!" (2013), Manon (2015), Luek (2018), and Moderne Manieren (2023). Thanks to their diverse musical influences, ever-bouncing electronics, and the rappers' verbal acrobatics, the band maintained their top position in the flourishing Dutch hip-hop scene. De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig received several music awards, including the TMF Awards, Edison Awards, 3FM Awards, and 3Voor12 Awards. At Pinkpop, Rock Werchter, and Lowlands, among others, the group demonstrated its growing reputation as an exciting live act.
