Far-right German-language rappers are exploiting social media platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and Discord to spread hate speech, extremist rhetoric, and disinformation, an investigation by AFP has revealed.
In one TikTok video, rapper MaKss Damage, whose real name is Julian Fritsch, referenced the war in Gaza and implied Adolf Hitler was right about the supposed dangers posed by Jews. The video, which showed his face morphing into an anti-Semitic demonic image, linked the conflict in Palestine to Nazi propaganda.
“Back then it was Germany, today it’s Palestine,” Fritsch rapped, showing a tattoo of a Germanic triangle commonly used by far-right groups. He further suggested that people were beginning to “understand history” — a veiled reference to Hitler.
TikTok removed all of Fritsch’s accounts after being contacted by AFP, though the company did not respond to detailed questions about its enforcement of hate speech policies. Germany’s federal domestic intelligence agency has classified Fritsch as a right-wing extremist, while the far-right political party The Third Way lists him as a supporter.
Germany’s far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), has seen rising popularity amid growing anti-immigration sentiment. Official data from the Interior Ministry show a sharp increase in politically motivated and anti-Semitic crimes.
Experts say a new wave of German-speaking rappers has become a vehicle for far-right messaging online, with lyrics promoting xenophobia, Holocaust denial, and conspiracy theories.
Thorsten Hindrichs, a musicologist at the University of Mainz, described the trend as “significantly more radical in recent years,” noting its expansion across several German states.
Some videos reviewed by AFP remain on social media despite clearly violating community guidelines.
Fritsch and others have also adopted a pro-Palestinian narrative, reflecting a complex stance among the European far right. According to Bernhard Weidinger of the Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance, these groups attack Islam domestically but express sympathy for Palestinians abroad, seeing them as victims of Jewish and American influence.
Another rapper, known as E.Mar, has over 96,000 monthly Spotify listeners and posts songs denouncing Germany’s immigration policies. Often masked and wrapped in a German-flag tracksuit, he raps lines such as, “We are ready for war here; current politics makes you feel foreign in your own country.”
Spotify told AFP that while it removes content that directly promotes violent extremism, songs may remain available if they do not explicitly incite hatred against specific groups.
German researchers warn that platforms like TikTok and Discord are becoming recruitment spaces for neo-Nazi movements. Markus Boesch of the University of Muenster said live video features on these platforms create “intimate situations” that facilitate radicalization and recruitment.
Some users direct followers to more private groups on Telegram or Discord, where moderation is minimal. AFP found that many creators frequently switch accounts to avoid detection, and users employ coded symbols such as blue hearts or lightning bolt emojis to signal far-right affiliations.
Ciaran O’Connor, a senior analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, noted that extremists who are banned “often return to the platform with ease.”
AFP, which collaborates with TikTok and Meta to verify online content, confirmed that many of these communities continue to spread extremist propaganda despite repeated takedowns.
