Madsin

Madsin, a.k.a. Belgium's Richie Van Damme, is the purest breed of hiphop artist we can think of: raw, genuine, powerful, charismatic and always – always – original.

Never before has a moniker been more appropriately chosen, as Madsin's songs sound exactly like his name seems to suggest: thumping beats, interesting arrangements and crazy lyrics, often dealing with madness, violence and the depravity of our own society and global politics. Hearing a Madsin song means getting pummeled by its pure 'old skool' power, while watching a Madsin video almost guarantees becoming awestruck by its ingenuity. Breaking boundaries lyrically as well as visually, Madsin tries to tell stories in the same way only the great masters of cinematic horror can.

No wonder, then, that Madsin's second video clip, Creeps, came in third at the 2012 London Independent Film Festival. His first video, Propaganda, even garnered a steady fan base and thousands of viewers without being backed up by any PR campaign whatsoever! Madsin not only writes, but direct most of his video clips himself and is also an accomplished actor. Perhaps even more importantly, Madsin is also known for his powerful live performances, which invariably turn out to be the highlight of the evening.

Richie Vandamme claims his Madsin persona is an outlet for the rage he feels in real life – rage he wouldn't know how to channel otherwise. And when we're listening to his music, who are we to disagree?