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 half 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", 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", 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", 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" Magik retired from Kaliber 44, and formed new band called "Paktofonika" together with Sebastian "Rahim" Salbert and Wojciech "Fokus" Alszer.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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