In the Randomised Record series, I take us both on an adventure to (re)discover my record collection. Fate decides: whether it be that obscure grunge album I bought recently or that emo rap record from 2017. Nothing is safe from the hands of the randomiser! I will listen to the entire album and highlight my favourite song off of it here on the blog. Do I still enjoy my records as much as when I bought ‘em? Let’s find out. Today, episode 18: ‘Mario Kartel’ (2016) by Mario Kartel.

Seems like the randomiser has familiarised itself with the other side of my record collection. You know, the side that’s not all too good… Haha! Well, you know, I’ve got very little albums to be embarrassed about in my collection. With that in mind, I’ll happily introduce this Dutch hip-hop group Mario Kartel who released a self-titled album back in 2016. 

Mario Kartel: a Dutch hip-hop (super)group consisting of Dutch rap legend Big2, hip-hop prodigy Tellem, the illustrious SpaceKees, and talented producer Yung Felix. Back in 2016 this group released a one-off album on Dutch label Noah’s Ark which made small waves when it dropped, mainly because of its not-so-serious approach featuring hilarious lyrics and an (at times) over-the-top production. Songs like ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Probleem’ did pretty well and the album eventually charted at a respective #36 in the Dutch album Top 100 charts. Pretty decent for an album that sounds like it’s been made in one afternoon by some buddies who were just out for some banter: the group’s name is taken from the lads playing a lot of Mario Kart.

I’ve been a long-time fan of classic Dutch groups like De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig and The Opposites and later got interested in labels like Nouveau Riche releasing albums with several different artists on their roster (Alziend Oor and its follow up). The hip-hop I’ve been into usually features funny, cheeky lyrics on somewhat silly beats rather than the heavy, serious stuff. Back in 2016, I had just started working a new job at a company focussing a lot on popular Dutch music so right around that time, I tried to up my game a bit and get familiar with some up-and-coming artists from the lowlands. As is usually the case, I swiftly strayed away from the stuff that was on the rise during that time: a weird mix of Dutch drill rap and trashy hip-hop by artists like Bizzey. So, naturally I took a liking to the more alternative and funny stuff: insert Mario Kartel into the story. I can’t quite remember if I took a liking to it right away – something tells me I played this album a couple times before appreciating it – but fact of the matter is that it eventually became one of my favourite albums of the year and it might’ve even been one of my most played albums the year after. During this time, I was still mostly using my iPod/iTunes, therefore I can’t rely on Spotify data to back up this statement. Fast forward to 2021, when I finally acquired a CD of this album: yes, it certainly had been on my wantlist all this time.

I’m not ashamed to say we’re another 4 years on and I still like this album. It certainly doesn’t get a lot of airplay in the Jam of Today household but whenever it does, I can’t help myself but bop along to each and every song. I  can’t believe it’s been almost 10 years since this album got released and whereas I’m not sure if I will still enjoy it all the way in 2036, the least I can do is play it at least once a year to stay on top of it. As of 2025, I can safely say that I’m still very pleased I own a copy of this album.