D-Men
| Company type | Collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Diemen , Netherlands |
| Products | Mixtapes, singles |
D-Men was a hip-hop collective from the Netherlands formed in 1997 under the name D-Men Squad following a freestyle session in Diemen-Zuid. The founding lineup consisted of rappers Lange Frans, his sibling Brutus, and the rapper-vocalist Bart Zeilstra, who performed as Baas B. Their group name pays homage to their place of origin, Diemen. They gained recognition through their mixtape series titled De Straatremixes and managed their own imprint, D-Men Entertainment.
Members
During their most active period, the ensemble featured:
- Founding members
- Lange Frans (rapper)
- Baas B (rapper/singer)
- Brutus (rapper)
- Subsequent entrants
Career
Beginning with performances at modest venues in 1997, D-Men launched their first single "Zoveel Mensen" ("So Many People") in 1999 and secured victory in a talent competition organized by Stichting Grap in 2001. As additional artists joined, the collective rebranded their label to D-Men Entertainment. They were active performers across Amsterdam and issued three mixtapes: De Straatremixes in 2003, followed by two follow-ups in 2004, primarily consisting of parodic takes on American urban music styles. A further installment titled Rollen met D-Men was planned but never released.
The group's cohesion weakened after vocalist Brace and rapper Ali B departed. They put out the single "Vraag jezelf eens af" during contractual disagreements involving rapper Yes-R, who subsequently signed with a label owned by his cousin Ali B. This was followed by the exit of Soesi B and Negativ, leaving only the original trio—Lange Frans, Brutus, and Baas B. Nevertheless, Yes-R later joined forces with them on the track "Je krijgt het van ons" ("You get it from us").
Although D-Men officially ceased activities, Lange Frans and Baas B announced intentions to produce De Straatremixes Deel 4 in 2008; however, this project did not come to fruition. The duo Lange Frans & Baas B emerged as their successors.
D-Men Entertainment
The group founded their own record company known as D-Men Entertainment.
Mixtapes
- 2003: De Straatremixes
- 2004: De Straatremixes Deel 2
- 2004: De Straatremixes Deel 3
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NED Dutch Top 40 |
NED Single Top 100 | |||
| 2004 | "Mijn Feestje" (feat. Negativ & Brutus) |
27 | ||