Lange Frans & Baas B
| Company type | Partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Diemen , Netherlands |
| Products | Hip hop music |
Lange Frans & Baas B ("Tall Frans & Boss B") represent a Dutch hip hop partnership originating from Diemen, Netherlands. The duo is composed of Lange Frans (Frans Frederiks) alongside Baas B (Bart Zeilstra).
1997–2003: Early underground phase
The hip hop collective D-Men was established in 1997 following a freestyle session in Diemen-Zuid, initiated by the duo together with Brutus, who is Frans' sibling. The collective's name "D-Men" reflects the local Dutch pronunciation of their hometown. Their debut single, "Zoveel Mensen" ("So Many People"), was released in 1999, and in 2001 they secured victory in a talent competition organized by Stichting Grap. By 2003, the group had grown to include artists such as Brace, Yes-R, Soesi B, Negativ, C-Ronic, and DJ MBA.
2004–2005: Breakthrough and mainstream recognition
Starting in 2004, Lange Frans & Baas B began issuing singles as a duo. Their follow-up single "Moppie" ("Babe"), featuring a chorus by Brace, achieved significant popularity. Their subsequent release "Zinloos" ("Senseless"), which protested against arbitrary street violence—a critical concern in the Netherlands—topped the Dutch charts. Vocals on this track were provided by Ninthe, who later earned the TMF 'Kweekvijver' title. In response to filmmaker Theo van Gogh's murder in November 2004, they produced a revised version of "Zinloos" with updated lyrics addressing the incident.
On 24 March 2006, during a live show, Lange Frans reacted physically by hitting a student mistakenly thought to have thrown an ice cube at him. This event resulted in his exclusion from performing at Haarlem’s Liberation Day music festival.
2008: Effort to regain prominence
Following a decline after 2006, the duo attempted a comeback in 2008 with the single Kamervragen and the album Verder. Both releases failed to achieve commercial success and were met with critical disappointment.
Disbandment
On 27 March 2009, Lange Frans & Baas B declared their split during an appearance on 3fm's Giel Beelen program. Their concluding live act occurred on the Dutch X-factor, performing the song "Dit was het land van".
Albums
- 2004: Supervisie
- 2005: Het land van
- 2008: Verder
Singles
- 2003: "Hete Kaas" (feat. Romy v.R.), #3 NL
- 2004: "Supervisie"
- 2004: "Moppie" (feat. Brace), #3 NL
- 2004: "Zinloos" (feat. Ninthe), #1 NL
- 2005: "Supervisie" (re-release), #35 NL
- 2005: "Het land van...", #1 NL
- 2005: "Mee naar Diemen-Zuid", #16 NL
- 2006: "Ik wacht al zo lang" (feat. Brutus and Tim Akkerman), #18 NL
- 2006: "Dit moet een zondag zijn"