German rappers accused of crass lyrics to visit Auschwitz

BERLIN – Two German rappers who have been under fire for song lyrics that lightheartedly referred to Auschwitz inmates are going to pay a visit to the former death camp that was in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Bild newspaper reports Thursday that rappers Kollegah and Farid Bang have accepted an invitation from the International Auschwitz Committee to visit the memorial on June 3 to learn more about what took place there.

The two have been widely criticized for a track on their new album that contains the phrase “my body more defined than Auschwitz inmates’.” They’ve defended the line as artistic freedom and not political opinion.

Duesseldorf prosecutors said this week that individuals have filed legal complaints against the rappers and they have opened obligatory preliminary investigations of them.