Who is the best rapper of our time? Best rappers: Russians A group of rappers.
2018 is coming to an end and it's time to sum it up. In past publications, we reviewed who, in our opinion, and what tracks are. In the same article, we will analyze the success of foreign rap artists and identify the top 10 among them. We immediately warn you that the author's opinion may differ from your personal one, but for this we have comments in which everyone can write their top 10.
As for the criteria for measuring success, they will mainly relate to the quality of music itself. Of course, we will not bypass the number of sales and listening of albums and singles (after all, in our time this is also an extremely important indicator), but we will put the musical component at the head.
Top 10 foreign rappers 2018
10. Jay Rock
The oldest and very first of the TDE signatories this year definitely jumped above his head. Jay has released good albums before, but he hasn't been able to really get out of the shadow of Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. The release of "Redemption" was the best work of the Los Angeles rapper to date. The excellent singles “Win”, “King`s Dead” (both Grammy nominated) and “OSOM” stick firmly in the memory and are accompanied by a very cool video sequence. After the release of the record, Jay Rock actively toured and promoted. Jay's success is directly related to the wise policy of the major Interscope and his native label Top Dawg Entertainment, which provided the rapper with a “window” between the releases of other top musicians, allowing him to collect maximum attention to his person. It should be noted that the artist recently announced that he is working on new material and is not going to stop there. Look forward to.
9.6lack
The young talent from Atlanta can rightfully take 2018 as an asset. 6lack (pronounced “black”) released an album called “East Atlanta Love Letter” in September and successfully passed the so-called “second album” test. The guy not only raps, but also sings well and writes beats himself. His hits "OTW", "Switch" and "Nonchalant" propelled the artist from the budding ranks to the elite of American urban music. This is confirmed by joint tracks with Ty Dolla Sign, J. Cole and Future. Also, 2018 became very important in terms of the rapper's personal life - his first daughter was born, who somehow flaunts on the album cover along with the newly-made father. We have no doubt that great achievements await this artist in the future.
8 Joyner Lucas
Another representative of the younger generation, who is already demonstrating all the makings in order to move the titans of rap from their homes. Joyner shot with the song "I`m Not A Racist", which in the era of Trump and the active development of social controversy on the subject of racism, has become very relevant. In addition, the Massachusetts native attracted attention with his excellent reading technique and witty texts. But the real breakthrough for him was participation in the Eminem album “Kamikaze”. The song "Lucky You" is one of the best in the playlist, and Lucas himself gives out lines no worse than Marshall, which, you see, happens extremely rarely. Now the rapper is signed to Atlantic Records, actively performing and preparing several projects at once: one solo, the other with R&B singer Chris Brown. It should also be noted that Joyner Lucas recently had a beef with Canadian Tory Lanez. The artists managed to record several freestyles directed against each other. According to most critics and journalists, the American won. To all the successes of Lucas, it is worth adding that “I`m Not A Racist” and “Lucky You” were nominated for Grammy 2019.
7. Drake
Drizzy had a notable rollercoaster ride this year in terms of career successes/failures, but in the end still managed to bring 2018 to his credit. First, let's talk about failures. Pusha T smashed Drake to smithereens with his diss “The Story Of Adidon”, in which he revealed to the world what the Canadian hitmaker had been hiding for several years: Drake has an illegitimate son from a former porn actress, with whom he practically does not maintain any relationship. This news thundered instantly and the whole world learned about Drizzy, not the most pleasant truth. Since there was nowhere to go, Drake went for broke and admitted defeat. But later he took advantage of it. The album "Scorpion", on which the rapper speaks openly about an illegitimate child, started at number one on the Billboard Top R&B & Hip-Hop Albums and other charts around the world. "Scorpion" was certified platinum, and the songs "Nice For What", "In My Feelings" and "God`s Plan" settled in music lovers' playlists for a long time. One gets the impression that no matter how things go for Drake, it is almost impossible to move him from the annual top.
6. Royce Da 5'9
The second half of the year passed quite calmly for the Detroit MC Royce Da 5`9, and apart from the guest participation on the Eminem album, nothing was remembered. But what was the first one! First in March, Royce and DJ Premier released the long-awaited sequel to PRhyme, which received rave reviews from critics and listeners alike. The release easily enters the top of the best records of 2018. Well, that was just the beginning. In May, Ryan Montgomery (real name of the rapper) shot with the solo album “Book Of Ryan” - very personal album, which is considered by many to be the best in the rapper's long discography. Royce is an example of an adult and skilled musician who found his way after many years of searching. Listening to him, one gets the impression that every year he only gets better. We are waiting for new songs and hope that Eminem's colleague is not going to lower the bar below the set level.
5.XXXTentacion
XXXTentacion's life ended tragically on June 18, 2018. A young rapper at the peak of his fame was shot dead in his own car. Naturally, after this event, attention to the person of Ax increased tremendously and he was proclaimed a “martyr”, “new Tupac”, etc. Be that as it may, one must agree that among the representatives of the “new school” the music of this guy stood apart. In March 2018, the second album of the artist “?” was released, which received public recognition. Single "SAD!" and has become one of the most popular songs on streaming services. Do not say that and “?” and "SAD!" after the death, they began to rapidly rise in various charts and overtake the competitors of the already deceased rapper. In 2018, Ax also had falls: they were mainly related to legal proceedings regarding domestic violence against him. ex-girlfriend. Since his appearance on the world stage, XXXTentacion's personality has always been controversial and every rap fan has his own impression of the artist, but there is no denying the fact that the influence of his music on the younger generation has been enormous. May he stay with us for a short time.
4 Travis Scott
Travis Scott today combines in his work all the components of a modern mainstream rap artist necessary for success: a melodic sing-song style of reading, bass humming instrumentals, a playboy image, connections with the most popular players in rap and, in addition, cooperation with world-famous fashion houses . A sort of Kanye West and Asap Rocky rolled into one. Travis' talent is that he can write hits. His album "Astroworld" though not a big innovation, but consists of hit songs, any of which could pass for a single. The most popular was "Sicko Mode" with Drake. She, like the entire album, is nominated for a Grammy 2019 and is likely to receive her award. Also, we must not forget that in 2018 “Astroworld” became one of the best-selling albums of the year, having received platinum from the RIAA. Watching the growing popularity of Travis, one gets the impression that more lies ahead of him. great success- primarily commercially.
3. J. Cole
In 2018, J. Cole scored several big victories in the professional field. The most important was the conceptual work on drug addiction and the problems associated with it. Cole, as always, shook up the world of hip-hop, forcing us to look at the state of affairs in the industry and society from a different angle. In addition, the head of Dreamville is one of the few contemporary artists (Kendrick Lamar comes to mind) who manages to make conscious music and still sell it well. "KOD" set 24-hour streaming records on Apple Music and Spotify, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and made Cole the first artist in history to have 3 singles top 10 on the Billboard Hot chart at the same time. 100. The record went platinum.
In addition to “KOD”, in 2018 Cole can rightfully be called the “king of collabs”. Almost any song that Jay appeared on automatically became a single. Just look at our list: “OSOM” with Jay Rock and “Boblo Boat” with Royce Da 5`9 are some of the best songs on the albums. In addition, Jermaine has cool collaborations with wards Cozz, Bas and J.I.D., as well as with 6lack and Wale. And this is after he announced that he would no longer work with other artists. In general, in a year when J.Cole is actively working on new music, its competitors are having a hard time.
2. Pusha T
One of the biggest names in overseas hip-hop in 2018 was Pusha T. The current head of G.O.O.D Music joined forces with his former boss Kanye West to release the 7-track album DAYTONA, called by some the “masterpiece” and “album of the year.” Like it or not, it's up to you personally, but the release really deserves attention. By and large, “DAYTONA” is one of the few bright spots in the impenetrable darkness that enveloped Kanye’s persona in 2018. Here he did his best. Pusha himself was also at his best, delivering his best songs since The Clipse.
A separate item is the beef with Drake, which we have already mentioned. The push was stronger and almost everyone admits it. More recently, the prolific rapper has been scouting for new talent with 1800 Seconds. It looks like the Virginia Beach artist has found his way into modern world show business and successfully continues to stride to new heights.
1. Eminem
We give the palm for the title of the best rapper of 2018 to Eminem. After his underwhelming last year's album "Revival", Em, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, managed to reclaim his reputation with "Kamikaze". With this release, he declared war on the entire industry: young rappers, journalists, social networks, his old enemies and listeners who criticized him earlier. And, you know, the cocky veteran beat them all. He stunned the critics with his witty arguments, defeated Machine Gun Kelly in the beef without noticing the latter's disses, put Joe Budden in his place, who allowed himself unflattering remarks about the maestro. Em was even nominated for a Grammy, which he, by the way, criticized. recent achievements Marshall should be noted for another freestyle, which will be quite difficult to surpass, because it lasts more than 11 minutes. All in all, Eminem has proven once again that he is one of the greatest MCs in the history of hip-hop and is ready to fight for this title with anyone.
10 (1,070,700 subscribers)
The duet of rappers Anar Zeynalov and Timur Odilbekov was formed in 2012. The members of the group are originally from Azerbaijan, known in the circles of fans as Ves and Brutto. The choice of the name of the group is connected with the place of birth, since the city of Baku is located on the Caspian coast.
The first attempts at creativity by musicians were made in the 2000s. The rappers themselves admit that this was done very unprofessionally. The first recordings were made at home, and so the opportunity to learn rap in hometown was not, then the guys learned all the basics of hit-hop on their own. The talent of the guys was noticed by the Russian rapper Guf after filming a joint video, with which the rappers' musical career took off.
In 2015, the group's album Side A Side B took tenth place among the best-selling albums in Russia. The band members also showed themselves as successful soloists, releasing their own albums "The Ves" and "The Brutto". Decent vocals were demonstrated in joint projects with other famous rappers such as Slim, Kravts, Khatyn, Tipsy Tip.
In March 2017, the group announced the completion musical career , and in October, Brutto posted a farewell video on Vkontakte.
9 (1,144,000 subscribers)
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The singer is from Belarus, having professional music education. Study contemporary music and began to try himself as a rap performer at the age of 14, speaking as a member of the short-lived musical group LunClan.
The debut video "Heaven will help us" was released in 2012 and immediately became the leader of the charts. In November 2013, the album "Live in high" was presented. In Minsk, the rapper's concert was held at one of the largest venues in the country, which was attended by about 13,000 people. Channel RAP.RU this album was put on the fifth position. Max Korzh is the owner of numerous prestigious music awards.
In 2014, the musician recorded the solo work "Home", which became the third album in the singer's career. Korzh is married and happily married, he considers family values to be the main ones in life.. A daughter, Emilia, was born in the rapper's family in 2012.
8 (1,253,000 subscribers)
One of the most beloved rappers of youth was born in the Smolensk region. The first poems the musician began to write after the divorce of his parents and according to the rapper, he literally “sick” with the guitar. The musician tried his hand at various musical groups, even trying to organize his own group at the age of 13.
As a student, Noize MC was engaged in solo work, and later created the Protivo Gunz musical group. The rapper successfully participated in various hip-hop competitions, dance and music battles, often becoming the winner.
In 2007, the rapper became the winner of the seventh Hip-Hop.Ru competition, which allowed him to conclude a profitable agreement with Universal Music Group. The first debut work was the album "The Greatest Hits vol.1". In 2013, the group "Protivo Gunz" celebrated its tenth anniversary with a concert - ten years of the group's existence. Noize MC is currently one of the highest paid musicians in Russia.
7 (2,265,000 subscribers)
Rapper's musical talent Ukrainian origin manifested itself in childhood. In the ninth grade, the rapper made his debut performance in front of classmates with a song of his own composition. For a long time, the musician could not choose the direction for creativity - rock or rap. The popularity of the musician was facilitated by the hip-hop parties he held.
The performer is talented not only in music, he is the champion of Ukraine and the winner of Europe in kickboxing. The singer is known as the founder of the non-profit project "Martial Arts Sports School".
The track of Dzhigan, Bogdan Titomir and Timati "Dirty Sluts" has a huge rating on the Internet. In 2009, the singer became the leader on digital platforms in terms of sales. The rapper's joint clips with singers Anna Sedakova, Yulia Savicheva, Zhanna Friske, MakSim are very popular. In 2015 according to Muz-TV, the singer was recognized best performer of the year. Dzhigan is the owner of prestigious awards - "Song of the Year", "Golden Gramophone".
6 Guf (2,270,000 subscribers)
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The musician's parents moved from Moscow to China in the 90s, so he lived in this country for a long time. The singer received two higher educations - linguistic and economic.
At the age of 19, the musician recorded his first track, after which there was a significant break in the singer's musical work. According to the rapper, during this period of his life he had serious drug problems, and it was music that helped him get rid of addiction, but not for long.
In 2000, Guf made his debut as a member of the Rolexx group. Since that time, the musician's popularity has been growing, and he signs discs as Guf aka Rolexx. The turning point in the rapper's career was 2006, when the composition "Gossip" sounded on almost all radios and discos.
Guf acted as a member of the Centr group, tried himself as a solo artist, participated in joint projects with such rappers as Noggano, Smokey Mo, Dzhigan.
5 (2,758,000 subscribers)
The musician of Jewish origin was born in Russia, and in his childhood he emigrated to Germany with his parents. Problems with knowledge of German and difficult relationships with classmates became the impetus to the beginning of musical creativity.
In 2008, the singer, under the pseudonym Oxxxymiron, began uploading videos with his own participation on the network, which brought him numerous views and first popularity. The rapper became famous for his original metaphors and rhymes, large vocabulary, and the presence of profanity.
In 2009, he became a participant in the HipHop.ru competition, where his tracks were recognized as the best, which caused outrage among the fans of the rapper Chest. For a long time, Oxxxymiron toured the CIS countries with rapper Shock, but because of the scandal, the relationship was broken off.
In 2016, the musician held the Takeover tour and the Back to Europe Tour, which brought him immense popularity. The recording of three musical compositions with rapper Porchy was recognized as successful. Videos of battles on the Internet with the participation of Oxxxymiron are gaining millions of views today.
4L One (3,121,000 subscribers)
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As a child, L "One was actively involved in sports, playing as part of a basketball team. His sports career was cut short due to a knee injury. According to an artist of Georgian origin, the singer showed interest in modern rap already in childhood.
By the age of 20, the rapper managed to participate in KVN, was a TV presenter, screenwriter. This seemed to him not enough, and he decided to move to Moscow and try his hand there. Together with a friend L "One organized the musical group "Marselle" and concluded in 2007 a lucrative contract with the German label "Phlatline".
Popularity came to the performers after participating in the Battle for Respect battle. In 2008, the album "Mars" was released, and his single "Moscow" held the leading positions in the charts for several weeks.
In 2011, L "One issued a statement about the breakup of the musical group due to disagreements in creativity. In the same year, the rapper signed a contract with BlackStar, and his single "Everyone dances with their elbows" became the hit of the year. Today, L’One is doing joint projects with Timati and Dzhigan, and such celebrities as Revva, Martirosyan, Bondarchuk are filmed in his latest videos.
3 (3,773,000 subscribers)
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The artist became interested in hip-hop at the age of 15 after moving to Moscow. When dancing, according to the rapper, he had a great desire to move to the rhythm of the music and overlay her own recitative over it. The desire to develop as a rapper did not stop him finish school with a gold medal, get higher education majoring in economics-manager and complete postgraduate studies.
The first tracks were written for fun. In 2007, the rapper makes his first professional recordings at the GLSS studio. Fame came to the rapper in 2009 after participating in the Battle for Respect program. 2,000 participants participated in the competition, and the singer was among the 40 strongest. A huge number of fans were subdued with the release of the album "Remote", the tracks of which were distinguished by harmony and tranquility. The released track "To the Shores" not only occupied the first positions among the clips for a long time, it can be heard when viewing documentary film"Fair Game: Hitchhiking".
2 (3,987,000 subscribers)
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One of the most versatile personalities in show business in terms of interests. Basta successfully realized himself as a musician, performer of various styles of music, TV and radio host, actor, script writer, director, successful businessman and co-owner of the Gazgolder label.
The first hit "My Game" was written at the age of 18, which the rapper still considers the most important stage in his work to this day. The turning point for the artist's career was 2007, when the second album "Basta 2" and a number of video works were released. A circulation of 50,000 records was sold among the fans in three months.
Today, the rapper has experience of participating in six films, continues to work as a rap artist, and writes scripts for films. Released in April 2017 new clip of the rapper "Samsara", dedicated to the values of the family (be sure to watch and listen to it at the end of this rating). The video featured famous rock musicians and used real childhood photos of the rapper and his friends.
1 (11,885,000 subscribers)
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Timati received recognition after the fourth season of Star Factory, where he performed as a member of the Gang group. Since 2006, the singer has realized himself as a solo artist and became the founder of the Black Star Inc production center. Today is associated with the name Timati not only music, but the singer's designer clothes, the Black Star Burger eatery chain, the Russian film Heat, Odnoklassniki: invite luck, and even the Seize the Moment cartoon.
There are many scandals and reproaches from other musicians around the name of Timati. The performer is blamed for borrowing music from Western colleagues, accusing the singer of plagiarism. Despite such accusations, the singer's albums beat all expected records and not only in Russia. For example, the composition "Welcome to Saint-Tropez" displaced the legendary Lady Gaga from the first position in the international iTunes.
Today Timati continues his career as a rap artist, assisting young talents. In March 2017, the singer made a statement about his desire to create his own football team.
The world-famous edition of Billboard, which regularly publishes ratings of the richest and most successful people, has made the top of the best rappers in the world in the history of hip-hop.
The top "rappers of the world", according to the publication, looks like this:
The list of "rappers of the world" would be completely impossible without this guy. Christopher George Lator Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie or Biggie Smalls, was born in Brooklyn, New York. His first album, Ready to Die, entered the list of the most iconic: it was from him that the dominance of hip-hop culture in New York began, and the city itself eventually began to be called the mecca and birthplace of hip-hop.
The artist was the leader of the East Coast, who opposed the West Coast in the person of its leader Tupac Shakur. In 1997 The Notorious B.I.G. was shot dead in a street shooting. 16 days after the death, the world saw the second record of the artist - Life After Death, which subsequently received a diamond certificate, indicating that the circulation sold more than 10 million copies.
Jay Z
Sean Corey Carter is one of the most successful rappers in the world. His 13 records topped the Billboard charts. If not for the even more stunning success of The Beatles, Jay Z would have broken the absolute record for the number of albums to top the chart.
The artist began his career in the distant 1990s, at that time he performed with The Notorious B.I.G. It is noteworthy that Jay Z's style of performance is based on pure impromptu. He appeared in memorable duets with Mariah Carey and current wife Beyoncé. AT this moment the artist, in addition to music, is engaged in business - he is a co-owner of several clubs and releases his own clothing line.
Marshall Bruce Mathers is an artist without whom any top rapper would be impossible. This is one of the most sought-after and best-selling artists in the world, including Rolling Stone magazine assigned him an honorable 83rd line in the list of the 100 greatest artists in the world. The same publication awarded Eminem the title of King of Hip-Hop, and for good reason: the artist has sold more than 100 million copies of his releases worldwide.
In addition to music, Eminem is also active in other activities. He has his own radio station, owns a music label, acts in films and became the first rapper in the world to win an Oscar for best track for a film ("8 Mile" - approx. ed.).
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. in his work reflects the ideology that he was fascinated with early years. It belonged to the Nation of Islam, whose main activity was racist attitudes towards white people and the state as a whole. The lyrics of Rakim's songs somehow refer to the theme of the Islamic religion, and Allah, according to the artist himself, saved him from rash actions - fights and theft.
In his work, Rakim departs from the improvisation technique popular in the 1980s. His authorial style, numerous rhymes and their innovative application made him one of the first performers whose compositions sounded smooth and slow. While his co-stars were full of energy, this top rap artist's voice sounded jazzy, almost hypnotic. Rakim has released 7 albums (4 of them with Eric B). His album Paid in Full was included in the ranking of the 500 greatest albums according to Rolling Stone.
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones is considered the most successful and outstanding artist of the hip-hop genre, the world community even awarded his Illmatic album the title of the greatest in history. The artist's releases have sold over 25 million copies worldwide. Nas owes his successful career to Columbia Records, signing to which he was given the opportunity to feature on the soundtrack of the Oliver Stone film Zebrahead. The artist's talent was noticed and highly appreciated by the public, after which the successful ascent of the star and the presence in the ratings of the best rappers in the world began.
It is noteworthy that Nas for a long time had a conflict with another world-famous star - Jay Z, who claimed that Nasir's work was fake. However, in 2005, celebrities announced a truce, and Nas signed a multi-million dollar contract with Def Jam Records, managed by the same Jay Z.
Andre Lawrence Benjamin actively manifests himself in various creative roles: he performs as part of the popular rapper group OutKast, which he founded in 1991, plays in films, is a music producer and designer of his own clothing line - Benjamin Bixby.
Music critics spoke warmly about the work of the band, but the track Ms. Jackson from the Stankonia album.
The only woman who has been honored to be represented in this ranking of the best rappers.
Lauryn Noel Hill performs in the neo-soul genre and her work is a resounding success. This was confirmed by the fact that by the age of 25, the girl became the owner of the prestigious Grammy Award 8 times.
The artist began her career as part of the popular group The Fugees, which later broke up, and the members took up solo projects. Lauryn's debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill brought the performer positive reviews from critics. In their opinion, the artist's performance style softened the boundaries between such musical genres as soul, reggae and hip-hop.
It was thanks to this album that Lauryn Hill was nominated for 10 categories for the first time in the history of the Grammy Awards and won five of them.
Denis Coles is known as a member of the popular Wu-Tang Clan. The overwhelming success of the group gave the green light to all of its members, who began to release solo projects with varying degrees of popularity.
Ironman was the title of the first solo album by Ghostface Killah. The record received critical acclaim, followed by equally successful releases by Supreme Clientele and Fishscale. In 2006, the performer was awarded the title of the best MC of all time according to MTV and got into the top rappers of the prestigious Billboard edition.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is a successful hip-hop artist whose collaborations with such eminent artists as Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne have been highly appreciated by both the public and critics. The latter, by the way, call him the new King of the West Coast, which justifies his presence in the list of "rappers of the world."
The most successful record was the third album called To Pimp a Butterfly. The release was such a great success that it ended up at number one on the list. best albums 2015 by such world publications as The New York Times and Rolling Stone. In addition, the artist managed to receive 7 Grammy statuettes throughout his career.
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr is considered one of the best-selling hip-hop artists. The artist began to get involved in music from early childhood and at the age of 9 he became a member of the Cash Money label. Later, Lil Wayne, in collaboration with other artists, created his own label, Young Money.
The artist's first album, Tha Block Is Hot, received platinum status, the next two (Lights Out and 500 Degreez) went gold. The artist's sixth album, Tha Carter III, solidified his position in the music arena and brought even more resounding success in the form of 1 million copies sold in the first week of sales. The same album was the best at the 51st Grammy Awards.
This is how the creators of the Billboard rating see the top rappers of all time. Interestingly, the list was criticized by hip-hop fans. For example, they were outraged by the fact that there was no place in it for the most iconic representative of the genre - Tupac Shakur.
It is difficult to choose a criterion that can be used for ranking the best rappers in Russia. Do you prefer rappers who are famous for their punchlines - phrases that can "hook"? Or do you like the perfect delivery of the text, under which the crowd begins to swing in the same rhythm? How about the charisma and artistry of the musician?
After all, every rap fan has their own set of values. For the list of the best rappers in Russia in 2019, we tried to select candidates, focusing both on personal preferences and on good and bad reviews about concerts, as well as the opinions of music critics.
During his career, Ptakha managed to be a film actor (in Rezo Gigineishvili's "Heat" and in an episodic role in Fyodor Bondarchuk's "Inhabited Island") and participate in numerous scandals with the most famous Russian rappers, such as Drago, Guf, Basta and Oxxxymiron.
And in 2017, shortly before the presidential elections, Ptakha presented a video clip for the song "Freedom 2.017", in which he ridiculed the protesters organized by Alexei Navalny, calling them "majors" and taking to the streets for "Uncle Sam's money." The elections have passed, and there have not yet been any new high-profile scandals involving Ptakhi.
The young hooligan, who was taken to the police department more than once, grew up, wised up and now he is no longer a hooligan, but writes songs about the times of turbulent youth. And the nickname Face, according to the rapper, symbolizes his diversity and frequent creative metamorphoses.
Most recently, on February 1, 2019, Face released their first mixtape Slim, which included 9 songs (mostly in the trap genre).
The father, Timofey Dryomin, does not lag behind his son. He became a video blogger and started a channel called "Timokha Against All", where he expresses his opinion about the work of popular Russian rap artists.
Even those who are far from admiring rap note the amazing energy at L'One concerts. He sings sincerely, but without too much pathos, without hiding his emotions on stage, and his lyrics not only “rock the hall”, but also make you think about life.
This singer's music box has both funny and touching songs, such as "The Simplest Song", in which Levan sings about his path to fame.
Many graduates of the "Star Factory" disappeared from the musical horizon immediately after a short moment of fame. But Timati is not like that, his rap star shines brightly and is not going to enter.
For several years he has been in the top 10 best rappers in Russia and has successfully integrated rap into the official Russian stage, actively demonstrates his patriotism and support for the authorities. And people who are far from rap are involuntarily familiar with Timati thanks to the advertising jingle for Tantum Verde Forte.
You can respect the work of Timati, you can hate him, but it is impossible to deny that the name of this musician is constantly on the lips.
This rapper and beatmaker is known not only for his songs, but also for his personal conflict with another famous rap artist, Guf. In the Spice Baby video (Ptah also took part in it), he ridiculed Guf, his manner of speaking, named some of his weaknesses and repeatedly called his rival in the musical ring "a cunning Jew."
But once Slim, Ptakha and Guf were members of the Centr group, one of the most influential Russian hip-hop groups of the early 2000s. Perhaps this is just the case when "darlings scold - they only amuse themselves." And at the same time they make good money.
This is one of the youngest performers in the rating of Russian rappers in 2019. He is 23 years old, which means that Pharaoh, like no one else, understands the aspirations, fears and hopes of today's youth.
Music critics call him and musicians like him like Justin Bieber and Kurt Cobain. Pharaoh's work cannot be called sharply social or deeply intellectual, well, let it be, but it is relevant and in demand among young people.
In his tracks, one of the most famous and popular Russian rappers favorably combines rock melody and recitative. In 2007, he became the winner of the largest online competition - the seventh official hip-hop battle - held on the hip-hop.ru website, and then starred in the film "Joke" (he also wrote the soundtrack for this film).
Impressions from Noize MC concerts are positive for many viewers. They praise the sound quality, good organization and the way the performer puts on the stage.
Unlike Timati, Noize MC is not averse to “trolling” those in power. For example, the rapper refused the offer of the Nashi movement to write an anthem for them, but he composed the caustic song Our Movement.
If a rapper was given an extra year to live for every joke that Guf was dead, he could probably live forever. He is one of the founders of the cult group Centr and the winner of many awards: Rock Alternative Music Prize, MTV Russia Music Awards, etc.
In October last year, an unpleasant incident occurred with Guf - he was beaten in the elite Moscow club Bunker-42. His representatives say that the singer has a concussion and two broken ribs. It remains only to wish the rapper a full recovery and success in his future career.
For the first time, Miron tried to read rap at the age of 13, and, in an interview with Keep It Real, he said that he was sure that he was the founder of Russian rap. Then this confidence disappeared, but he nevertheless entered the number of the most popular rap artists in Russia.
It is possible that Oxxxymiron’s work will not be close to the older generation due to the abundance of obscene language, however, the younger generation listens with pleasure to this singer, who knows how to present his songs with high quality and not beaten, and often “be smart”, inserting interesting metaphors into the text, comparisons and forcing listeners to google certain terms. And educating young people is a good thing, isn't it?
1. Basta, Noggano, N1NT3ND0 (Vasily Vakulenko)
The most popular rapper in Russia can be safely called "a man who made himself." He advanced to the heights of the Russian rap stage not thanks to high patrons or rich parents, but thanks to his own talents. He has an excellent rapping style, honed by years of practice, he does not stumble or choke.
Basta masterfully handles rhyme, and he is focused on legal show business, which means that there are not so many obscene words in the texts. He is a kind of rap analogue of the Don Cossack, who won’t go into his pocket for a word, rough on the outside, but kind on the inside.
The most Russian adaptation of Western sound at the moment. Husky passes through the developments of mobile Western colleagues like Desiigner and Denzel Curry, and at the end he gets a real post-Soviet longing. "Panelka" finally convinced the intelligentsia, who were completely in love with Husky, that another great artist appeared on the stage. The lyrical hero of the single is doomed to a meaningless search for his father in a dilapidated fatherland dotted with indifferent panel houses: “I’m going through Russia, I won’t reach the end. / Where is my father's socket? Recently, the track was included in the official soundtrack for a new film about difficult relationships in a dysfunctional family, How Vitka Chesnok took Lyokha Shtyr to the nursing home, which won the Grand Prix at the Window to Europe festival.
"Mushrooms" - "The Ice Melts"
All-Consuming Mushroom Virus
Behind the song with a catchy chorus and a funny clip is the clever calculation of an experienced producer and founder of the group, Yuri Bardash. On the eve of the release, "Mushrooms" swept with the first major tour in the CIS. This case was captured in thousands of short-lived Instagram stories: jerky videos shouted “We are like mushrooms, like mushrooms!” with easily parodied dances. The desire to ride the wave of fashion pushed hundreds of bloggers, schoolchildren, TV presenters and even scientists to rivet endless parodies. Everyone strove to hype, including those who had not even had time to learn what the word “hype” was. But it was the "Mushrooms" that received the largest dividends, which in a matter of months became the most popular rap group in the entire post-Soviet space.
Timati - "Lada Sedan"
Meme Recycling
Known to everyone who has ever had a TV, the main hits of this rap artist, in contrast to "Mushrooms", are an open calculation. Instead of complementing the culture, it beautifully packages what is already there. “Che is so daring”, “Goodbye”, “You have a beard - I’ll tell you yes” - all these hits hated by aesthetes were built on popular Internet and slang expressions. The culmination was the Lada Sedan, where the luxury businessman Timur reincarnated as a 100% stereotypical taxi driver Teimuraz. Again, I didn’t have to puzzle over the catchy chorus for a long time - it had already been composed by the ironic rock band Record Orchestra. The group began to exploit stereotypes earlier, much more subtle, but much less clear to the masses than Timati's Black Star label managers do.
Face - "I Fuck"
First level protest
If the parents of Face fans heard the refrain from this song, about half of them could permanently deprive their child of access to the Internet. In fact, this guy, who looks like a young Merlin Manson, just embodies the most primitive rebellion against the elders. This is the moment when adults turn their backs, and a teenager quickly tries to do everything that was forbidden to him: ingest poison and spit out taboo words: “I smoke, and I don’t give a fuck / I drink, and I don’t y…” and so on. If you still find this in the playlist of your younger relative, do not rush to panic. Boasting nonsense about self-destruction can even be helpful, because boasting is much safer than doing.
LSP - "Coin"
Clown awaiting his death
If a young cheerful Face sings about hedonism, this is bravado, but for LSP it was a timid confession of depression - a description of a state when a hole in the heart cannot be plugged either with coins or women. Recently, LSP tragically turned from a duet into a solo project of the Belarusian rapper Oleg Savchenko. Permanent beatmaker and sound engineer LSP Roma Anglichanin died under unnamed circumstances. The most terrible thing here is that he did not surprise anyone with this. In the latest videos, the musician looked pretty tired and invariably drunk, and quotes from doctors with bad prognosis slipped through his speech. It is significant that the group's latest hit, the single "Coin", is the only LSP song in which Roma himself approaches the microphone. Under today's circumstances, the text about the dismissive attitude towards numerous groupies already sounds like a clear warning about the imminent departure: "And after the gameover / I will only be glad that my song is sung."
Scryptonite - "Vitamin"
Music created by instincts
In the song “Vitamin”, the impudent rapper immediately appropriates the sweetheart of the listener: “I am the interest of your heifer!” This approach angers and turns many people away from Scryptonite, not to mention those who cannot make out the words at all due to the dense Kazakh accent. But self-doubt nitpicks are not even taken into account by the author. The music of Adil Zhalelov (real name of the performer) is an animal eclecticism, where all the styles that have turned up from techno to blues on a whim are assembled into an impressive multi-level structure. You can feel all this only by letting go of all civilization. In response, Scriptonite escorts the listener to a special club, located somewhere between American dramas about the mafia and Hong Kong militants about the triad, right to the capital's closed parties.
Pharaoh and Boulevard Depo - "5 Minutes Ago"
The anthem of those who are always half a length ahead
While the older generation belatedly comprehends the trends, these guys have already managed to make a fortune on the fashionable sound. Best of all, the meaning of the song, against his will, was illustrated by Alexander Tolmatsky, the father of Decl, the first big rap star in Russia. The producer and media mogul commented on the clip on his Facebook page with the words "I think they will be popular." Meanwhile, Pharaoh had more than one sold-out concert behind him, the slang invented by his colleague Boulevard Depot has long become generally accepted in rap, and that very clip has gained tens of millions of views on YouTube.
Porchy, LSP and Oxxxymiron - “Imperial”
A quarrel between two key figures of the new Russian rap in one song
The track "Imperial" was supposed to be included in the release of Miron's closest friend, the Portuguese beatmaker Porcha, and become a song description of the comrades' program to create their own rap empire. The song was recorded remotely. Everything did not go according to plan when the sworn friend of ambitious artists, Oleg LSP, sent a snarky verse, where he almost openly mocked Miron's label Booking Machine. In response, the "emperor" decided to supplement the song with his verse, where he directly attacks his former friend. After a while, the Porchy mixtape remained useless, despite a cunning advertising campaign. But the conflict between Oksimiron and LSP is still a hot topic for discussion.
Mozee Montana, Masha Hima and Emelevskaya - "Not bad for a woman"
Women's fights for a place in a man's world
For more than thirty years of the existence of hip-hop culture in the former USSR, the scene has not seen a single really significant girl in the genre. Of course, there were attempts (the first albums of Lika Star and Propaganda, Hydroponka and Lentos), but all projects quickly reached their very low ceiling. Now the most notable girls in hip-hop show themselves in the notorious battles. Thanks to performances at the 140 BPM Cup and Rip the Beat events, 19-year-old Mozzie Montana has become a real star. Angry men believe none of this would have happened were it not for the "emperor's" long-standing tweet and laugh at her habit of quacking between the lines. At the last battle with the participation of Montana, this track was born - a daring answer to the aggressive majority: "Congratulations, boy, you're doing well for a woman."
Jah Khalib - "Layla"
Variety romance with a conscientious approach
An imposing man of oriental appearance and sound under the nickname Jah Khalib is Valery Meladze and his brother Konstantin from Russian rap rolled into one. True, he himself calls Timbaland and Jay-Z his idols, and his most viral hit "Layla" was written under the influence of Sting's song "Desert Rose". Bahu (as the artist is called by his friends), as well as his fellow countryman Scryptonite, is praised for his complex music and scolded for stupid lyrics. But this is the second Russian-speaking rapper after Basta, who can be put to any viewer of Blue Lights, and he will most likely agree that Bach sounds better than all the Stasov Mikhailovs and Grigoriev Lepsov combined.
Pasha Technician - "Xanax"
Intolerant, dissonant, but colorful rap
The song "Xanax" can equally be seen as an empty set of words and as an artistic description of the confused thoughts of a man who missed a harmful drug. The former leader of the group “Kunteynir” is a representative of the naive art in hip-hop. He gained fame after he sabotaged the first open Versus Battle, giving out incoherent nonsense instead of punches, insulting the audience more often than his opponent and showing his underwear. He himself claims that he loves all rappers without exception, but you can hear from the tracks that Pasha does not feel any reverence for rap itself. Therefore, he composes deliberately idiotic, but often very funny texts. Despite the general incoherence in creativity, the Technician is the most integral character in Russian rap. He prefers to be an honest fool, instead of building himself into something presentable and pleasant to society.
Bread - "21"
Videoblogging pandemic. Zero Patients
In the hip-hop environment, it is customary to openly dislike rap vloggers. Most of them don't even try to take culture seriously, concentrating on puberty jokes, intra-blog squabbles, or memes. The Khleb trio, which grew out of the comedy show I Like, became the first bloggers to make rap their main job, thus paving the way for colleagues Danila Poperechny, Eldar Dzharakhov, MS Khovansky, Tatarka, and many others of smaller caliber. Rap from bloggers has become a standard advertising service. For example, Klinskoye beer recently launched a large-scale advertising campaign involving a whole battery of reading video makers, and Khleb was also among the first here. The song "21" is built on the infantile pun standard for "Bread", where a simple card game rhymes with anal sex. The video was not without product placement either.
ATL - "C4"
Rave on the bones
Over the past two years, one of the most successful new wave rappers ATL has released two clever concept albums. The works put the Novocheboksary artist as close as possible to the inhabitants of the peaks Scryptonite and Oksimiron. However, Sergey and his team have been going to the themes and sound of "Marabu" (2015) and "Limba" (2017) for more than one year. Thoughts that have received a detailed development on the releases, you can already hear on the first big hit called "C4". There is a small garbage robot turning into a fearsome transformer from Iskra, a concert described as a pagan ritual in Burn Clear, and the main theme is death as a natural part of a party called "life" from the song "Dance". The music in "C4" is not so much hip-hop, but rather aggressive dance electronics, which in terms of energy is not inferior to the wildest hits of "The Prodigy". The mess that happens at concerts under this track is highly recommended to see firsthand, but participation is at your own peril and risk. The total amount of energy accumulated by young bodies in the hall would be enough for a single explosive.
Glory to the CPSU (aka - Purulent, aka - Valentin Dyadka, aka - Sonya Marmeladova) - any track
The brighter the battles, the paler the songs
Everything this guy records sounds bad or very bad. Over the years since the release of the very first Versus, his rival Miron Fedorov has remained the only successful battle rapper with a really good songs in discography. All other winners received fame and tours solely due to their bright duels. Concert goers didn’t care much what Harry Topor was shouting into the microphone and what Rickey F was thinking about. It was in such conditions that specialized battle MCs appeared, the most famous of which today is the many-sided Vyacheslav Karelin. The discography of all his alter egos is completely uncountable and does not linger in memory. All these are momentary disses on popular topics: like fashionable clothes or a noticeable song, often this is a challenge to another rival for another battle. Most of Slava's punches from the famous battle are difficult to understand without knowing the context that was centered around the opponent, and most of Slava's songs cannot be understood if you are not familiar with the phenomenon or artist who is ridiculed in the text.
Oxxxymiron - "Where we are not"
Conceptuality and invincibility
The song "Where We Are Not" is an epilogue of a protest audio novel, performed on the air of the main state channel. Oksimiron's Gorgorod album, crushed to smithereens by an opponent, a couple of days after the battle and two years after the release, again topped the top of Russian iTunes. Gorgorod, by all accounts, lost hopelessly to its closest competitors in the face of ATL and Scryptonite in music. The content should come as no surprise to anyone who has read at least one major dystopia, and even more so to those who have gotten their hands on Kurt Vonnegut and Frank Miller, who also peek out from a long list of inspirations. The album, however, gave a lot of room for interpretation. Philology students make reports about Gorgorod, and glossy journalists see Miron Fedorov as the inspirer of recent protest rallies that brought together an unprecedented number of young people. The repeated success of the work does not in the least contradict the recent defeat of the author. In the penultimate song, the narrator also dies, but manages to leave a mark in the form of his works. Looking at this, it’s hard not to suspect Miron of a deliberate loss predicted in the final round of the battle: “And, let’s say, today, maybe you will be able to kill me. / I will go further by stadiums, you will continue me troll and t".
20 more songs, if you got carried away, and it seemed to you not enough
Basta - "Samsara"
The main delegate from hip-hop to the stage with a ballad about reincarnation.
Caste - "They"
The most popular rap group seriously jokes about everyday problems.
Thrill Pill - "I'm fucking rap"
Probably the nastiest composition in modern Russian hip-hop.
Aigel - "Tatar"
The liveliest female rap, born outside of the big rap party.
Yegor Creed - "What do they know?"
The answer of the pop idol and the favorite of the girls to all the terrible colleagues.
Antokha MS - "Time Current"
Another rapper is not from the world of hip-hop and seems to be a little out of this world.
Mirny - "Skin"
A failed attempt by cumbersome producer Max Fadeev to infiltrate the rap environment with the help of schoolboy slang.
Obladaet - "I am"
The most beautifully dressed rapper talks beautifully about his exclusivity.
Aljay and Kravts - "Disconnect"
Stylish dance-hit about love under substances from a future big star and a not-so-big acting one.
"Anacondaz" - "Mom, I love"
A satirical declaration of love for Satan from the most rock rappers that pissed off Orthodox activist Enteo.
Horus and Eecii McFly - "Walk"
The socially oriented Lupercal, reborn as the multifaceted Horus, is saddened by the lost romance.
Max Korzh - "Small has matured"
The story of growing up in Minsk scenery. Dialogue of the named elder brother with young listeners.
Pharaoh - "Wild, for example"
Cold decadence and attractive narcissism.
Tipsy Tip - "See you soon"
The Ukrainian immigrant, who received a second wind in Moscow, jokes gloomily and waits for trouble.
Gross Caspian - "COCO"
Russian thug rap, unexpectedly fashionable sounded under the influence of the new American school.
Vander Fil - "Young"
Egor Creed 2.0 compares favorably with his label colleague, because the authorship is beyond doubt and because he is a bully.
Guf - "More"
A veteran of the hip-hop revolution and a former member of the Centr group, he understands trends well, complicates rhymes and reads to trendy cloud beats.
Bird - "Freedom 2.017"
A veteran of the hip-hop revolution and a former member of the Centr group, he understands nothing, scolds the protests in a funny way and collects 140 thousand dislikes.
T-Fest and Scryptonite - "Lambada"
The new hope of the label "Gazgolder" will soon go on tour, but his main hit is still a joint song with Scryptonite.
"Krovostok" - "Nails"
The least recent track on our list made it here because of one line. A reliable description of the thoughts of a Russian listener who, out of habit, continues to look for content in rap, not form: "The Germans do things - we fuck tragedy."