Vasily Mikhailovich Vakulenko, better known as Basta, is today one of the most famous performers of rap and other musical genres. In 2018, Basta earned $ 3.3 million, taking the twenty-second place in the ranking of the most popular and highly paid representatives of Russian show business and sports, according to Forbes.
Fans know Basta under several other creative names: Noggano, Nintendo (N1NT3ND0), Basta Hryu, Basta Bastilio. He began his career with performances in the "Psycholyric" group.
Today he is a popular composer, rapper, singer, musician, actor, director, presenter of television and radio programs, businessman, co-owner of the Gazgolder music label, winner of numerous music awards.
Biography facts
The future musician was born in Rostov-on-Don in the spring of 1970. His father was a military man. The family was far from the art world.
Unlike his parents, Vasya began to take an early interest in music. Noticing this, his grandmother took him to a music school, saying that this education would be very useful to him in the future. Grandma was right. Vasily not only became a famous musician, but also one of the most famous representatives of show business.
Having received his secondary education, Vasily entered the music school at the conducting department. After a while, the young man realized that studying to be a conductor, of course, is interesting, but in order to become a famous performer, it will not help him. He became interested in rap, which was only gaining momentum in Russia.
Creative career
Rap Vakulenko began to read and write at the age of fifteen. Two years later, he began performing in a group, and soon his compositions became popular in his hometown. The first tracks written by Basta, "City" and "My Game" became known not only in Rostov, but throughout Russia.
After his first success, Basta decided to go on a tour of the south with his musician friend. The tour was held with varying success. Sometimes they even managed to collect stadiums, where about seven thousand spectators were present. Gradually, the performances ceased to arouse public interest. Traveling around the cities with concerts had to be suspended.
For several years, Basta disappeared from the sight of his fans. Once his friend Yuri Volos offered to organize his own studio. Vasily agreed immediately, but his friends realized that a professional producer was needed to promote the music. Finding one was not easy.
By a lucky coincidence, the recording of one of Basta's songs came to Bogdan Titomir. It was he who invited the performers to the capital. Soon the guys found themselves at the Gazgolder studio, where they became very interested.
Real success came to Basta in 2006, when his album "Basta 1" was released. Inspired by his success, the musician immediately shot two new videos for his songs. A year later, the next album was recorded - "Basta 2".
Then Basta takes on another creative pseudonym. Now his name is Noggano. Under this name, he is recording three new albums.
Soon Basta became not only a performer anymore. He is directing his first film, The Tea Drinker. To date, Basta has taken part in the filming of twelve films and wrote music, soundtracks for nineteen films.
In 2015, Basta was the first Russian rapper to perform on stage accompanied by a symphony orchestra at the Olimpiyskiy. He set an absolute record, gathering a full hall of spectators. In total, thirty-five thousand tickets were sold for the concert. A year later, he repeated his performance with the orchestra, but this time on the stage of the Kremlin Palace.
In 2016, Basta was invited by Channel One to participate as a mentor for the Voice project. After that, the musician recorded several new compositions with Gagarina, which were well received by the audience.
Soon Basta released his seventh album - "Basta 5", and fans of Noggano's work heard the new disc "Laksheri". In the same year, Basta became one of the most famous and highly paid representatives of Russian show business according to Forbes, taking the seventeenth place and earning $ 1.8 million.
In 2018, he again took part as a mentor in a television project, but now in the children's song contest “Voice. Children.
Business projects, income, concert activities
Today Basta not only continues his musical career. He is a businessman, making money in many areas of his business.
For example, the Gazgolder company includes: a club, a tea house, an accessory and clothing store, a jewelry production, a promotional agency, and a booking. The company is engaged in the organization and conduct of concerts and musical events, as well as production activities.
Baste's income is also brought in by doing sports nutrition under the brand "Laboratory of Strength" and vaping. In 2015, the rapper became one of the founders of the Legend Project Group holding, which includes: the Gagarin Red agency, the Vezdets publishing house, the Gazgolder label, and the Liniya Kino studio.
He owns shares: in a chain of several hotels in Suzdal and Moscow, a company producing jewelry and watches, a company producing television series, a book publishing house, an advertising agency. Basta also opened a club in Vilnius called "Legendos Klubas".
In an interview that Basta gave two years ago, he talked about how much he earned at the beginning of his career and how much now.
When Basta just started his creative activity, his earnings were about a thousand dollars. Now one concert can bring a musician about two million rubles.
According to Basta, if about seventy concerts are given a year, then the income is 60 million rubles. Of this, 2 million goes to salaries, 20 million - to shoot video clips and some more for other expenses.
The profit from the concert belongs to Baste personally. Usually a concert program costs about 30 thousand dollars.
The Gazgolder label makes about 240 million rubles a year. Large sums are spent on studio development, rent, salaries and investments.
Tickets for Basta's concerts cost from 1,500 to 9,000 rubles. The price depends on the city in which the musician is performing, the concert venue and the chosen place in the hall.
Basta's income data according to Forbes magazine
- In 2012 - $ 0.5 million.
- In 2013 - $ 2 million.
- In 2015 - $ 3.3 million.
- In 2016 - $ 1.8 million.
- In 2017 - $ 2.6 million.
- In 2018 - $ 3.3 million.
