Russian rap, or hip-hop, as a musical genre appeared in the days of the USSR, in the early 1990s. It is believed that one of the first rap releases was the album of the Bachelor Party "Sex without a Break". This album is not a masterpiece, but it is recommended for listening at least to compare where it all began with what it came to.
The pioneers of Russian rap
From the work of rap artists of the first half of the 1990s, only a few of the most prominent representatives can be distinguished, the tracks and albums of which are worth listening to for any fan of Russian rap.
The first Russian hip-hop festival - RAPPIK - was first organized in 1991.
Mister Minor. One of the first rap projects, the main hit, which "I will kill maodym" appeared on the air of radio stations and central TV channels in 1992. The album of the same name, which sold ten thousand copies, was reprinted several times and is included in the list of "The main albums of Russian rap".
Bad Balance. International Soviet-Russian hip-hop group, which at one time included Mikhei and Legalize, who later made solo careers. The leader of the group to this day is Vlad Valov, also known as Master SheFF. The most popular, critically acclaimed release of the group is the third studio album "Pure PRO".
The first beef in Russian rap was in English. Back in 1994, MC Hassan in the intro spoke unflatteringly about the groups Bust A. S! and Bad Balance. Beef (English beef - meat) is a feud between representatives of hip-hop culture.
"True rap" of the second half of the 90s
In the second half of the 1990s, groups and performers came to the fore, whose work belongs to the so-called "true rap".
"Caste". A cult rap group from Rostov-on-Don, one of the first groups in whose work social protest motives appeared. The most successful release of the group was the album Louder than Water, Higher than Grass, released in 2002, which is considered the best-selling album in the history of Russian rap. In addition, it is worth listening to the albums of the United Caste, which includes the Grani, Sand People and several free MCs.
"Dolphin". In the world of Russian hip-hop, Dolphin is undoubtedly one of the strongest poets. The most commercially successful release of "Dolphin" was the disc "Star" of 2004, but all the other albums are also noteworthy.
"YUG" The name of the group stands for "southern thugs". SOUTH. this is undoubtedly one of the most important Russian rap bands at the turn of the 1990-2000s, the kings of the new wave underground, making high-quality rap music. All albums and tracks of this group are required to listen to true fans of Russian rap.
"Ellipsis". It is considered one of the most famous Russian rap groups, the pioneer of the Russian variety of gangsta rap, the so-called "gop-hip-hop". As originally conceived, when the group was created, its discography consists of three albums - by the number of dots in ellipses.
The idols of our days
Since the beginning of the 2000s, rap music began to gain more and more popularity, new idols, groups and individual rap singers came, began to appear like mushrooms after a good rain. "True rap" as the main direction of Russian rap receded into the background, giving way to commercial pop and "hop-hip-hop".
Decl. Among fans of Russian rap, DeTsl is considered a cult figure, his first album, Who? you”has sold over 1 million copies. The creativity of this charismatic character certainly deserves attention.
Basta. Noggano. N1nt3nd0. All three pseudonyms belong to one of the most talented figures of Russian rap Vasily Vakulenko, who at one time came out from under the wing of the Caste. His albums have received many different prizes, awards and awards, in each of them fans of Russian rap will find many great tracks.
"AK-47". A rap group from the Sverdlovsk region, a bright representative of that very "gop-hip-hop", is very popular in a certain environment. It is also famous for its logo, which can often be seen on the clothes of people and cars with a characteristic appearance.
Triagrutrika (THC). A group from Chelyabinsk, making high-quality rap, under the motto "Homemade rap is the most efficient". She became widely known after the release of the album "Evening Chelyabinsk", the rest of the albums consolidated their success, the rap is really high quality.
In addition, it is worth noting such noteworthy representatives of the genre as: NTL, Pra killa'gramm, "63 region", "Godfamily", "Assai", "Mezza", "Smoke Screen", Nonamerz, UmBriaco.
