In recent years, rap in Russia has developed to incredible proportions. There are many performers who work in different directions. Russian rappers write texts for every taste and have many fans. Their compositions are liked by different groups of people, but the masters of domestic rap will not leave almost anyone indifferent.
People's rating
- Guf - he not only performs ambiguous compositions, main theme which is drug addiction, but also actively gives rise to discussion by the press. What is worth only his arrest in Krasnoyarsk or the numerous novels that are attributed to the performer. At one time, there were rumors on the Internet that the rapper had died.
- Basta - many rappers (Russians) are guided by this artist, because for several years he has not left the top positions of the charts. His compositions are more lyrical and melodic, which attracts a fairly large audience of listeners.
- Noize MC is a controversial artist who actively collaborates with rock bands and often combines different sounds. He also became famous for his active citizenship.
There are many talented performers on the domestic stage who attract people by submitting texts. Many Russian rappers have achieved popularity thanks to the Internet, but there are other ratings.
The most outstanding rappers according to music critics
In 2016, many benchmarks received good marks from experts. The top three looks like this:
- Oxxxymiron - on account of this rapper, who studied at Oxford, so far there are only two albums and countless tracks, which allowed him to become the "King of Rap 2016". In addition, he acts as the prototype for the protagonist of the Londongrad series, which is partly biographical.
- Slim was liked by critics for the depth of the lyrics and diligence. He releases quality albums almost every year.
- Bird (Bore) for a long time gained experience in the different groups, now he experiments a lot and produces only high-quality material.
These rappers (Russian) have earned high marks not only from critics, but also from listeners. They actively tour and regularly get into the rotation of music channels.
Gaining popularity
It cannot be said that only novice performers are on the last list. Their ratings are simply not as great as those listed above.
- Max Korzh - became the discovery of the Russian rap scene. His lyrics are mostly about relationships.
- KReeD released his first album, The Bachelor, in 2015. Earlier, his first video scored 4 million views, thanks to which Black Star label employees paid attention to it.
- L'One is a Siberian of Georgian origin who is only gaining popularity. He was a participant in the Battle for Respect project on one of the music channels.
This top Russian rapper was created based on downloading and listening to their tracks over the past three months. Their compositions can also often be heard in series, films and on TV.
"I am human. We can do everything. What will I leave? Purity." Antokha MS sings such texts to the accompaniment of a drum machine, synthesizer and trumpet on his album. For some, he is a weirdo, for others - an alien, someone else is sure that this is all frivolous. But "serious" musicians fully appreciated Antokha's music: Basta on Twitter calls he is none other than “great”, and Ivan Dorn calls jam with him at a concert. And we can give an absolute guarantee that there are no analogues of Antokha in the world, he is our natural product, the same artist who could appear only in Russia.
"Kin" is an amazing album. Under the tools of the young Tsoi, Antokha declares very simple slogans - be kind, be friends with the world, go in for sports, and so on. These songs and the very idea that creation can change the world may seem very childish (the break at the beginning of the song “Years” resembles the music from “Yeralash”, and the album cover is Soviet musical fairy tale), but perhaps it was precisely this view of what was happening around that we lacked in the harsh 2016.
10. L "One
"Gravity"
The album "Gravity" was composed in Amsterdam. On it, an amazing girl Jasmine sings like Soviet singers of the 60s. It has beats by the author of "Devil Is a Lie", producer of Major Seven. On it, Vladi, Basta and L "One coexist on equal terms within the same track. All the facts already listed indicate the degree of seriousness with which L" One approaches his work. He is a passionary full of good intentions, but now these intentions are not just declared, but dressed in a big mainstream hip-hop album, exploring the whole spectrum of genres, from Coldplay-style piano ballads to trendy Ukrainian house. And after such work, against the backdrop of the vast majority of domestic rap, L "One looks like an alien creature. A Martian, if you like.
9. Pika
"A L F V"
You already know about the sticky song "Patimaker", and if you don't know, then, apparently, you didn't live in 2016. Interestingly, on the album "A L F V" it appears as a supplement, almost as a bonus track. A crazy hit, in fact, is not at all typical for Pica, because musically here he relies on completely different layers. Firstly, this is the legacy of the Rostov school, from Casta during the album "Louder than water, higher than grass" to Sand People. And secondly, psychotropic American rap - A$AP Mob, Future, Danny Brown; the list is extensive.
The result is a wild hybrid that does not fit into any framework. Peak's songs are like spells, he plays inimitably with his voice, repeats words many times so that they add up to some kind of mantra, shouts, whispers and sings - enlightened high voice, which then you will not confuse with anyone. “Fak to the pharaohs”, “Kmon”, “So I live”, “G-Bass”, “Rock-n-roll & Gun” - all this is a hitlist of the Rostov nugget; rap-psychedelic grown up on the southern black soil.
8. LSP & Pharaoh
"Confectionery"
With all the stylistic differences of the co-authors of "Confectionery", both of them are extremely textured repeaters of decay and trouble. The six tracks of the new EP are the most tender ballads about n***** and attempts to plug the existential emptiness with a prettier carcass. A similar trick has always worked well for LSP solo - to get people on the dance floor to merrily jump to songs about nightmarish things. If you listen closely to these honeyed romances - they contain “only me and my darkness”, the loss of moral and emotional guidelines. Such songs could be sung by a spider to its webbed victim - of the two, he knows only too well how it will end.
7.ATL
"Karma x coma"
Taking a breather in 2016 after the release of their best, in the opinion of many, album “Marabou”, ATL did not leave us without music. Such releases, where verses from joint tracks lie on new beats and are interspersed with various outtakes and unreleased, are needed so that the listener does not get bored between numbered albums. And I have to admit that with such material you will not get bored! The author is known for his ability to effectively appropriate someone else's - that's the name "Karmacoma" landed here from the album "Protection" English group Massive Attack, with which ATL has nothing in common in sound, but much in spirit. The line "dancing creatures plus narcotic substances" as the motto of the album, the dance floor as a black mass, the end of everything as a result; There is more joyless music in the world than it should be, but it is extremely rare that listening to it brings so much joy.
6. Coin
"Psychedelic Cloud Rap"
It all started as a joke: in January, the high school student Lisa from Yekaterinburg, recorded on her knee, got on the net, where she sang about Gosha Rubchinsky's clothes, the Ukrainian question, suicidal teenagers and cute friends. In short, she spoke out on all the resonant occasions of 2016. The album was scattered around the public, everyone spoke about its performer, opinions varied from “indigo child” to “Furfur website project” - so what next? That's all?
It turned out that they didn’t: then Monetochka released new songs, no longer remarks on the topic of the day (although those also have not gone away), but the compositions of a smart and talented girl - just listen "A new form of capital" or “Gone to the realists”. At the end of the year, she sang on the song "Childfree" on Noize MC's latest album, and such a duet seemed like a logical development of Monetochka's story.
5. Max Korzh
"Small Grow Up Part 1"
Songs for youth and songs about youth are completely different, though consonant. As a rule, while attributing the first to Max Korzh as a songwriter, the second is forgotten. And, in general, they miss the very essence: blue-eyed longing for hungry irresponsibility and boyish gatherings.
Such a metamorphosis with the hero of Max occurred at the "Domashny". There, the reveler began to turn into a young family man and father. On the new album, in accordance with the title, he also matured - but he did not lose the impulsiveness and spirit of youth. Life in the buzz has not become less, do not think. Vice versa: new Max Korzh is about the need to resist everyday life, love the family, and not forget the boys.
4. Noize MC
"King of the Hill"
In 2016, when the popularity of the word “hype” reached its peak, an album was released about what happens after it. Generally speaking, the whole idea of the race to popularity is based on the fact that the public constantly needs someone new. The next king will one day be pushed off the mountain - it's only a matter of time. “King of the Mountains” is not a concept album. But it is clear from it what answer to the question “What to do after your name stopped bowing at every corner?” finds the author himself - to do his own thing. It is not in vain that the track “Make Some Noize” about the love of music opens the disc, and ends (and here “King of the Hill” unexpectedly merges with “Gravity” L "One) the hysterical ballad “Favorite Color" - than reading something about it, it’s better listen once.
3. Caspian Cargo
"the Gross"
Brutto's solo album leaves the fans of the early Caspian Gruz everything for which they fell in love with the Baku duo, but attracts new ones, for whom not only a biting word is important, but also constant innovation in sound. It ideally combines "ours" with "not ours" - an up-to-date sound with songs about the black Volga, auto-tuning with soulful singing to the guitar, a cover of the restaurant singer Ruslan Nabiev with a paraphrase of the hit O.T. Genasis "about coca".
We often try to hang on a variety of artists the title of twin of one of the American rappers (“Yanix - Russian Tyga”, “LSP - domestic Future” and so on), it predictably infuriates them. You can't hang anything like that on Brutto. Because in his songs Travi$ Scott, Drake and others meet Krug and Nabiev - and speak with them, if not in the same language, but certainly as equals with equals.
Russian rap is very young, however, in the firmament of which many one-day stars and incomprehensible performers managed to appear, in the promotion of which a lot of money was invested, which no one remembered after a few years. However, some really cool bands have appeared and performers whose songs become timeless classics, have tens of thousands of fans and are able to gather full houses for their concerts. Although I have to admit, I really didn’t manage to scribble ten really cool Russian rappers, whose albums are sold in large numbers year after year. Meet the ten best Russian rappers.
10. Djigan
In tenth place we got the star of the last years of the hip-hop scene, Dzhigan, who loudly declared himself in 2009. His songs are constantly played on major radio stations, and received several awards, such as the Golden Gramophone and Song of the Year. In general, real pop from the world of rap that people like.
9. Max Korzh
Belarusian guy Max Korzh became a real discovery of the Russian rap scene in 2012. The musician released two studio albums, which immediately became hits, and every concert invariably gathers full halls of people. Most of the artist's singles are lyrical and revolve around relationships between people.
The Bad Balance team is not just a Russian rap legend, but his father, mother, grandfather, grandmother and uncle all rolled into one. In general, they stood at the origins of the emergence of such a direction in music as hip-hop in the USSR, and then in Russia and the CIS countries. For many years they remained trendsetters on the rap scene, raising the bar higher and higher every year. The most interesting thing is that Bad Balance, changing line-ups, perform quite well even today, releasing new albums with enviable regularity.
The British boy Oxxxymiron with Russian roots who graduated from Oxford literally broke into the Russian-speaking rap scene in 2009, becoming the best rapper of the year. He organically combines Electonic music with aggressive gloomy texts with fast recitation. The musician has released only one album so far and a bunch of individual tracks.
6. Bird
Bird, he is a Bore, was a member of several groups until he was ripe for solo career. Rapper becomes famous in the composition Centr groups, where together Guf and Slim, who, by the way, are also the heroes of our rating, release several very successful albums. Last years experiments a lot, releasing albums and individual singles.
Noize MC is the freestyle king of the Russian rap scene, who manages to combine several musical directions together, creating just mind-blowing mixes. Due to provocative tests, a musician is often sued and performances canceled.
4. Caste
Casta is a real legend of Russian turnip and the voice of the streets, however, gradually adding more and more lyrics to their texts. All tracks become timeless classics that do not lose relevance over time. Each album of the group, and they polish them to perfection for years, is a real holiday for fans, and they immediately get into the tops of sales, forcing second-rate creations of pop artists to stand in the corner and blush.
3. Slim
Slim, a veteran of the Russian rap scene, began her musical excrement in the mid-90s, but became real star as part of the Centr group. His corporate style is texts with deep subtext. The rapper, as on stream, releases at least one album a year, which surprisingly turn out to be of very high quality, without obvious failures.
2. Guf
The real folk rapper of Russia is Guf, who is listened to from young to old, from an informal party to a glamorous audience. He was one of the members of the Centr group, from where he left with a scandal, having quarreled with all the participants, lived in China for some time and was seriously on drugs. His songs are dedicated to life, of which a lot are dedicated to drugs. His albums sell well, and every second song becomes a hit.
1. Basta
The best Russian rapper Vasily Vakulenko from Rostov-on-Don, was behind several successful projects musical projects, the most successful of which was "Basta". In just a few months, he was able to soar to the top of the Russian rap scene, setting the bar high for other performers. All Basta's songs are hits that you can listen to for months, and new albums set sales records.