Today, no one will argue that hip-hop (or rap) has firmly broken into world show business and is by no means the largest player in it. last positions. If previously performers in this style were mainly associated with inappropriate antics, scandals, shootings and drugs, today rap means big money.
Rap as a lifestyle
Rap culture a few decades ago was on the fringes of the world stage. It was a kind of underground movement, something new and progressive, understandable to only a few. Despite its novelty, rap has become musical phenomenon, dominant among young, strong, ambitious guys, and today even girls.
To be told that you are the best rapper in the world, you need to work hard. This title must be earned. This musical movement does not require gloss or recognition. music critics, the viewer and listener determines how sharp and relevant your style is. And it is impossible to deceive or bribe this most unbiased judge.
History of rap culture
Surprisingly, one of the most popular subcultures of our time arose quite recently - in the late 60s of the last century. The place of origin is called the Bronx district in New York. It is generally accepted that rap, or rap (both spellings are correct), has become a kind of offshoot of hip-hop. The latter, in turn, originated in Jamaica and was popular among the African-American population of the island.
In the United States, only members of the middle class had the opportunity to attend discos. They were generally not available to black Americans. Then, in contrast to them, discos began to appear in poor areas of New York, and the music played on the dance floor was determined by the DJ, not the visitors. Using primitive equipment, the “musicians” played and arranged a certain melody, and tried to incite the crowd with a rhyming syllable. At that time, there were many newly-minted musicians who could claim the title of “The best rapper in the world.” Here are a few bright names of pioneering rappers: DJ Cool Herc, Gradmaster Flash, The Sugarhill Gang.
Legendary rappers
In 1979, radio stations played the song “Rapper’s Delight,” which is considered to be the official first-born of this style. From that moment on, record companies and famous producers turned their attention to rappers and their beats.
We present to your attention a list of legends of the rap movement:
- Despite the fact that his career was cut short at the age of 25, he still holds the title of “America's Best Rapper” - 2 Pak. During his lifetime, Tupac Amaru Shakur sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, some of which were certified platinum several times. The performer moved in criminal circles and was prosecuted several times for rape and hooliganism. He was killed in 1996 under unclear circumstances.
- Another rap legend is Biggie, also known as the King of the East Coast and The Notorious B.I.G. In March 1997 he was killed by unknown assailants. The police did not find the culprit. And today there is a version that his murder is revenge for the death of Tupac, for which Notorious was considered guilty.
- Another megastar of American rap culture is Rakim. He is distinguished by the introduction of the author's style and the use of complex rhyming structures in his works.
- Queen Latifah is the first girl to rap commercially.
American hip-hop culture today has finally emerged from the shadow of show business. Performers in this style are favorites of the public and some of the richest musicians according to Forbes magazine.
- The title of “America's Best Rapper” is today proudly worn by the husband of the dark-skinned beauty Beyoncé, JayZ. Millions in fees, crowds of fans and worldwide fame- the reality of this is from the slums. Thanks to his talent and real business acumen, Mr. Jay Z has amassed a fortune of half a billion dollars.
- Second place in the ranking went to the blond lover of banter and witty words, Eminem.
- Dr. Dre is a favorite of the American public and one of the luminaries of rap culture. He stood at the origins. Helped many rap artists to become popular.
- 50 Cent has released a lot of amazing songs. All of his albums have achieved multi-platinum status.
- Snoop Dogg- world famous rapper, producer and actor.
- Earl Simmons, aka DMX. He spent most of his life in prison, but thanks to his talent he managed to become one of the best rappers on the planet.
- Kanie West is a rapper-philanthropist, producer, fashion designer and husband of Kim Kardashian.
- Ice Cube is the most talented and one of the first performers in
- PDiddy (Sean Combs) is the most influential figure in hip-hop according to Forbes magazine.
When naming the best rappers in America, it is worth mentioning such outstanding performers as Lil Wayne, Timbaland, Icon. Rap culture in the United States today has moved into a more peaceful direction; rappers from this region are less and less associated with gangsterism, violence and drugs.
The best rappers in Russia
In the USSR, the rap movement started a little later. In the late 80s, on the country's capital dance floors, DJs tried to mix famous compositions. In 1984, Sergei Minaev released a humorous composition in which the text was recited.
Over time, hip-hop culture in Russia began to gain faster momentum. The pioneers can be called Sergei Minaev, Bogdan Titomir, the group “Malchishnik”, Mister Small, Lika.
In the mid-90s, rap culture reached the masses thanks to such performers as Basta, Mikhey, and Casta.
Today, hip-hop culture has isolated itself into a separate echelon of show business and has become more widespread. And all thanks to the performer Timati. He and his production center released several videos with famous rappers USA, and today they promote young talented performers of this style.
According to listener polls, the title of “Best Rapper” in our country was given to performer Vasily Vakulenko, aka Basta.
Russian rap, as a cultural phenomenon, arose in the late nineties. Many bands and solo artists emerged at that time, but only a few were able to stay without losing their style and popularity. The best underground Russian rappers - that's what we want to tell you about today.
Slaves of the Lamp
Having recorded just one album, the group forever entered the history of Russian rap and, most likely, will remain there for a long time. The founder of the group, Alexey Perminov, under the pseudonym Grundig, did not live long, but left behind vivid memories and many creative ideas. He wrote poetry since childhood, and every year his texts became more and more harsh, reflecting the reality that surrounded him. This resulted in a passion for rap, and with his friend they recorded the debut album “Doesn’t It Hurt?”, which became a classic of Russian rap and set the standards for a long time, both in readings and in the themes used in the texts. Unfortunately, the group did not last long - Alexey’s addiction to drugs became a disease and subsequently destroyed him. After the poet’s death, a collection of his poems, “My Decadence,” was published. The book begins with an epigraph written by Alexei himself:
“Loud dirt. The filth is in abundance.
My decadence - Red Cross"
Largest Prime Number
SPBCh is a creative formation, which includes journalist Kirill Ivanov and a duet of electronic musicians: Ilya Baramia and Alexander Zaitsev - “ Christmas toys" Initially, the songs were a mixture of ambient and reading strange, painful, children's poems by Kirill. Characteristic feature is the absence of a beat and any drums, this role is played by the melody, and the recitative was supposed to tear up the “fabric” of the music. According to Ivanov himself, music should be detached and to hear it you need to strain as if it were playing somewhere far away... The name itself can be considered dynamic, because a prime number is a number that is divisible by one and itself, and there is no limit to such a number . However, mathematicians have formulated how to show this number visually “232582657−1”. The lyrics of the song are distinguished by their originality: the images and intonations seem to be familiar from childhood, it is very remarkable that several generations at once have these associations. This is how the cradles of a new generation can sound, you just need to listen to the hypnotic rhythms and extraordinary lyrics.
Purulent
The real name of the performer is Vyacheslav Alekseevich Mashnov. In addition to Gnoyny, he has many more pseudonyms, which he uses from time to time, depending on the direction in which the track is released: Glory to the CPSU, Valentin Dyadka, Sonya Marmeladova and many others. Today, he is considered the best battle rapper in Russia. His last battle with Oxxxymiron gained enormous resonance; this verbal duel became the best in the entire history of Russian battles. Slava himself speaks of his work this way: “narrowly subcultural rap with a bunch of internal jokes.” He was noticeably influenced by anarchism and punk culture, echoes of which can be heard in Gnoyny’s current texts. Also, according to him, he was influenced by such groups as “4 Positions Bruno”, “Lenina Packet” and the leader of the “Auction” group - Leonid Fedorov. Gnoyny is the most productive rapper in Russia - in just a couple of years, he has released a huge number of albums, surpassing meters this direction.
Caste
The group originated in Rostov-on-Don, back in 1997, when rap in Russia was just emerging as a cultural phenomenon. Today the composition of the team is as follows: Zmey, Vladi, Shym and Khamil. The first performances were on an amateur basis, took place in a friendly atmosphere, but after a couple of years they took up this craft seriously: wide pants and exclamations of “Yo” were already perceived as a cliche, and it was necessary to do something monolithic and more progressive. Without copying foreign performers, Caste has developed its own own style, showing that rap can be original and sincere. They released their first collection of songs, “Three-Dimensional Rhymes,” in 1999, using their own money. Since then, success has followed the group: album after album, adding listeners to them, Casta took first place in the music charts, they are invited to television, they shoot video after video. Today this is the most famous group in Russia, which has a huge army of fans.
The tragedy of a lifetime
The tragedy of a lifetime - creative union Vetla Udalykh and Nikita Raskolnikov. The group was founded more than ten years ago, back in 2006, then the lineup included Tonych Goglev and Vetl Udalykh. Later, Sasha Gorbaty joined the group and arranged the compositions. The group’s first disc, “Unconscious,” was released in 2009, more than half of the minuses were written by Gorbaty, the rest was written by Vetl. After the first album, Tonych leaves the formation and begins solo career, in a completely different direction. February 2010 was marked by the arrival of Nikita Raskolnikov to the group. The group not only writes songs, but also shoots high-quality videos - Lymph nodes, 2012; General Reason, 2013; Raskolnikov feat. Popek - Holy Father, 2014; Slim, Raskolnikov - Not about summer, 2014. The group is very productive; since 2009, 13 albums have already been released, not counting the solo compositions of the performers. The group focuses its lyrics on promoting sports and fighting drugs.
Kunteynir
The Moscow collective, formed in 2003, consisting of three people - Pasha Technik, Blev MS and Maxim Sinitsyn - is the only black person who reads Russian rap. In 2008, Pasha Technician ( real name- Ivlev), went to jail for selling LSD - doba, according to reports, he was turned in by a fan who experienced an overdose from the brand. After leaving prison, Paul decided to regain his former glory and increase it. The first moment when people started talking about him again was his performance against rapper Broll at Versus Battle in 2014. In 2016, Pasha competed against Nikolai Dolzhansky in a rap battle. On the covers, as in the texts, a symbiosis of avant-garde art and sports is used; the team speaks sarcastically about rap, hinting that self-irony is the initial idea of this trend. Members of the group can often be seen in the fan sector, they often visit football matches. They have many feats: TVZh, Price of Laughter, Market Relations were noted in tracks with Kunteynir.
Lenin Package
The composition of the team is Babangida, Vanya Ivan, Double V, Ivan Smekh. They are also sometimes joined by Guru Mikhailovich (Vail Skam), who works on the arrangements. In 2008, the debut EP, “Signs of the Unconscious,” was released with the participation of the SpaceCave team, famous beatmakers. The civic position of the team is almost always reflected in the lyrics; they try to instill in the listener a craving for beauty and show them the true aesthetic spaces of the word. Refusal of consumerism, stupidity and failure of capitalism, obscenity of bourgeois and base values are the leitmotifs of the formation’s creativity. Everyone will find something of their own in Lenin's Package: be it wise advice, or a kind word, or a joke that you can laugh from your heart. The manner of performance is a rough, masculine recitative, which, like a hammer, breaks the limits of perception, in simple words the guys convey a lot. Lenin Package worked with many underground musicians: RZHB, Troupe Troupov, Buchenwald Flava, Resistance Rows and many others.
Night movers
Moscow duet, represented by Evgeny Alekhin and Michal Enotov (Stanislav Mikhailov), formed in January 2007. The debut album was recorded in the same year, in February, under the title “Dance and Think”. 2008 - the second album is released - “2 times more pain, 2 times more love.” 2009 – new album- “Oh, man.” In 2010, “Criticism of the Pure Heart” was released, the latest album in the group’s discography. In 2011, the group went on an indefinite leave to focus on other projects of the musicians. The band hits existential lyrics right in the face, making the listener a shell for their thoughts, which after a few listens begins to think independently.
Troupe of Corpses
The Troupov Troupe is a Samara group consisting of two people: Dmitry Zaduzhny (Drim) and Probel. The texts are replete with criticism of political foundations, the inaction of the people and direct instructions for action. The Last Fm website assigned several genres to the group: abstract hip-hop, underground hip-hop, Russian hip-hop, underground rap. They have many matches with other underground bands: Lenina package, SpaceCave, Alcohol after sports, KUNTEYNIR and many others. The team has many other names: Republic of Coma, Three Microbes, July 77, Renaissance, Autonomous Movement of the Inanimate, Epoha Woz; also each of the performers is engaged solo career. Very little is known about the musicians, there is almost no information and photographs on the Internet, but you can find many songs written by the Troupe of Troupes. The beats are made by Drim, just like the beatmaker, he has his own project - aboohashim. IN early period creativity, you can clearly hear the influence of the very first underground group in Russia - Slaves of the Lamp.
Mutant Kohvlam
Mutant Kohvlam is a Magnitogorsk team consisting of four people: Mikhail Shorokh, Alexey Rezanov, “Brother Two” and Yang Li. Freddy sometimes appears in the tracks - the distorted voice of Rustle. Style is defined as abstract hip hop, the texts contain references to various performers, films and generally accepted cultural phenomena. The discography is quite impressive: 2008 - Narkoza’Ostra; 2009 - Patent Tkhlen; 2010 - Blastyr; 2011 - Leizwiecht ’93; 2012 - Apocalypops; 2013 - Painkiller; 2014 - Bukhovnost. The guys, during the entire existence of the group, gave only a few concerts, and also for fans from all over the CIS, they held an online concert - “Broadcasting from hard-to-reach places.” The video invitations filmed for concerts are distinguished by their originality, they can easily be assigned the arthouse category. Known for their feats, with such performers as: Pikul, Tragedy of Life, Theater of Sound, Litvin. Brother Two is also a painter; his paintings can be found on various resources. The group itself states: “Mutants don’t sell CDs. Mutants don't exist at all. This is a myth."
There are many stars in the world who are ready to show off their wealth. There are also rappers among them. Relatively recently, genres such as rap and R&B did not represent competition to others. But these days they have become in demand and highly paid. The TOP 10 Best and Richest Rappers in the World of 2019 contains the best and richest rap artists:
10 Akon - $80 million
American rapper Akon, thanks to his numerous hits and acting activities, was able to earn a capital estimated at $80 million.
9 LL Cool J - $100 million
LL Cool J amassed his 100 million because of his amazing rapping abilities. LLCool J also released his own clothing line called “Todd Smith” and starred in several films. and founded two labels: "P.O.G." and "Platinum Harvest".
8 Snoop Dogg - $135 million
Snoop Dogg is undoubtedly one of the most popular rappers in the world. He starred in several films, including the Russian "Odnoklassniki.ru: CLICK for luck." Working tirelessly, Dogg earned himself a good salary, estimated at $135 million.
7 Lil Wayne - $140 million
Wayne is unique and hardworking. By painstakingly working on his albums and recording compositions with other artists, he brought himself worldwide fame and $140 million.
6 Ice Cube - $140 million
Ice Cube is a respected man among rap artists. His real name is O'Shea Jackson. Ice was born on June 15, 1969 in Los Angeles. Films with his participation brought Jackson a very substantial amount. On at the moment Ice Cube's net worth: $140 million.
5 Eminem - $160 million
This performer needs no introduction. Eminem is known for his songs about violence and cruelty, which, oddly enough, brought him enormous popularity. The brilliant rapper, songwriter and actor earned $160 million and number five.
4 Master Pi - $350 million
Master P - successful and worldwide famous person, engaged in rapping, directing and acting. Average cost his assets are $350 million.
3 Jay-Z - $560 million
The husband of pop singer Beyoncé and multiple Grammy winner has long secured worldwide fame. Working for many years, Jay earned $560 million and third place in the top.
2 P Diddy - $700 million
P Diddy is a popular rapper, actor and director. He tried his hand at design, and was very successful. His net worth is estimated at $700 million.
1 Dr. Dre - $800 million
The best and richest rap artist in the world. He began his performing career as a member of the group World Class Wreckin' Cru. He gained wide popularity as a member of the rap group N.W.A. And in 1992 he released his first solo album. It is Dr. Dre introduced the world to Snoop Dogg, and also produced Eminem, Tupac and 50 Cent. He is the winner of several Grammy awards. Without a doubt he is successful businessman, who sold half of his companies Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics in 2011.
Listen now to find out what Black Star and Pharaoh will be doing in five years.
Russian stars new wave they like to announce the next “game changer,” but in reality they often simply copy their American colleagues. And to understand who really sets the trends in the latest Western music, read the “Owls” guide. An anime rapper, a 21-year-old prisoner, an emo rapper and other guys that American youth listen to.
Matt OX
The youngest and most popular artist our list. Matt OX rose to fame after his “Overwhelming” video trended on YouTube. But this 11-year-old boy cannot be denied talent. New clips from Matt OX « This N that" And " Michael Myers” also quickly gained millions of views on YouTube. Probably, what we are facing is not a one-time success, but the birth of a new star.
Trippie Redd
The 18-year-old Ohio native started out by posting his songs on SoundCloud in 2015. The first official track was "Angry Vibes". In May 2017, the mixtape “A Love Letter to You” appeared . Today the artist lives in Los Angeles and collaborates with the Strainge Entertainment label. Trippie Redd says his inspirations include Andre 3000, Drake, 2Pac, Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Lil Wayne and T-Pain. Interesting mix of old and new school.
Tay-K
The rising star from Texas does not play a tough gangster, but fits the image quite well. Before the 17-year-old boy had time to truly taste fame, he already became accused in a murder case. If the rapper is found guilty, he faces a long prison sentence or even the death penalty. Tay-K is charged with the murder of 21-year-old Ethan Walker during a home invasion in late July. He is also suspected of another murder and is accused in the case of robbery and beating of a 65-year-old man. Travis Scott has already openly supported the young rapper on Twitter.
TEKA$HI69 (6IX9INE)
TEKA$HI is a white rapper, part of Brooklyn. His recitative often sounds like a heavy metal scream, which makes him stand out from the rest of the new wave. His entire body is covered in tattoos (the number code for Brooklyn), and his videos often feature anime inserts and cool motorcycles. His most famous works are “ZETA ZERO 0.5 », "Hellsing Station" », « YOKAI » and collaboration with Trippie Red, “ POLES1469 ». But recently, Trippie Redd refused to work with TEKA$HI due to the latter's accusations of having sex with a minor. But TEKA$HI's manager writes off these accusations as the machinations of competitors.
KILLY
KILLY are predicting the glory of a new Canadian superstar. Gangsters and star boys will not surprise anyone today, and “emo rap” may become the next trend. KILLY's sound is truly unique and stylish. The guy has only recently appeared on the radar, but is already moving quite widely, performing as an opening act for serious artists and participating in major rap festivals.
Brockhampton
Brockhampton brings us back the good old tube hip-hop, as it would have been before the gangsters came. The musicians themselves call themselves a boy band and with all their creativity they invite you to relax and dance. The group was first noticed on the KanyeToThe online forum, where in May of this year they posted their first album “Saturation”. The group is sensitive to the visuals in their videos, and, unlike other freshmen, they fundamentally do not read to trap.
Global Dan
A native of Baltimore became a prominent figure on the American Internet after the release of his first mixtape "Global Warming". The artist has been releasing music for a few months, but the video “ Off-White" has already received one and a half million views on Youtube. Dan's signature style is to put a melodic sound on a trap beat, but the guy can also do traditional rap, which he clearly demonstrated in the track « Going Hard » .
6 dogs
An 18-year-old gem from the capital of modern rap, Atlanta. 6 Dogs has the image of a sad guy with a lo-fi sound and a unique rapping style, and his videos are closer to modern avant-garde art than traditional rap. The artist quickly gained popularity thanks to Youtube channels デーモンAstari and ELEVATOR. Several of his songs have already crossed the million views mark. He also has an impressive following on SoundCloud, around 50,000 people.
Lil Xan
The guy was born in California and for a long time was a member of the local team “Low Gang”. He has built a loyal following of teenagers thanks to SoundCloud and YouTube. But in several interviews for American music publications, Xan proved that the image of a serene playmaker has little in common with reality. In reality, he is a fairly smart guy, and his creativity is fully understood by his parents.
scarlxrd
Before starting his rap career, scarlxrd wrote music under his real name Marius Listrop. In 2016, he joined the rap-rock crew Myth City and came up with his current pseudonym. The artist has already released seven mixtapes. In videos and concerts, he most often appears wearing a black mask. His signature style is a reading that breaks into hysterical screams. While "Heart Attack" is his most famous track, the talented Englishman definitely has a bright future ahead of him.
12+With the participation of ATL, Feduk, Boulevard Depo, Bumble Beezy and others
The color of the new school of Russian rap kicks off a series of progressive festivals.
The event has already passed
Vasily Vakulenko from Rostov-on-Don, aka, is a real multi-machine operator, whom his colleagues on stage look up to. He performs under the pseudonyms Noggano and N1NT3ND0, participates in television filming, writes scripts, produces and runs his own label, Gazgolder. Basta began writing rap at the age of 15, and at the age of 18 he performed the track “My Game” at the Rostov Sports Palace. For young artist A busy time began: the concert audience expanded day by day, and in 2006 Basta rose to the pinnacle of fame in just a few months.
In 2009, there was a significant commotion on the Russian-language rap scene associated with the appearance of an Oxford graduate living in London, nicknamed Oxxxymiron. Hiding under a pseudonym, a young rhymer and certified expert on medieval English literature Miron Fedorov won several serious battles and managed to quarrel with several top rappers in Russia at once, which only added significance and weight to his figure. Now Oxxxymiron has two albums “The Eternal Jew” and “Gorgorod” in its arsenal, millions of views on YouTube and guaranteed sell-outs in several countries at once.
Guf
Teen idol Guf (in the world - Alexey Dolmatov) first announced himself in 2000, but the real breakthrough in his career happened four years later, when he joined the Moscow group Centr. The triumvirate represented by Guf, Ptah and Slim set the trends in Russian rap for five years, until the team broke up with a scandal. Guf did not sit idly by: since the album “City of Roads” released in 2007, he has accumulated a lot of solo material. One of the founders of the TsAO Records label is known for the drug theme of his tracks and the “Guf is dead” meme, which was actively promoted by Internet jokers in 2011.
A native of the city of Yartsevo, Ivan Alekseev, now known as Noize MC, did not start with hip-hop at all, but with classes classical guitar V music school. Noize MC's career started on school discos, continued with a tour with a rock band in the Belgorod region, freestyle with a guitar in the Moscow dormitory of the Russian State University for the Humanities and successful battles, ultimately leading to a contract with Universal Music Group and national recognition. Noize MC does not lose his touch, writes scandalous tracks and passes as one of his own at rock parties, recording either with “Cockroaches!” or with “Lyapis Trubetskoy”.
When the album of the Rostov group “Casta” “Louder than water, higher than grass” was released in 2002, it became clear that strong contenders for the rap throne appeared on the horizon. Soon the entire hip-hop community was discussing the author of most of the material and the team's producer - the brutal Vladi (real name Vladislav Leshkevich). Poetic maturity, sincerity on the verge of confession, a serious masculine approach: simultaneously with the album “Caste,” his debut solo album “What should we do in Greece?” was also released. With a series of subsequent releases, Vladi proved that he was worthy of the loans issued.