The artist of the Black Star label, Matvey Melnikov, aka Mot, is rapidly gaining popularity, his songs top the charts of radio stations and music channels. However, he is not a typical representative of hip-hop culture.
Photo: Dmitry Zhuravlev
OK! I talked with Matvey about his big solo concert, dreams, plans for the future and his upcoming wedding.
M Atvey, you recently had a solo concert at Crocus City Hall. What does he mean to you?
If an artist can gather the Crocus concert hall, then this already indicates his certain status. A month before my concert, I was told by pigeon mail from the main office the good news that all the tickets had been sold out. I was very pleased and flattered to learn about this. People probably appreciate my creativity, so I dream of performing at this venue for two days in a row next year. Now, as before, I don’t want to linger in one specific segment and style. I want to experiment all the time. So I think this trend will continue. I will try myself in new genres, new roles. Let's see where this all leads.
It is noticeable that you love to experiment with musical styles and duets. Aren't you afraid of ever running out of creativity?
No! I feed myself and look for inspiration in literally everything. This includes traveling, touring, reading books and scientific articles, and communication with people, and my personal relationships with my wife and family. Fortunately, I am surrounded by quite interesting and creative people, which do not allow my brain and my feelings to cool down, constantly throwing wood into the firebox. In addition, I continue my graduate studies at Moscow State University. For me, education is an integral part of creativity, allowing my fountain of ideas not to dry up and to flow in full swing. If there is no food for the mind, then with a high degree of probability we can say that I will probably stop writing. Constantly feeding my brain allows me to move on.
Where does this passion for learning come from?
This craving has been since childhood. My mother is a philologist by training. I was never forced to sit down with textbooks and cram something. Nevertheless, I graduated from school with a gold medal and, having received a diploma from Moscow State University, still did not stop pursuing my education. I have a thirst for new knowledge, so I went to graduate school at Moscow State University. My grandfather was an honored cultural worker, director of the Krymsk House of Culture, my hometown. Most of his life was connected with the stage. But he didn’t want me to follow in his footsteps, he told me what hard work it was, and tried in every possible way to dissuade me. He dreamed of me becoming a minister of... something.
I graduated from the Faculty of Public Administration. But, as they say, you can’t run away from fate. Just when I received my diploma, I received a call from the Black Star label. I had already written songs and released releases, but it was all at an amateur level, just a hobby. When I received an offer from such a reputable label, I thought for a long time whether to agree or not. In the end, I decided to take a risk, agreed, and now I don’t regret making such a choice.
Why do you think you managed to attract the attention of the Black Star label?
Many people say that I have a certain accent, a Kuban dialect. And this dialect manifests itself not only in conversation, but also in thoughts, style and lifestyle. I don’t hide this originality; I show it in my songs. She probably bribed him. And along with it, my openness and, as many people tell me, the image of such a guy who talks about understandable things in clear language.
Besides studying, what else inspires you? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
It’s very difficult to get inspired by anything in the morning. ( Laughs.) As a rule, I write all my songs either at night, or while traveling, on airplanes, when you can put your phone in airplane mode and for several hours of the flight you can be sure that no one will disturb you, and immerse yourself in work. If you open my notes on my phone, there will be a lot of extracted words, quotes, or even ready-made quatrains that I write down in the process of communicating with people, when I hear something interesting or uncharacteristic, or some rarely used word. I then develop these words and phrases into full-fledged lyrics.
That is, song ideas are born in the process of communication. What qualities do you value in people?
It’s easier to name qualities that I don’t value.( Laughs.) I am always captivated by open and selfless people. My life has become public, and my activities are directly related to communicating with a large number of people, so I’m already used to the fact that many people want to please me and somehow gain my trust, find common language. This is often done in an overly flattering manner. I never liked flattery and self-interest. I also don’t like envy, which lately there were a lot of them even from acquaintances and friends.
You yourself probably have shortcomings too?
If you could stick a card with several terabytes of RAM in your head, that would be great. I can’t boast of a good memory; things often slip out of my head. Besides this, I can be too soft and kind. As you know, many people mistake kindness for weakness. I often suffer from this too. That's why I try to be tougher, but it doesn't always work out.
You moved to Moscow from Krymsk. When was this?
First, my family and I moved from Krymsk to Krasnodar. I was about five years old then. My parents had work there, so they decided to take such a serious step and changed the city. In Krasnodar I went to kindergarten, and then to school, where he completed nine grades. Mom always dreamed that I would graduate from Moscow State University. I also had such a dream, so at the family council a strong-willed decision was made to take a risk and move us all to Moscow. I am the only child in the family, and my parents never spared anything for me, often abandoning their own desires. When we moved to Moscow, I had doubts whether I would be able to enter the most prestigious university in the country, or maybe I should try applying somewhere else. And we lived in Kuzminki, the apartment was enough high floor. I remember how my dad took me to the window from which I could see the main building of Moscow State University and said: “Do you see this building? That’s where you need to go.” I had no choice, and then I firmly decided that I would study there. There were, of course, certain difficulties on the way to the goal. At school in Moscow, I felt that my classmates and teachers treated me with some contempt because I was a newcomer.
I graduated from nine classes in Krasnodar with excellent marks, but here many teachers immediately told me that the level of education in Moscow is higher, so I don’t even have to hope to get a gold medal. To be honest, I studied with tutors and teachers, spent a lot of evenings and nights with textbooks and notebooks in order to achieve my goals, namely a gold medal at school and independent admission to Moscow State University.
That is, you are a leader by nature.
It seems to me that anyone creative person, and especially the artist, is a leader. It’s another matter whether this manifests itself only on stage or whether it also finds echoes in everyday life. I really enjoyed learning and didn't want to stop at that level of education. Besides this, I really wanted to teach. But when I entered graduate school, I immediately signed a contract with the label, and free time became sorely lacking. So what's the dream about teaching activities remained unrealized, at least for now...
In April, in addition to the solo concert, you have another important event - a wedding. Your beloved girl is next to us. Shall I ask her some questions?
Maria, how did your relationship begin?
We met on Instagram. Matvey found my page through one of our mutual friends and liked all my photos. At that time I was at my mother’s house in Lviv. I saw that some boy was added and even left a comment. I went to his page and saw that he was an artist from the Black Star label. But at that time I did not know about such a performer. The first opinion about him was bad. I thought that he probably has a lot of girls and is not at all the best behavior. Then my very close friend, who lives in Moscow, invited me to visit. And since I ended up in the same city with Matvey, we decided to meet, and I went on a date with that same friend...
Matvey: ( Interrupts.) ...Cool date - three of us. ( Laughs.)
Maria: This is all because the boy is from Black Star. Who would have thought that this man is an excellent student and is studying in graduate school. And then a few minutes passed, and I had already forgotten about my friend and was having an intimate conversation with Matvey. I fell in love with his eyes almost immediately. This is how our communication began. On April 8, when he had a big solo concert at Crocus, our relationship turned three years old.
Matvey: I just wanted to celebrate our three years on such a grand scale, that’s why I put together Crocus. ( Laughs.)
Maria: We communicated at a distance for a year, it was very difficult emotionally. It seems to me that it was against the backdrop of this relationship that Matvey’s album “Inside Out” was born, since we really experienced a very wide range of emotions. But then he plucked up courage and moved me to Moscow.
Matvey: Before that, I couldn’t transport you because you were studying at the university.
Maria: Yes, that's true. While he was filming the video, I was defending my diploma. He sent me to the defense and said that the code to enter the apartment would be the word “five.” And I realized at that moment that there were no options, I had to come back with an A, otherwise I wouldn’t be part of this family. ( Smiles.) As a result, I defended my diploma in the specialty “organization manager” perfectly and returned home with the necessary password.
In general, after meeting Matvey, I became kinder, more soulful, more joyful, or something. He made me happy. I have always been interested in communicating with him; he knows how to listen and hear. I realized that this person was perfect for me. He also reminded me of my father.
Matvey: And you tell me my mother. In general, they tell us all the time that we are like brother and sister, and when they see our mothers, they say that they are surprisingly similar.
Maria: Yes, they have the same characters, the same zodiac signs, even the same figures. I look at Matvey’s mother and see mine. Everything intertwined with us very correctly. Matvey won me over with his devotion and respect. And this is the key to a strong relationship. All my thoughts about jealousy naturally sank into oblivion. People often ask me how I feel about his fans. Do you want to ask me this too?
I didn't intend to.
But I will answer anyway. It always seemed to me that I would hate all the women who communicate with Matvey. Beautiful, ugly - it doesn’t matter. And now I have respect and gratitude for them.
It is very important to be able to separate personal life and work.
Certainly! And this is a great merit of my husband.
Matvey, were there any difficulties in your relationship with Maria?
If everything went smoothly, it would be something out of a fairy tale, something out of science fiction. If you listen to my song “Trap,” which is my musical essay on the topic of the formation of our relationship, you can hear the whole spectrum of emotions. It's not only love and pink snot, it's also misunderstandings, quarrels, and nerves. All this also happened, because before my relationship with Masha, I had never dated a girl seriously. When you have no experience serious relationship, you learn and in the learning process you often take the wrong steps. And only if you are ready to compromise, are ready to discuss these mistakes and try to correct them, only then can you come to harmony, understanding and trust.
And how has overcoming these difficulties and experiencing mistakes changed you?
If you ask those who know me about this, they will answer that I have changed dramatically. I became more courageous, calmer, more mature. These changes are both internal and external. It’s hard for me to judge this myself; from the outside it’s much clearer.
As far as I know, you are going to get married in Greece.
Matvey: We wanted it that way because I have Greek roots on my mother’s side. I really wanted to somehow connect this event historically. The island of Santorini in Greece is a very romantic place, it is incredibly beautiful there. We negotiated for six months, trying to organize a wedding there. But during the negotiations we learned some nuances. For example, according to their rules, after eleven o’clock in the evening, any fun stops, because you can’t make noise. And there are enough such nuances. Therefore, we decided not to take risks and moved this event to the Moscow region to do everything the way we wanted.
Matvey, I know you proposed to Masha in an unusual way. Tell me about it.
We flew to Thailand, it was before Masha’s birthday. I wanted her to approach her holiday in a different status. We were on a tour of the islands. When we found ourselves together on a wild beach of indescribable beauty...
Maria: ...Let me tell you. We went into the water, everything was truly indescribably beautiful. And then he says: “We dive.” The husband said - the wife did. I dived, then I surfaced and saw that he was standing, and I was diving alone. And I understand that a person wants to do something very responsible. I see that he is very nervous, but I just emerged from the water and could not understand what was happening. And then a marriage proposal was made. It was very exciting.
In general, I am a person who can always find the right words. But it came as such a surprise to me that I was simply speechless and for the first twenty seconds I looked at him and tried to understand what had happened. But then I was overcome with terrible joy. It was on Old New Year, which is very symbolic, since this holiday is something between old and new, a kind of infinity.
Matvey: To be honest, we have already signed, and decided to have the wedding on April 23. We immediately chose this date, without even knowing what day of the week it was. They just wanted the 23rd number, since I am from the Krasnodar Territory, region 23, I played football under number 23, and at the age of 23 I met Masha. And April - because it is a good month. Spring, everything is blooming, it’s a beautiful time. In May they toil - it’s no longer suitable, but in March it’s too early. Then we found out that April 23 is Krasnaya Gorka, the first Sunday after Easter, which means the best and most suitable Sunday of the year for a wedding.
What about the honeymoon? I've seen your busy touring schedule.
Yes, but it’s not possible now. We decided that we would reschedule honeymoon. Somewhere at the end of summer I will have a vacation, then we will celebrate. For now, we don’t even know where we’ll hold it. There are still a lot of unexplored places. We really want to go to Mauritius. Maybe this summer we will be able to fulfill our dream.
Text: Alexey Logvinchenko. Photo: Dmitry Zhuravlev
Style: Ksenia Dorkina, Margarita Kanunnikova
Makeup: Adelina Kusova/Privé7. Hairstyles: Marina Gaeva/Privé7
Moscow, weekday. The barbershop 13 by Black Star on Bolshaya Dmitrovka is in commotion. Two black Gelendvagens and an outlandish blue Mega Track sports car are parked on the side of the road. People with cameras, wires and microphones are scurrying around - two skaters doing tricks maneuver between them. Passing cars slow down, people have business lunches cooling on their verandas, and there is a crowd of onlookers around the barbershop. On Bolshaya Dmitrovka, filming of a video for the title track from Timati’s new album “Generation” is underway.
It is not immediately possible to find the artist himself in the midst of people: he, accompanied by bearded giant guards, is in constant movement. Timur Yunusov, who in 17 years has gone from a backup MC who supported Decl to a pop star, producer and co-owner of the Black Star group of companies with revenue of a billion rubles, knows how to effectively organize his time. Right on the set, he managed to get his hair cut, sign autographs for fans, take photos for social networks, meet with the chip manufacturer who placed the product placement in the video, talk on the phone with his three-year-old daughter Alice, and give an interview to GQ magazine.
Cotton shirt and trousers, all Louis Vuitton; socks, Nike; rubber sandals, Supreme; leather bag, Supreme × Louis Vuitton.
GQ: When did you start listening to hip-hop?
TIMATI: I have always been a music lover because I have musical family. I graduated from school with a degree in violin and piano. My father loved The Beatles, Deep Purple and AC/DC, my mother preferred jazz. The first time I went to a rap concert was by accident. I was 14. I was living in Los Angeles at the time and found myself at a Snoop Dogg concert at the House of Blues club on Sunset Boulevard. I paid $15 for the ticket and was shocked: I saw something that I had never seen anywhere before, I felt the atmosphere of freedom. During the three years that I lived in America, I studied all the details of this culture. By the way, my first big feature (attracting a third-party artist to my project. – Note GQ) with the American rap star was with Snoop.
How much did you pay him for this?
Not much. He was interested in entering the Russian corporate events market, so the amount was symbolic in comparison with his usual fees. But as part of our deal, we organized five or six concerts for him in Moscow, so he received his benefits.
Based on your experience, what advice can you give to a rapper releasing a debut album?
It is very important to shoot with the first single. I did it. The first single from my debut album Black Star was the song “In the Club”. Now in our company we have a mega-professional team, a lot of resources for promotion that we didn’t have before, but it’s still difficult to get the shot right the first time. And when I released “In the Club,” there wasn’t really any Internet. Word of mouth, nightclubs and music channels played their role, which rubbed the video to pieces.
Did you pay for the “In the Club” rotations?
Never. If you pay once, they will constantly take money from you. It is important to gain such a critical mass of reputation that channels and media are interested in featuring you.
Wool jacket, cotton shirt, silk tie, all Boss.
What will your new album"Generation"?
This is all that I have accumulated over the years on stage. This is me at 34 years old - an adult man with experience, status, business, and a clearly defined social and civic position. Over the years, a whole generation has grown up with me. Almost all the kids my age have families now. On this album I want to take my listener on an imaginary time machine - from “Star Factory” to today. At the presentation of “Generations” at the Olimpiyskiy on November 4, we will show the maximum attraction - a world-class show.
What artists interest you as a producer?
My task is not to attack something ready-made, but to find a man without a name, figure out his talent and make him a superstar from scratch. This is the most interesting thing. All the artists in Black Star were like that. With the exception, perhaps, of L’One, who had experience in the Marseille group and club-promoting work.
Did the Black Star label fail?
Of course there were. Not everything works. We canceled several projects because they didn't work out. I would not like to name names so as not to offend people. We adjusted our work so that over the past two years we have not had a single precedent like this. Today, all our projects are self-sustaining, and 70% of our assets are ultra-marginal, that is, they are at the peak of profitability. Top Black Star artists: Mot, Yegor Creed, L’One, and Scrooge very quickly joins them.
Do you have veto power as a founder? For example, you can tell Mot: you will never release this song?
Legally, I have the right to everything: I can remove a song or freeze all activities of a musician. But if you talk to our artists, you will understand that we don't do anything stupid. Everyone can prove their point of view and the right to exist of any idea. Each has its own independent team, which represents its development strategy and new material at general councils. We discuss them, correct them and most often accept them. Sometimes we help improve it.
How do you distribute time between your responsibilities - artist, producer, director of Black Star and father of a little daughter?
I work seven days a week and get little sleep. The distribution of responsibilities depends on the week. It happens that I don’t go to the studio and don’t give concerts, I only do meetings, strategic planning and clothing design. It happens the other way around. Of course, a large number of directions of the Black Star company interfere with real creative work. I'd love to lock myself in country house for a couple of months with a group of good musicians and would start writing a great album there, but I can’t afford it anymore. Nevertheless, every year I manage to release strong hits that the whole country listens to.
Do you consider yourself a good father?
Yes. I can give my daughter everything she needs. But he could not give half, but spend more time with her. I have to work hard for another six or seven years and build the system so that it continues to work autonomously and I can devote more time to my family. The most precious resource we have is freedom. She's worth a lot big money. You have to work now so that later you can do what you want: travel, ride a board, collect contemporary art, communicate with interesting people.
Denim jacket, Levi's; cotton T-shirt, Supreme; cotton trousers, Iceberg; textile sneakers, adidas Yeezy; leather gloves, Louis Vuitton; wool headband, Fendi.
What do you collect?
I have my own areas: vinyl toys, Japanese prints of certain brands, vintage Hermès trunks and luggage bags.
What's your latest purchase?
There is a New York artist named Brian Donnelly, nicknamed KAWS. He made giant mice with crosses on their eyes - called Companion. I managed to find one such Companion, four feet tall. There are six of them in total - all that remains is to find the rest. In 2005, they cost $3,000, now the price reaches $100,000. Perhaps in ten years they will cost even more.
How much do you spend on clothes?
I'm not a clothes person, as you might think. I buy very little and very selectively. I have a very specific taste, so I ask that you never give me clothes or shoes. I'm looking for iconic things. For example, I wanted long parka Vetements, made with Gray Goose - found it, bought it and calmed down. I couldn’t miss the collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Supreme: I knew I wanted everything, and I collected it all. I have a lot of Kanye West stuff.
Have you met him?
Yes, in Miami. Fast, even without photos. It was inconvenient - the guys told me that he really doesn’t like to be photographed. I didn't ask.
Cotton T-shirt, H leather trousers, Balmain.
Wool jumper, Pal Zileri; cotton sports trousers, Nike.
In mid-March, Mot's new album "Inside Out" was released, which has not left the top 3 of iTunes since then. The "Trap" video is in the leading positions on TV channels. Last year he released only two video works, but each of them became a hit. The presentation of the album will take place in spacious clubs in two capitals, and tour schedule Mota is planned long in advance. It is unlikely that anyone, including himself, thought about such a result at least three years ago. About this and more in a new interview with The Flow.
I haven’t read it myself, but I heard that in one interview you claim that The Flow website cuts out mentions of your name from news and materials. Where do such thoughts come from?
I got the impression that there is a preconceived opinion, and it was based on objective factors. Let's say we interview Zloi Negr, in whose mixtape I participated. He lists all the participants there, I was not there. I asked him if he mentioned me, he said yes. Another example: recently there was a “GTO” tour, they did a video interview there. Timati says that albums by Nathan, Kristina Si, Mot are planned. The news contains a link to this interview, and it says “Nathan and Kristina Si albums are being prepared.” There is no moth. And the third fact: I wrote the song “Great”, dedicated to the Russian language, my managers asked me to post the news on your website. Lyosha Gorbash ( editor of The Flow - approx. editorial staff) replied that not in this case. Then we shot a video for this track, which was created on my initiative. I invested in it morally, emotionally, and financially - we bought out the large Hammer and Sickle plant. I set the release date to Russian Language Day and on the same day I contacted Lyosha. I say: “Well, they didn’t show the track, but now there’s a video and today is the birthday of the Russian language, a song about the Russian language.” He told me that it was not relevant. If this is not relevant, then what is relevant? And an hour later an article dedicated to this day appears on the site. Why did she come in, but the clip didn’t come in? It was unpleasant, incomprehensible. I’m not speaking from empty words, but based on real events. Or a clip from VIA Groi published, but not with Bianca. Okay, this is R&B, not rap.
The “Great” video was not posted on the release day, we are posting it today.
Accepted. You are, after all, a pop hip-hop artist; most likely, it is not the main readers of the site or the Internet public who listen to you. Why is it so important to be present at venues like The Flow, because other people go to your concerts?
Definitely important to me. I even wrote on Twitter once that some clip was published here and there, but The Flow was not. To which Yanix replied to me: “Dude, you’re on the channels, why do you need it?” I briefly answered him there and I can fully answer here: it’s not important to me, but much of what I do, for example, the latest album “Inside Out,” is an absolutely non-commercial project. Even the guys from our office doubted showing the “Trap” video to channels, because it is 100% non-format. And they didn’t want to send the song to the radio. But, in my opinion, “Trap” is the most formatted song from the album, because the rest is there: soul, R&B, chants. Non-commercial, non-format album. And I really wanted such things to be heard and not accepted blue screens, and the hip-hop community. Just yesterday I went to Ru-TV, I went downstairs and saw Ptah with the boys. We have known each other for a long time, it turned out that he respected my album on Instagram. He says he liked the album. A week ago Slim showed respect. I will live without attention and without respect, but if the product is worthwhile, why not express respect? When “Absolutely Everything” with Bianca was released, Guf wrote: “Cool track, I didn’t know you were singing.” I want creativity to reach both the masses and the underground public.
I am very surprised by this opinion, and I was surprised by your lines on the album “I don’t care about formats, I don’t care about templates.” I saw the same thing with L’One - do you, popular artists, really think that your songs don’t fit the format? This is the most accessible and radio music.
So you understand, when we came to the radio, they directly told us: “We don’t like rap in the verses. Try to make the tracks more melodic, then we’ll see.”
That's how it is in "Inside Out".
It's different there. In general, I have a long history with rotations. Previously, for example, my videos and tracks were not included in rotation, only “Oxygen” from VIA Gra. But then “Day and Night” came out, literally made on the knee. One day I was surfing the Internet at four in the morning, couldn’t sleep, and a letter arrived from DJs in Las Vegas. I still haven't asked them where they got the mail from. They wrote that they wanted to work with me, but not rap, but to do something electronic. I’ve never written about this, but I’m open to any experiment, so I agreed. When I brought this track to the office, no one liked it at all. There was no talk of even leaving it. Then I started showing them videos from concerts, where two thousand people were jumping to it as one. And this was my second track that was put into rotation. And now I came with another atypical work, “Trap,” and it was taken on TV. Now I have all the cards in my hands - I can create any track: R&B, dance, rap, and it will most likely be taken on TV and radio. Only now can I say that the ice is flooded.
Even before the rotations with concerts, everything was already good for you?
Well, yes. But I can’t say that I didn’t like going out to the huge Astana Arena behind the MUZ-TV plate, that I wasn’t overwhelmed with emotions and pride. Especially considering how difficult the track “Oxygen” was, how many pitfalls there were. I suffered and tortured him, and to receive a plate for him was my pride.
I heard that you didn't want to write this song.
No, there should have been another performer. But I couldn’t sing in the key in which she sang, and vice versa. And soon the shooting of the video has already been planned. I didn’t touch the track for about a month and a half, looking for who could sing on it. And Tim at that time was on the jury of the “I Want to Meladze” competition, and I got the idea to work with one of his artists. VIA Gra had just updated its lineup, it was interesting to do a joint project: “young blood” Black Star inc. and the “young blood” of Meladze’s production center Velvet. Then, on the set, he came up to me and said: “Keep in mind that you are the only person to whom I gave my girls.” Before that, they sang only tracks written by Konstantin Meladze himself.
I can understand Bianca, but new VIA Gra - they cannot be identified either externally or by their voices.
Everyone has their own opinion, but at that moment I was counting on “hype”. There was “hype” around the new line-up, around our union, because I was not known to the general public at that time. It was interesting to me, including from a commercial point of view, but I also liked the way the girls sang. There are no complaints against them in this regard.
Is it possible to reach the general public now without such a feature?
I don't agree. Take my good friend, a man whose work I love and respect - Jah Khalib.
But it is not radio yet. I'm talking about the widest layer of listeners.
Well then, probably yes. It’s difficult to shoot yourself now, at least I can’t remember such artists.
Well with Olya and Dima ( Dmitry Tarasov, husband of Olga Buzova, Lokomotiv football player - approx. editorial staff) I met while not at Black Star. I was invited to their corporate event to perform together with Ilya Kireev, with whom I had the track “Cat and Mouse”. They liked this song, but they liked Ilya’s work more. They were connected five years ago, when there was no sign of any label. Olya and Dima asked him to take me too. Recently, by the way, Dima showed me a video from that performance, I was young and green there, I didn’t know how to hold a microphone. Since then we have been in touch; this is not a new acquaintance because of new connections and a new party.
But have these new connections taken you somewhere you haven’t been before?
Of course, when you speak at some corporate events, you meet quite influential people. Perhaps from the government, perhaps from the elite of the musical environment. For example, when we performed at one of the major concerts, I met Joseph Kobzon. At that time, my grandmother was ill, and I asked him to record it on video: “Valentina Grigorievna, get well!” He did it without any problems, I sent it to her, she immediately recovered. The incentive appeared to live long. And there are a lot of such examples - such connections make a lot easier. You can help your loved ones. But I never turned away from my party. Those roots that helped me get to where I am today are still with me. It was my birthday on the second of March - yes, there were Black Star artists there, but there were many more friends from the Soul Kitchen crowd. I was actually lucky that I immediately met them when I moved to Moscow from Krasnodar. I recognized Nel, Kireev, Levan, Chek, Nanika, of course, MS Sounday, Gayana - those who still walk through life with me. Gayana sings in “Day and Night,” and I’m now preparing new tracks with her. This party just developed my qualities, which I showed most clearly in “Inside Out”. Before that I was listening to Detroit underground dirt, Madlib, Gilty Simpson. But I found myself in a crowd where soul and R&B ruled the roost, and it influenced me.
The album came out very lyrical, for girls.
As a musician and songwriter, I write about what I feel. I wrote it throughout 2015, which passed under the “flag of love” for me, I moved a girl from Kyiv to Moscow, our relationship reached new level. All the warm feelings that were inside me overwhelmed me - perhaps I would not have been able to write about anything else during this period.
Mota's girlfriend, Maria, starred in the "Trap" video.
Are you that impressionable?
No, but at that moment I wanted to write exactly about this. In just a month I recorded about ten tracks. Something was eliminated, something remained, but I didn’t want to stop. These are living emotions. The album is based on real events. In the future, of course, other topics will appear, but love will not go away. I will say more, this album was probably made for listening at home, alone. That's why I specially planned it for the spring. But it would be difficult to perform at open airs with such material in the summer. So just the other day I finished recording a seven-track summer EP. Some of the songs are aimed at large venues, electronic - as a reference, my song “Day and Night”. The rest are also danceable, but more “deep”, not for large venues.
At your label, the degree of creative freedom is such that you can say: “Guys, I’m in love, I’m writing only this kind of album!” No one will try to convince you to record the second "Day and Night"?
I've been on the label for 3 years now, and all this time I've felt great support from the team. They know that they can trust my taste and give me creative freedom. And I know that I have a whole team work behind me and the absence of routine paperwork problems. For which I bow to them and give them a big artistic thank you. Of course, when a hit appears, the artist will be offered to make another one. But this is impossible to repeat. And it wasn’t like they told me to remove the lyrics. Thank God, I have a head on my shoulders, and I myself understand that it’s not an option to dance to “Inside Out” in the summer. Therefore, such a dance EP will appear. It has already been completed, only technical matters remain. The first swallows will fly in May, and the release itself will take place in early June. For the fall I’m preparing another format track, like with VIA Groi, but most likely a solo one. Direct hit in rotation.
What are the main disadvantages of being an artist?
Jealousy of a beloved girl. Constant lack of sleep and malnutrition - with preparation for the album, for the EP, for the concert on April 17, I sleep three hours and eat twice a day. And also touring! This pace is not always, of course, but it happens.
What do you think of the new Black Star artists?
I’m not at all into the material that the girls, Klava Koka and Dana Sokolova are doing. But I know very well what Scrooge is doing. He's not at all like those already on the label. Such a daring guy, a little criminal. He was originally from Lvov or the region, then he moved, but the places where he lived are not sugar. We recently chatted with him, after filming the “Slivers” video, he said that he changed four schools. I understand that not from good character, he is quite hot-tempered and emotional. And on stage like that. But at the same time quite modest. I really hope that everything will work out for him and he will go on tour soon. I think “Slivers” will give him a good start, he has a memorable verse there. At one time, the song “Tusa” gave me the same impetus, when literally a month later I already had 8 or 10 tours, just because of one verse. Recently I sent him several “evil” minuses, daring ones, he has already sent demos. I am confident for him, I know that soon he will have something to show the public.
Under any video of your artists, encouraging comments from other artists immediately appear. Do you manage your own social networks?
As for YouTube, I have never written anything to anyone myself, but on Instagram we all support each other. There is some esprit de corps. Even though we are not super close friends who see each other every day, we often cross paths in the office, on tour, sometimes we go to smoke a hookah or go to the cinema together. No one bothers to support each other one more time.
Who is your closest friend from the label?
We have been in contact with Christina for the longest time, with whom we are connected by Soul Kitchen; even before Black Star, we recorded joint tracks. There is a guy who writes music for most of the Black Star artists, Egor Gleb, he is from Kyiv. And we are very good friends with him. He did the mixing and mastering for “Inside Out”, completed the instrumentals, and now we are finishing the dance EP with him. He brought Misha Marvin from Kyiv, who is now also an artist of the label. They have the most creative house - we create there, hang out, generate ideas. Because of work, we began to communicate with them most of all. And with Creed too, because he was always there, Egor also made all the music for him for the album.
The album "Inside Out" really has a retro sound. R&B and fits well into the Soul Kitchen direction. What do you think Ilya Kireev, Gayana, Ms Sounday and other soul, R&B artists lack so that they can have the same tours and venues as you?
The presentation of the album “Inside Out” will take place on April 16 in St. Petersburg (A2) and April 17 in Moscow (Ray Just Arena).
Last Friday, a solo concert by MOT, a performer of the Black Star label, took place at the Izvestia Hall concert hall. Invited friends, presentations of new tracks, choreographic numbers, in a word, the guys put on a real show. This guy pumped up the hall for 2.5 hours, but this was not enough for admirers of his talent.
As we know, you studied ballroom dancing and even ended up in Alla Dukhova’s studio “Todes”! What place does dance occupy in your life now?
“Yes, that’s right, it happened. At the age of 10, I was already studying in Alla Dukhova’s Krasnodar studio “Todes”. After moving to Moscow with my family, I also continued dancing, but with an emphasis on the hip-hop style. Now I don’t have so much free time, but I still love them very much, so today’s concert will include several compositions accompanied by choreography. We rehearsed non-stop for a month. I hope you enjoy it. In general, I have wanted to organize such a concert for a long time. Since my dancing background is a little behind me, the choreography was done by professionals. Of course, I couldn’t stand by and choreographed the track “Motstelet” myself.”
Beautiful dance numbers certainly delighted the audience. But the tracks that ILO performed for the first time created a greater sensation. One of these tracks is “Superstar”, with former member label Black Star Music Science.
Alik, tell us about your joint track “Superstar”. What is it about?
“Yes, today we have a big event with ILO, we are presenting a joint single called “Superstar”. We had a session on English, and ILO came up with my part, I came up with mine and we recorded in the studio. Now, after 5-6 months, we present it to our listeners.
This song is about girls of the glamor generation who come here to succeed. But you know, there is always a downside. She would like to become a superstar, but, alas... Perhaps someone will hear some kind of philosophical message in this song. And someone will just hum the tune.”
Are you already planning to shoot a video for this track?
“We discussed with him that if the Black Star label agrees, I’ll be happy to! For Moscow, and indeed for our society in general, this is a very relevant song. It has a slightly humorous message and something to think about. The ILO and I have another one new song, more lyrical. It is aimed at understanding, at emotions, at the symbolism of love. But we won’t sing it for now.”
What's it called? What should we expect?
“There is no working title. There is an interesting chorus - a long drawn-out note that will not leave you indifferent. In this track, MOT reveals himself as a musician, as a vocalist, and he succeeds in the best possible way. It was a pleasure to work with him in the studio. He gives himself to this very honestly and sincerely, which is what captivates me. good person. And, besides, he writes very interesting texts, living every word.”
In the meantime, we can only expect new works from the already established duo. During the concert, the recently released track “24-7” was also performed, which MOT recorded together with his friend Nel. According to the guys, it was almost an impromptu performance.
“Today the ILO and I are performing for the first time on a large stage a new joint track"24-7". We had one rehearsal at a party, literally 2 weeks ago. So today we will improvise. By the way, it has already been launched online, so those who couldn’t get to the concert today can listen to it at home,” commented Nel.
The rich program of the solo concert also featured old hits that fans had already fallen in love with: “Mama I’m in Dubai”, “Motstelet”, “Hakuna Matata”, “Benjamin”, “Oxygen” and others. Many fans were interested in whether their idol was going to go west.
Matvey, on Instagram we often watch videos of you performing tracks in English. Are you planning to enter the foreign market?
“I won’t go to the West, because the Russian public is closer to me, they understand my songs better. Yes, and it’s easier for me with them. At one time I graduated from a language school, and therefore now I sing in English only for myself, for the soul. I don’t plan anything more for now.”
So fans can rest easy. Their idol is devoted to his country. Especially for fans, the singer released a limited collection of iPhone cases, which everyone could purchase upon entering the dance floor. Before becoming their owners, loyal fans, despite the bad weather in the capital, were already waiting for the performer at the entrance to the concert hall 4 hours before the concert. But was it worth it? After all, as it turned out, the heart of the star of a famous label is already taken.
You are such a versatile person, you manage to study at Moscow State University in graduate school, write songs, act in videos... Do you still have time for your personal life? Has “the one” already appeared in your life? “Well... how can I tell you... Yes, I have a girlfriend. But she is not from the media sphere, because when two people in a family tour, it is very difficult. We are lucky that we have trust, since this is the most The main thing that should happen between a guy and a girl in a relationship! When we are far from each other, we don’t have any unnecessary questions.”
What is the most important quality for you in a girl?
“For me, one of the main qualities in a girl is thriftiness. Due to my busyness, I am completely useless in everyday life. Therefore, I need someone next to me who can create comfort in the house.”
So, girls, we can only enjoy the creativity of the ILO and rejoice in its family well-being.
Bold on stage and sweet in conversation: what is he really like?!
– Do you often get recognized on the streets and do you feel like a star?
– I feel like an ordinary Kuban lad ( laughs). It was probably only six months since I switched to a taxi; before that I used to ride the metro all the time. I never got tired of signing autographs and taking selfies. This, of course, is a little difficult after university or a hard day, but at the same time you put yourself in the shoes of the guys who want to take pictures. And you understand that it would be unpleasant if the person whose songs I listen to said with a sour face: “No, I don’t take pictures.”
Therefore, despite my condition, I try not to refuse. With the release of each release and album, there are more and more people interested. A security guard in my house a week ago turned to me and asked: “Are you Mot?” I nodded and wondered why he hadn’t noticed me for six months, but then suddenly noticed me. He continues: “A friend from Bryansk asked me to take a photo with you and take an autograph.” I say: “Let’s not come from afar.” He smiled and said: “Yes, I can take a photo for myself.”
– What are the strangest questions your fans ask you on Instagram?
– The strangest questions are asked personally by the organizers of concerts in various cities. They want to make a good impression and be remembered, but not knowing what to ask, they are bombarded with strange questions. For example, you are driving in a car, tired, yesterday there was a concert from which you are rushing to catch a plane without sleep, driving from the airport to the hotel and suddenly they ask you: “How is Timati? Is it true that his daughter wears black all the time? Why don't I get a tattoo? Do I really wear glasses because of poor eyesight or is it just an image? And this is the most decent thing, the rest is not censored. Lately people are often asking when the wedding is.
– In general, your Instagram is full of girls, luxury hotels and beautiful countries. Is it really like that or is Instagram just pictures for you?
– Let’s start with the fact that on my Instagram there is one favorite girl, many hotels, tours and countries. In real life, everything is exactly like this: huge amount concerts take us to different cities and corners of the world, which I am incredibly happy about. Before signing a contract with the Black Star label, my passport was pristine, and by the age of 23 I had only been to Turkey and Egypt. In the summer there were tours in Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, UK, currently on tour in Germany.
- Which one is the best? expensive thing in your wardrobe?
– The most expensive thing in my wardrobe is a chain. Gold chain around the rapper's neck ( laughs) should be the most expensive. He can wear a T-shirt from H&M and pants from Zara, but he must be wearing real jewelry of the highest standard.
– What car do you drive? Do you like to drive alone or with a driver?
– By the age of 25, I don’t have a driver’s license because I never needed one. I had no passion to drive. This is probably because at a turning point, at the age of 13–14, when guys want to get behind the wheel and buy their own car, I moved from Krasnodar to Moscow. I found myself in a huge metropolis with four-lane roads in one direction and six-lane roads in the other. I was shocked by such busy traffic; I didn’t even know the city.
What kind of car could we be talking about? Now I have no time for a car, the metro suited me for a long time, but now I make do with a taxi. Have fun falling into the backseat, checking social media or writing a song instead of bothering to look at the side mirrors.
– Tell me, what does it take to become a star?
“It’s probably karma, whoever is destined to become, will become.” A lot of work and diligence is required from the person himself, because no matter how talented you are, you will not achieve anything if you sit back. As my mother says, you need to create in your thoughts on the new moon an image of what you dream about. We all know that thoughts are material, the main thing is to believe and strive. In many ways, success comes to those who have a reliable support in the form of parents, friends, and a significant other. Never career growth It never goes smoothly, and in those moments when you want to give up, your loved ones can help you with advice and support. You can leave on your own will and faith, but not far.
– What stars and whose work do you follow? Besides Black Star, of course.
– I don’t watch Black Star at all.
– I don’t even know what Timati’s daughter wears, right?
– (Laughs.) Exactly! Over the past couple of years, television and the stage have significantly rejuvenated, music is becoming more stylish, progressive, sometimes even radical, conservative channel editors are retiring, who did not want to put anyone on air except the artists of their youth. I really like creativity IOWA groups. Quest Pistols for me it is a successful mixture of style and creativity with format and mass appeal. As a rule, a commercial product is overly sweet, but these guys skillfully find a balance between the first and the second. If we talk about those with whom I would record a song, Quest Pistols are on the first or second line.
Since childhood, when I was still dancing in “Todes” (and there was such a page in my life), I met Soso Pavliashvili. We went to Anapa and performed there with him. I was about 10 years old, and even then I copied him and sang “The Georgian is Waiting for You” in front of him, falling to my knees. He appreciated it and took a photo together. To this day, I remain a fan of the work and personality of Soso Pavliashvili, and the song “To Please” for me is the most masculine song dedicated to the opposite sex.
Among the foreign ones (after all, we all turn to the West, willy-nilly), I love J. Cole, Drake, Big Sean. Music does not stand still, young blood is appearing, and God grant that this trend continues on our stage.
– Since we’re talking about creativity, tell us about the track that you recently released.
– This week I released a joint track with Bianca, I’ve been wanting to do a joint track with her for a long time. She's an excellent vocalist. I like to post sketches on Instagram of me humming a melody I just wrote to an instrumental. It so happened that when I once again I made a similar post, Bianca saw it, wrote to me and asked what it was. I told them that I had just written this and offered to make a track together.
The next day we went to the studio and recorded a song that was released quite recently, a video will be released next week. The composition turned out to be very soulful and lyrical, I wanted to release it either in the fall, during a period of good sadness and melancholy, or in the spring, when the mood is appropriate. On such cold days as now, you want to listen to something warm and inspiring hope; a new song, like a battery, is designed to warm the hearts and souls of people.
– Do you think stars, as creative people, can behave more than others?
- Well, yes, of course they can, to be honest! For example, they don't stand with everyone else at the check-in counter, but go through the VIP entrance; they don't spend hours in stores trying to buy new Kanye West sneakers, they have them delivered to their home. There are many such aspects, but it is important not to go too far and remember that you are, first of all, a person, and not a star floating in the clouds. After all, today you are at the top, and tomorrow you have already fallen.
– Are there any commandments, for example “I will never...”?
– I will never support the Barcelona football club, because since I was 10 years old I have been an ardent fan of the Real Madrid club. I have a great feeling for the Barcelona players, but when I see the garnet and blue colors it suddenly becomes difficult for me.
– Is this to be different from other artists of the Black Star label?
– No, it’s just that for me a tattoo is something very personal and eternal. Now I can’t name a single thing that is so significant to me that it would be tattooed on my body. Of course, I can have Spiderman tattooed on my right hand, because I love this hero, “Real Madrid”, the name of my mother or a photo of my son, when he comes, I mean. But the last two things are non-public, and stuffing a superhero is a little childish. I have no idea what to get, this is unlikely to change, so tattoos are not for me.
– We all know that in Black Star the artists promote healthy image life: no grass, cigarettes, alcohol. But nevertheless, have you ever performed at a concert while drunk?
– I don’t drink alcohol at all. Purely symbolically I drink a glass of champagne for the New Year and on my birthday.
– In general, Amy Winehouse-style behavior and the examples of “Club 27” are not about you?
- Yes, not my story.
– There is no negative information about you on the Internet...
– Yes, considering that I was recently invited to an interview in a magazine where there was a section with malicious comments and tweets. They collected everything they could from all sites, gave it to me and asked me to comment on every hate post.
– You probably had an empty list?
– No, there were about 50 phrases. Therefore, if you wish, you can apparently find something negative ( laughs). But in principle, my biography is clean.
– Have you decided to create a new image for a fashionable rapper? Or is it just yours human nature?
– If a person plays, his deception sooner or later becomes obvious. The roots of my behavior go back to childhood and adolescence, the upbringing that my parents gave me does not allow me to run around naked, swear, or spend free time in brothels and strip clubs. I'm not an image, but real person, for which I want to say thank you to mom and dad.
– Can you describe what your songs are about in one word?
– The songs definitely cannot be described in one word. If we talk about creativity, then the word will be “potpourri”. I have tracks for the body that you want to dance to, and tracks for the soul that evoke a romantic mood. It is impossible to fit one size fits all. The artist, like the listener, has different moods, depending on which a particular composition is born.
– Tell me an incident in your life for which you are very ashamed? For example, I ran out on a date through the balcony.
- Not bad, I have similar cases sea, but they, too, I’m afraid, will not pass censorship. I don't want to traumatize my readers.
– How can you injure someone if we have already found out that you are an exemplary guy?
– Well, I grew up in Krasnodar, after all, and my childhood and youth were very eventful and active. Not without sin, so to speak. From childhood pranks, I remember how we collected scrap metal around Krasnodar during the day, handed it over in the evening and received money. They came at night, stole it, and brought it back during the day. Or another funny incident. We watched the movie "Yamakashi" for the first time and decided to conquer the Olympus of one of the houses. However, it was very simple, and we decided to conquer the Olympus of one of the police stations. On the third floor, a window opened, they accepted us, and we spent the night at the police station, explaining that this was not a terrorist attack, that we were just impressed by the film and wanted to feel like young ninjas. And there were similar things with construction, and with many other things...
– You often said that you like to relax in Greece and enjoy Greek cuisine. Nevertheless, you shoot videos in Dubai and even dedicate songs to it. How do you feel about this city?
– I have only one song about Dubai. I spent a long time preparing for my trip to this city, looking at photographs of the Burj Khalifa, the island, and skyscrapers. I understood that I would soon see it all live, so there was some excitement. Many people asked me what the first thing I would do in Dubai: rent a cool Lamborghini, pull some sheikh’s handgun. I told everyone that I would just call my mother and say: “Mom, I’m in Dubai.” It was in connection with these impressions that the famous line was born.
I write a lot on planes because I often don’t have enough time to write, so on the way back from Dubai to Moscow I wrote a song. I didn’t think that this track would blow up clubs later on. For me, it was like an Instagram photo that describes my experience and says: “Look, I was here!”
That year I visited Greece for the first time, unfortunately, not with a concert, but for now as a tourist. I was very inspired and impressed, because Greek blood boils and flows in me, my grandfather was from there.
I was wondering when I get to Greece, my genetic homeland, whether I will feel in my place. All this happened. At the hotel, at breakfast and at the reception, they spoke to me exclusively in Greek until I explained in English that I was from Russia - they were incredibly surprised.
– Are you familiar with the term “golddiggers”?
– Honestly, no, I don’t know. There is a song by Kanye West, it’s probably connected somehow, but I don’t know how.
- A golddigger is a girl who is after a guy with a fat wallet. Have you ever met anyone like this in your life? Did you try to get divorced?
– Honestly, such stories are all too common. Stars and artists, including me, are constantly pursued by some maniacs who want to post photos of you. There are those who want to gain fame and promotion on social networks at your expense, or fly with you on vacation and receive new collections of “Agent Provocateur” every day. In my opinion, you can see such people a mile away. Girls are ready to do anything to hook a rich man: operations, deception, extortion.
– Do you follow your fans on Instagram?
– After each concert, I go by geolocation and look at photographs of people who were there. I go to users’ pages, like, comment, and share them. Thus, I salute the author of the photo for his work. I often answer substantive questions in my profile; I recently wrote, for example, that a new album will be released in the spring. Naturally, I ignore comments like “I was fired from BurgerKing” and “Mutual subscriptions and likes.” – The best manicure, weight loss... – Yes, this is also rarely of interest, like the proposed trauma ( laughs).
– How do you feel about silicone breasts? After all, recently there has been a trend towards naturalness.
– For a long time, the standard of female beauty for me was Kim Kardashian. Then they opened my eyes to my cheekbones, nose, lips and butt...
– Or did you see a video that was circulating on the Internet?
– Everyone saw this video, many thanks to it became fans of Kim Kardashian. No, I just realized that everything about it was artificial, and I was disappointed. Often my girlfriend tries to get plastic surgery after some social event. She sees the cheekbones made and says that she wants it too, asking why I don’t allow her. I'm giving a lecture on how natural is much more beautiful. Fortunately, now there is a trend towards naturalness and many girls who have not yet spoiled themselves plastic surgery, thought about it.
I can't say that I'm an ardent opponent. Many Instagirls with a million subscribers were once not beauties. You go to the “Naked Truth on Instagram” group and look at what happened “before”, and you understand: in this case, plastic surgery changed a person’s life in better side. No one would have ever known about her or looked at her, but she went from being a gray Cinderella to becoming a queen desired by everyone.
If the girl is already beautiful, sweet, charismatic, then, in my opinion, you shouldn’t engage in this nonsense.
– Who is your dream woman?
– For a long time, I already said, it was Kim Kardashian, but now, probably, it’s my girlfriend. First of all, what is important here is not so much the aspect of appearance as the soul. Artists are such complex, capricious, ungrateful people that next to them there should be a caring, patient girl, ready, as we said at the military department, to endure all the hardships and hardships. There was military service, here it’s artistic. My other half often has to turn a blind eye to tours, photos with fans, a video with Bianca and treat it philosophically.
- Isn’t he jealous of you?
“Inside, I think she’s jealous, but she doesn’t show it, for that I’m very grateful to her.”
– I saw photographs of Maria, she looks very much like Kim Kardashian, by the way.
– Still, this image did not completely let me go and, apparently, will never let me go.
– Two final questions from our Instagram subscribers. First: what event in your life do you consider significant?
– It’s probably difficult to single out one thing. gold medal at school. I walked towards her for a very long time and happily brought this moment closer.
– And the second question: which subjects at school did you like and which did you not?
– I loved literature, my mother is a philologist, and from childhood she instilled in me a love of words. Loved physical education. I couldn’t stand the natural sciences, I was a humanities major after all, physics and chemistry were hard for me, I was swimming in these subjects. I really liked my physics and chemistry teachers, but I couldn’t stand laboratory work which they carried out. I always tried to sit down with some classmate at such moments. There was collaboration, she did everything, and I said: “Well, we worked great together! That’s how it all worked out!”