Slovo 30 (english language)

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Ice Grill Jhetta Ebron

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LyaPRO Ñ… Paul Pain

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Zulu Queen Saphire

The traditionalists of Hip-Hop 017

January's Records 021

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Coming soon. Releases of 2017

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Translators: Mikael Salikh Marianna Chief

Art and City

Captain Smollett a.k.a Crazy Lazy

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Editor: Vitali "Nelson" Makhnach

Noir

The Get Down Jazz Time

2016: the best albums

Website: HTTP://SLOVOMAG.COM Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/slovomagazine E-mail: slovohiphop@gmail.com

Ice Grill released a great album "BlackChalk" in 2015. This album is the result of a long career of the MC. Sincere lyrics, cool beats and technically mcing of the "BlackChalk" conquered many listeners.

Now Ice Grill is ready to release a second album, which promises to be even better than its predecessor!

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Mistakes". That particular song is a sort of a retrospect. It gives the listeners a view into negative scenario and situations. But it doesn't go overboard! The 2nd single is titled "Respond Back" which is a high energy track, this particular song is basically addressing emcees who may assume they can out spit me. Whereas the last single titled "The Book Of Life" features a legendary AZ formerly of The Firm. This track is a lyrical track that well be refreshing and I am completely convinced that hip-hop heads will enjoy it immensely.

Among the singles is collaboration with AZ. Will there be other famous guests on the album?

Ice Grill: Yes, the main reason why we haven't released it yet is due to the last features: we have some big choices from Raekwon, the Chief of Wu-Tang, to Ghostface and also Rakim, the choices I won't name are also phenomenal.

This is the hardest part to pick the perfect emcee to complete our recipe to give the best "#BlackChalk".

The music production of the last album was constructed by different beat makers, but a main role in the production of "BlackChalk" was formulated by D.J. M-80. Are you and M-80 collaborating your efforts on this new album?

Ice Grill: Most definitely we are building from the dirt up from picking samples to agreeing on other producer's music to contribute and construct a solid body of the work.

We have an uncanny and natural chemistry when putting music together we push each other to the limit to get the best products we can attain.

You are planning to release an album "#BlackChalk2" that is coming soon. Will it be a sequel to the previous disc "BlackChalk"? What aspects in sound or lyrics of its predecessor will continue in the new album, and what will be different?

Ice Grill: Yes, my producer and engineer DJ M-80 and I have been recording a stupendous amount of music for our follow up "#BlackChalk2". The 2nd edition will have the same recipe with more growth and bigger features. We are basically aiming to outdo our previous works so you can expect this N.Y. Grit with an edgier and sharper sound.

Your previous album was released more than a year ago. What has changed in your music during this time?

Ice Grill: More descriptive bars and an edgier delivery that I think will give those who enjoyed "BlackChalk" a refreshing breath of fresh air. And I have also reached out to some different producers to give a twist to my listeners so they can expect some crazy production.

Several singles already were already released in the run-up to the album "# BlackChalk2". Tell us a bit about them.

Ice Grill: Well we released the first single featuring GDep formerly of BadBoy Records which is titled "My

What unique aspects do you think that D.J. M-80 gives to the sound of your releases?

Ice Grill: He supplies the perfect sonic sound bed for me to paint to the tracks and basically writes them. When I hear them the energy is unquestionable. To describe it better: when the samples and drums mesh perfectly it feels natural like breathing, that's the best way I can explain it.

Your rap reflects a real life. How have events that have taken place in the USA and the world this year influenced the lyrics on the new album? Does your lyrics reflect global events or in the first place only your personal life and experience?

Ice Grill: I take inspiration from the events that transpire daily but on this album I used personal situations and experiences to deliver something new. I also threw some different ingredients, for instance, a song titled "I'm Alive" feat. Arron Taylor on the chorus will give listeners three real life situations from my life. There wasn't any singing at all but this track is one of my favorite ones because it is so heartfelt. But then I have a positive track giving my view on how music is polluting this generation making it brainless zombies. I touched a lot of different topics and threw them in the blender for this one.

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Those MCs, who pay more attention to the global political and social issues in their lyrics, often have one problem. Their lyrics are transformed into a set of slogans or a lecture. How do you think – is it a specificity of the topics of global difficulties or the entire nuance in the skills of every MC? Ice Grill: I think it is all subjective: anyone who chooses to use their voice via music is automatically labeled a political rapper and stereotyped just like emcees with bars are backpackers to the masses. I feel that if you feel strongly about any topic weather political or otherwise, it is a must that you use your voice. I personally want to add 1 political track to the "#BlackChalk2" because I feel like there are some things I need to get off of my chest. No topic is off limits in my mind if you are a true emcee.

Were there events after the release of the "BlackChalk" that made you want to take another look at your own work?

Ice Grill: Yes, actually the amount of support and recognition that the "#BlackChalk Project" gained was phenomenal. And it reached far more people than I originally planned to and it also opened up a lot of doors from performing at "A3C" to rocking out at "SXSW" as well as premiering on "Sirius Shade 45" on "Toca Tuesday".

So my only goal was to outdo that with no exception we are aiming for our best work.

What role does online media play in an artist's development and how is it perceived in your last album?

Ice Grill: A huge part is due to the ability to reach the world online if an artist strikes the right vain it is sure to spread like wild fire. Without the internet I would have never been able to reach as vast an audience and make the moves that where made possible do to the web.

In the biography of Tech N9ine I read the story about that he created his fan base, performing in small clubs in various US cities. Whether is this a real path of development for MC in the US today?

Ice Grill: Yes, it is, but you have to have a catalogue and some type of online reach to open those doors. Pure talent doesn't cut it these days there are thousands of rappers so the pool is overflowing.

How do American industries of concerts work? What shows do people wait for? How strong is the competition in this business?

Ice Grill: Basically build a fan base to get the wheels turning by starting out at smaller shows you can grow your fan base organically. If you perform like it's your last shot every time they will grow. People are waiting for the newer age Lil Yachty and Uzi verts but there are fans that are coming out in astronomical numbers to support the legends.

Every album sets a bar for an MC to set a starting point of a new stage in his or her creativity. And the reaction of the audience often affects on the assessment of their own releases. Tell us about the feedback from your audience.

Ice Grill: I have been told that what the "#BlackChalk" delivered was what the streets and Hip- Hop heads have been missing and those who supported my previous releases absolutely loved the "BlackChalk". So with all the praise I have been super technical with this one: we recorded 60 songs and trimmed it down to 10 and where still recording as of this interview.

Is it important to do a critical review of your tracks, when the listener describes in detail what he liked and did not like?

Ice grill: Yes, because I have always believed in taking criticism and using it as fuel and guidance to grow with each and every track. So I am a huge critic to my own work, before it ever reaches the public it's tweaked to my best abilities. And I always ask the harshest most honest people I know personally.

How difficult is it for an MC in the USA today to gain popularity, if he is making classic hip-hop?

Ice Grill: Extremely difficult do to the music that is trendy if your subject matter is abusing narcotics and you use auto tune you're a shoe in. Whereas content and substance are considered old school or dated it's a proverbial tug of war but well worth the fight to be completely honest. But if you stay true to those listeners and continue to deliver what they been missing you have to grow, it's unbelievable how many people will share your music if it's authentic.

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Let's go back to your new album. When you are you planning to release the "#BlackChalk2"? Are you planning to release several singles before the album release?

Ice Grill: We plan to release it in Mid-May to have it to the standards we have set, the bar is to not give everything we have and we plan to release one more single and that's all which is the "The Book Of Life" feat. AZ. Have you ever thought of making video clips in support of the album? If so, what tracks will be used in the clips?

Where are you planning to perform? Will there be organized any concerts in support of the

"#BlackChalk2"?

Ice Grill: We plan to make some shows In ATL, N.Y.C and a few other cities, the goal is China and Japan though. "Go big or go home" is my motto.

What tracks from the album are unusual, relevant and very important for you personally?

Ice Grill: "Book Of Life", "I'm Alive", and "I won't name the rest". I would be very grateful to the listeners if they let me know their favorite ones. It will be available everywhere online for purchase and stream. Thank you so much for another great interview and Peace & Honor.

http://www.icegrilla.com http://www.blackchalkhiphop.com 006

Faith in music means a lot. Faith turns the track into a hymn, into a picture of reality, into a stimulus to action. Faith makes listeners into fans. And if you wait every release of this artist, it means that you believe him. Otherwise, what's the object of doing that? Of course, someone just dances to the music, catching its rhythm and vibration. And he does not think about the words. Maybe those words are not needed, are they? Maybe they are not‌ 007

But those who believe, they need words. "In the beginning was the word." This is true for hip-hop. No matter how important the rhythms are, the status of MC is given for the words woven in rhymes. And often, a word is more globally than its content. First, we catch an artist's emotions, and only then delve into the meaning of what he said. Without sincerity in his voice you will pass the track by and lose his message.

How is faith born? From the first seconds when MC's voice cuts bars of beat. That's all. Now you do not forget the name and voice of the artist. And every new release will give you a joy.

Jhetta Ebron is a name that I've heard recently. I saw her videoclip in Facebook and then I froze. Wow! It's really cool. I believe. And I've already listened to her mixtapes.

This girl demonstrates technique of mcing, to which many artists go during a career. But for her all is ahead. Music became her world in a childhood.

Today, this young MC is known in different countries. I am sure that people not only know her, but also love and listen to her music. Although there aren't millions of listeners, but I wish her to find such a large audience. Especially as Jhetta has something to say to her listeners. She isn't one of those artists whose music is closed on themselves. Jhetta's tracks talk about the reality of a world that is far from an ideal.

But they do not lose touch with the daily life of people; do not become a dry theory or policy statement. And it also makes them real and maintains faith in MC Jhetta Ebron.

https://jhettae.com https://soundcloud.com/jhettae https://www.youtube.com/user/jhetta94 008

LyaPRO x Paul Pain is duet of two artists, good known for many listeners of Belarusian rap. After numerous solo projects, they began to produce releases together. And these releases are quite different from the creativity of Paul Pain and LyaPRO of previous years. The participants of the duo said in an interview with our magazine about the evolution of their own tastes and how the process of collective work impact on this evolution.

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You have been cooperating for many years, but you've started releasing tracks in the duo recently.

Tell us about your releases.

Paul Pain: We have been working together for a long time, from 2007. Ilya liked some of my beats, which led to the first joint work. It was the track "Plates", recorded in the time of Soulfamy. Then we decided that we will not create any groups, simply we will do joint tracks. Gradually we recorded some tracks. In 2013, after recording the track "Plus 7", we decided to join together in the duo for releasing our collaborations.

LyaPRO: The first our joint track was called "Plates."

After that Pasha participated in all my solo releases.

And, of course, we've always wanted to do full-fledged joint releases, but decided to do it only when we got a sniff of smell of pension (laughs).

I think every artist has some key tracks, which he never forgets, even years later. Do you have such tracks? Why are they so important to you?

Paul Pain: I very rarely listen to own tracks after its release (considering that I listened to them hundreds of times when mastering). I listened to Album "Planet on the palm" a year after its release. And I really like the tracks "Like as wolf," and "Be like Terry." I like them because they have "a nerve", as corny as it may sound.

Also I like the track "Planet on the palm." So among the eight tracks I'm still happy with the three of them, and the rest has its own nuances.

Before I wrote a lot of tracks from the first person. Now I try to project all the stories and thoughts on the abstract images, and in the new tracks I don't use the word "I". You can see a sacred meaning in this nuance, because there were cases when the fictional story of my songs came to my life. This is also the reason why I write the lyrics from a third person now.

LyaPRO: Each track was written in connection with some experiences or events. Naturally, some of them are already outdated, and some of them I would perform at concerts even now.

you should sing, not read." But the next day I listen to it and understand that result is good. It also happens.

But in general, if each of us wants to assert something of their own, it can always record a solo track. All what you want to do by yourself - do it in solo projects. And here, once a team is created, you need to listen to the other team member.

LyaPRO: We are working on it. We get at zen using the rhymes.

How is your solo projects refracted in the duet?

How do they affect the collective work?

Paul Pain: My solo tracks fully reflect what is going on in my head. In joint tracks we're trying to get out of the term "underground" and do something for all listeners.

LyaPRO: My solo release without Paul Pain - it is unreal.

Do you have something that is a common thing in your solo works but in your joint tracks is a kind of taboo? Maybe is it some sound elements, themes of tracks or their style?

It is always difficult to unite for two MCs with their own experience. There are different views on creativity and its purposes. Is it a problem in your duet?

Paul Pain: We have quite different views on the lyrics.

Ilya often do not like my intricate lyrics. I don't like his simple verses. And in the debate about them is born the total lyrics. This is a very good thing, because before, when I worked in a team with other MCs, we all simply wrote verses and we hadn't critical attitude towards the content of the verses to each other.

We debate not only when we write the lyrics, but also when we record tracks. Often at the time of the recording we think: "it is necessary to remove" or "here 010

Paul Pain: I generally have a "taboo" in relation to any of the solo and collaborative tracks. It is a swearing despite that I use it in everyday life. Also I can not release the track, if it has not "perfect" sound. Even remixes on our songs, which were created by other artists I often do not let to upload in Internet, because they have bad quality.

If we talk about the taboo in comparison of solo and collective creative work - in a joint track I do not write complex lyrics. I try to write a simple understandable lyrics.

LyaPRO: Yes, of course, there are taboos. I am a lover of hardcore sound and performance. But in a duet, we are trying to combine our strengths in the lyrics and accessibility of sound.

Tell us about the selection of the material. How this moment is difficult for you? Does it stir up a dispute?

What criteria do you use for check the quality of own tracks?

Paul Pain: My inner critic works well. I can rewrite couplets several times for a week. I work with the sound for a long time, because I want to get a perfect track. If we talk about a selection of finished tracks, we don't have it, because there is a selection on a stage of beatmaking. We listen to beat and do not see ourselves on it. Much depends on the mood of beat. We cannot to write a lyrics on a fun beat. I like to be sad in my music.

So we basically record minor tracks.

LyaPRO: We don't select many tracks, because we do

not have the conveyor in its creation. We try to make each track special.

At this time, I think the audience perceives you as a rap duo. Do you limit your music according to genre?

Do you have any plans for some experimentation with other genres?

Paul Pain: We are by no means limiting ourself. If the first release was full of rap, I'm mcing in two tracks of the release, and "trying to sing" in the third track. But now we do an EP, which will be more pop (in a good way). A lot of things will be performed in a singsong voice, using elements of house and other electronic music. We will not use samples, and we will use not a lot of recitative.

LyaPRO: I'll try myself in grime style, together with my old friend, who makes music in this genre. Perhaps these experiments will spiral into a full-format release.

Now this style is very interesting for me. There is also a solo experiment with trance music by Nomovoln.

If we talk about the business side of making music "music as a joke" is becoming more and more popular. All kinds of projects such as Pika or Griby with primitive and unconscious lyrics rush in a "top", collecting millions of listenings. What is your view on these processes? Do you think that turning music into joke makes it more "one-hit wonder" than a deluge of tracks in the Internet?

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Paul Pain: As for the music in general I can say nothing, but hip-hop really has problems with bloggers such as Larin and Khovanskiy. They are trying to do the rap, and sometimes, unfortunately, they do it good. The situation is that there are people who went to his fame during ten years like Oxxxymiron. But also there are bloggers who have their own fan base and all what they will do, all fans will tell that it is great. This may change the attitude to hip-hop as a music that has some message. Artists will simplify their music and lyrics.

For Pika and Griby I have no further questions. However, I have not hear full Pika's album, and Griby's album I listened to when jogging. I cannot listen to this kind of music quietly sitting at home.

In general, I think, all of these projects as quickly became popular and quickly will lose their status. What many people listen to is not an indicator of quality. It only shows what people need. People do not want to think, they want to sit disabling brain, watch in the monitor and laugh.

LyaPRO: My children know by heart songs of those artists. I estimate them good as a joke. I think that they have a good sense of humor. All of this is temporary, of course.

People are simply tired of "heavy conscious" rap and they need to unwind a bit. But life, as we know, is a spiral.

Therefore, the next popular style will be with emotions and a message. If we talk about "music as a joke," the jokes are different. For example, a Krovostok crew has their own joke. Zmey and Hamil also know how to do cool humoristic songs. I always liked jokes of Mister Maloy.

Why not?

Continuing the previous question - the artists are often caught in a dilemma between the market conditions and their own tastes. Conjunctural music is unlikely to be felt and reflect the artist's experience. Do you agree with this? And how do you solve this dilemma?

Paul Pain: I've never been opportunist. I cannot sell myself, you know my situation - I am sitting in the "underground" without hype. Single publications on popular public pages like "Rap Quotes" and "New Rap" are not enough. You know - we need to be on these pages regulary. Also artist need to simplify the lyrics, trying to sell himself. I'd rather make a track for myself, but I'll be honest with listeners. I cannot write songs to order.

LyaPRO: You should put your heart and soul into the lyrics.

Can a person in the pursuit of market conditions be sincere?

Paul Pain: Yes, he can. A good example is LSP. At first he did light tracks. It helped him to gain fanbase. Now he makes trap music sometimes even with a social message. I believe that the LSP is a very good lyricist. Although many people have different opinions about him. And now, thanks to the hype LSP can do more serious lyrics, and he still remains popular. Also the same situation was in Basta's career. In the old years he wrote all these songs like as "So cries the spring."

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But he still makes such songs.

Paul Pain: He makes similar songs, but not as such. I feel that the person experiences - this is important. If you're constantly based only on the commercial conditions, things are rotten. It's not bad to start with pop music, but then you need to indicate other topics in your lyrics.

You write very different lyrics. They are different in their style and content. What is your view on the lyrics in the music? What does it have to be, and what, in any case, should not be?

Paul Pain: I love honesty. I feel when the artist is honest.

Even when Yanix writes about money and cars, I believe him, because when you look at it from the side, you see that the guy has money. Other example is Pika. I remember his really cool track "My home town". This track was made with soul. But Pika wasn't popular with this track. And he understood that he needs to move in another direction. He thought over and got his hype.

In general, you have to be honest. It will make your future way more easy. But if you plan to do the tracks with bait for the people - I do not know how to write five albums with the expectation of it.

Also there should not be a personal life in the lyrics. You should not call girls in the tracks "bitches". There should be no underwear and other rubbish. Who needs this dirt? It is all around. You can see it without a track. Music is a culture, it should enrich us.

LyaPRO: I love rap from the USA for a many years. I cannot understand lyrics without a translator, because I often truant (laughs). But I still shake from some songs that I heard for the first time 20 years ago. And I even do not want to translate the lyrics, to be not disappointed. The Russian language is possible to write rap lyrics steeper than Mayakovsky, but if MC will perform it on the bad beats, no one will listen to him. Therefore I do not welcome such phenomenon as the battle "Versus", where is no music, and MCs tell in a face nasty things. But thus you cannot kick ass of your opponent. I do not understand it (laughs).

Hence my beats have become more electronic. I do not use samples, because it is borders. I understand that sampling is a canon of hip hop. But now I write melodies by myself.

In addition to creativity in a duet with LyaPRO, you have a solo project Nomovoln. This is house music. How did you come to electronic music from hip-hop beatmaking?

Paul Pain: My music taste has been radically changed for five years. Now it includes a little hip-hop, a lot of house and German house music particularly from the label Diynamic Music. This house music is not for everyone, but it reflects my inner state. I listen to this music and say "yes." But I cannot say it about rap. I am fed up with it. It is situation when you eat the same dish for 13 years. I'm tired of that and I decided to expand horizons.

Paul Pain remains as he is. In this project I talk about the pain. I left the pain and suffering to hip-hop. Nomovoln is a positive project, without suffering. You can translate the title as calm. I calmed down and started to write a more quiet music.

In addition, you often release remixes including pop music tracks. What motivates you to work on them? Can you hear the track, and you get the feeling that it can sound different? Or is it just experiments with songs, what you like?

A question to Paul Pain. If to trace the history of your releases, you changed as a musician and as a MC. But the musical changes are expressed much stronger. In fact, the beginning of your work and its modern phase stand in contrast. What resulted in this change?

Paul Pain: First of all, my skills of sound-engineering grow more quickly, than the lyrics. My lyrics always were shambling, it did not have a super triple rhymes. I support the idea that the more sense it is better than more "schtick". I write the music four times longer than the lyrics. Naturally I constantly try to look for a new sound, make my mastering better. Devices allows me get the quality sound, I has collected my studio for a five years.

Listening to different genres let me to changes of my style. I never focus narrowly on hip-hop, although my surroundings always have lived with the classics of hip-hop.

Now for me to listen to rap is hard. I can listen to Krec, 2517 and Krovostok. But mostly I listen to different genres of electronic music, and sometimes even the Russian rock.

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Paul Pain: You notice that I love Ukraine. I like this country as there is very free music. I often check new music in the Shazam and see that it is Ukrainian music.

I began to think why? All my remixes are associated with the Ukrainian scene. There are Onuka, K.A.T.Y.A. (Katya Rogovaya), Pianoboy, Луна (Luna). It is easy to work with them. They repost my remixes on their pages in Soundcloud. Katya Rogovaya even sent me her acapella for remix. I try to express in my remixes the love for this country and their music.

In general I can say that I love the music from which you have goosebumps on the skin.

Pop Music is a blurred concept. What kind of this music genre are you interested in?

Paul Pain: This concept is very vague. There are "dancing bones" on TV a la Philip Kirkorov. But this is not pop music, this is bubblegum music. I love the high-quality contemporary pop music. For example, Onuka combines in his songs house and folk and many other styles. A good pop music is a music which is listened to by the people of the age from 15 to 30 years.

The same is Ivan Dorn. If music doesn't have young listeners, it means that the music is already dead. I cannot call good pop projects in our country.

I think that pop music should have a quality stylish

electronic basis and intelligible, but not the primitive lyrics.

Taking into account, that you have a lot of directions of creativity, so you also have a large number of new creative projects and plans for near future. What are these plans? What will we hear from your duo and from your solo projects?

Paul Pain: Now I dedicate much time to pop music.

First of all, we are working with Ira Kanygina. We will release with a few new tracks coming soon.

LyaPRO x Paul Payne makes a new EP. And we want to film a videoclip. We already had an attempt, but then we did not agree about the idea. Now, if the new track will suit both of us, we'll film it.

For Nomovoln I have a finished house album, called "Robot and Flower". I wanted upload it in Internet. But my friend Sasha Shien, who now use nickname Bothisatva, advised me not to rush out and look for a label for it. He is around long enough in house music and he appreciated my music. So until I do not send my music to all big labels in this genre, I'm not going to spread this release in Internet. But at the same time I will release "pop" tracks in the Nomovoln projects. I develop my "vocal abilities" in these tracks.

There are my three projects, what I like to work at.

https://vk.com/nomovoln https://vk.com/lyaproxpavelpain https://soundcloud.com/nomovoln 014

Zulu Queen Saphire dead in January 12. All of us at Universal Zulu Nation knew her as a person who has devoted years for development of the organization. Queen Saphire sought to make hip-hop a universal means of education. She constantly participated in a variety of social projects, which concerned the real problems of real people. And these people are grateful to her for help.

I was acquainted with the Queen Saphire only in the Internet. But even such a superficial acquaintance with her, and our interviews showed proactive stance of Queen Saphire to our common culture.

However, better than any words about the culture, organization and social activity, about Zulu Queen Saphire could say people who knew her and communicated with her in real life. They write to her words of love and appreciation. If a person had so many friends what more do we need to talk about her? Those friends will carry the memory of their friend.

Rest In Peace Zulu Queen Saphire!

https://www.gofundme.com/zulu-queen-saphire 015

Damu The Fudgemunk - Vignettes https://damuthefudgemunk.bandcamp.com/album/vignettes Sean Strange Presents: Eveything Is Nah Bro https://everythingisnahbro.bandcamp.com/album/sean-strange-presents-eveything-is-nah-bro Oh No & Tri-State - 3 Dimensional Prescriptions https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/3-dimensional-prescriptions/id1185004281 Ran Reed - Still Commanding Respect https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/still-commanding-respect/id1175072581 Venomous2000 & Trilian - Sounds of the Great Ones https://venomous2000.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-of-the-great-ones TNT (Timbo King & Tek) - WuCamp http://www.datpiff.com/TNT-Timbo-King-N-Tek-Wucamp-mixtape.824730.html

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The year has just begun, but the artists do not lose time and release new albums every day. We want to talk about some of them.

Dolo MC - A Minds Migration It is a debut mixtape of MC from Hawaii. This is jazz-hop with a very calm recitative, which like drowns in the melody and measured music. It's the good release for rest and relaxation. Although it also can help in reflections and creating of a certain mood. https://dolomc.bandcamp.com/album/a-mindsmigration PatrickSon - Mouton Noir.

It is an album for lovers of French hip-hop. This is a melodic and calm release and at the same time it's full of emotions. It evokes nostalgia for the French hip-hop of early 2000s, when there was not yet the influence of American trap music. https://patrickson.bandcamp.com/album/mouton-noir Digital Martyrs - The MMXVI Beat Tape Digital Martyrs are known beatmakers. They don't need to take up the experience and sense of style. Beat tape "The MMXVI" combines the two different styles - boom bap and trap, which seem to be different. Half of tape is dedicated to every style. It turned out great! https://digitalmartyrs.bandcamp.com/album/themmxvi-beat-tape

Mo4us Da Heru - Da Following Mo4us Da Heru is an MC and producer, originally from Brooklyn. Now he lives in Orlando, but his music has retained all the juice of the New York hip-hop. There are simple beats with many samples of old soul and jazz, and mcing, as we used to hear from the MC in the "Big Apple." https://maytricksrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dafollowing Aver - Instrumentals.3 Aver is a member of the hip-hop crew The Natural Curriculum (TNC) from Manchester. This producer makes melodic boom bap. The beats are not boring, and do not get bored during the whole album, because each track is beautiful in its own way. https://thenaturalcurriculum.bandcamp.com/album/instr umentals-3 Lady Kay - Meeting of the 9 The label Soul Material Entertainment released several albums and Eps in January 10. The album of Lady Kay is among them. It takes us to the southern rap of 90s. But at the same time this album has a lot of soul music. That's cool. Such releases give a lot of emotions, and we are grateful to their creators for that! https://soulmaterial.bandcamp.com/album/meeting-ofthe-9-2

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Ynot the Old Head - Music Is A Hobby I'm Good At Ynot the Old Head is a representative of the record label Soul Material Entertainment. In January, the label released eight (!) EPs of this MC. Some of them were published previously, but there are new releases too.

Sound of the albums varies from neo soul to the southern hip hop of 90s. However, all these genres in the case Ynot the Old Head were skipped through the prism of their own style.

Each of the eight EPs is interesting. But perhaps the best can be called "Music Is A Hobby I'm Good At". This EP is a balm for the soul for those who want to bridge the gap between hip-hop of past and present. It fits well with the trend of revival of G-Funk and southern rap of 90s.

Zizzo - From the Ashes It is a good debut EP of MC from New York City. Despite the fact that it includes only five tracks, the release is quite diverse. Zizzo's tracks sound sincere. This honesty is an important ingredient of her music. https://zizzo.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-ashes Ivory - 1203 It is a melodic hip-hop release with the classic sound.

Ivory is an MC, producer and spoken word poet from California. It is not surprising that the lyrical component in this release is central. https://ivory.bandcamp.com/album/1203

https://soulmaterial.bandcamp.com DJ Welly - The Shakedown DJ Welly is a British hip-hop and house DJ, who appeared on the music scene back in the 90s. Now he lives in Australia. "The Shakedown" shows the style that DJ Welly has created over the years of his creativity. There is more hip-hop than house music. But different styles found their own place in the tracks of this release. https://djwelly.bandcamp.com/album/the-shakedown

Ty Universal - Sonic Therapy This is the second release of Ty Universal, a beatmaker from Virginia. He attributes his creativity to the genre of conscious hip-hop. Heavy bass drums and slow rhythms are dominated in the music. In some tracks the bet is placed on the atmospheric melodies. That is, we face a modern hip-hop, but not in its dance form where mcing is assigned to the role of back vocal. Let the hip-hop sound change, but if it keeps the lyrical component, it means that it preserves the culture. https://tyuniversal.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-therapy

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the new album of P.O.S.

Alex Wiley - Village Party III: Stoner Symphony The sound of this album is different extreme minimalism. Because of this it is very modern. Mะก does not surprise you difficult 'chips' in recitative, but his mcing sound naturally.

https://p-o-s.bandcamp.com/album/chill-dummy Planet Asia - Velour Portraits Planet Asia doesn't need presenting. "Velour Portraits" is a limited edition EP, which came out on cassettes in 19 January.

https://soundcloud.com/alexwileymusic/sets/villageparty-iii-stoner

https://trenchworkrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/vel our-portraits

Substantial - The Past Is Always Present In The Future This is alternative hip-hop. There is good, nice and quiet, but sometimes monotone in rapping. https://substantial.bandcamp.com/album/the-past-isalways-present-in-the-future Yukmouth - JJ Based on a Vill Story There is very good and diverse release of this known MC. Yukmouth clearly keeps up with the times! https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/jj-based-on-a-villstory/id1188131563 P.O.S - Chill, dummy Alternative hip-hop from Minneapolis is diffucult to confuse with other subgenres. It is aggressive, but with an unusual sounding, but still with dope recitative - such is

M-Dot - egO anD The enemy The representative of the Boston hip-hop was recognized not only by the audience, but also by many distinguished colleagues. The list of those with whom he has performed or collaborated in a studio is very long. He is known also outside the US - M-Dot has gone on a European tour six times. Of course, the MC of that level always writes steep albums. "egO anD The enemy" will please you, in the first place, with recitative. M-Dot speaks words and puts intonation so that he creates his rhythm and the pressure in each track. Then put there a production from recognized masters of the genre and there is a magnificent mosaic of a dope hip-hop album to be completed. https://m-dotboston.bandcamp.com/album/ego-and-theenemy

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Stik Figa - Central Standard Time The album is good. Stik Figa is not the most popular of the representatives of the traditional hip-hop, but his fanbase is certainly growing. And such albums as the "Central Standard Time" explain why. https://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/centr al-standard-time O.C. - Same Moon Same Sun Such albums are predictably good and expected by many listeners. Therefore, there is no need to describe them. Just listen this plate! https://soundcloud.com/ditcent KREC - Обелиск (KREC - Obelisk) The collection of tracks that were not included in the latest KREC albums. Fans of Fuze talent will find there

a lot of diamonds. https://vk.com/k_rec Huemanz Militia - Gxld Herringbxnez: Vxlume 3 (#GHBzV3) This album is a greeting from the past, because it was published in January 1995. Rap from Houston was not understood by many listeners and it stood alone from other regional subgenres. But this release, even for Houston rap of those years, sounds minimalistic and slowly. But it is no less interesting, especially now when the sound of MCs and producers of that era is massively used by representatives of contemporary cloud rap. http://zixnlyferecords.com/album/gxld-herringbxnezvxlume-3-ghbzv3

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Noir is one of the MCs and beatmakers who make music for the realization of their own ideas. His music does not depend on fashion and expectations of the audience, but it depends on the questions that Noir asks himself. As a result, someone doesn't understand that music. Someone say that it is unfashionable. But there are always those who are listening to these tracks for the thoughts expressed in them. And Noir's musical ideas find its audience. About the upcoming concept album "Teach me to fly" Noir told our magazine.

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Your previous album "Bloody underground" was a kind of experiment with sound. The new album "Teach me to fly" is designed in a traditional style.

Do you try to change the sound from album to album, or it depends on the concrete ideas?

In fact, it all depends on what I want to have at the end.

In this album, I wanted to go back to the sound of the 1995-2000 years, to the golden age of hip-hop. Some beats I specially wrote on the AKAI in order to transfer into that time, which I like the most. However, it was not without experimentation. Some tracks include interesting tunes played on synthesizers with a development and a culmination of a composition. It goes beyond the traditional sound. I want to show that even on the classic basis we can do something new. The album is called "Teach me to fly." We are learning!

But, what combines the albums exactly is the diverse lyrics, affecting serious problems of human life. What thoughts do not go out of your head from album to album, and you are again and again talking about them in their lyrics?

Basically it is the theme of faith, hope and love as the highest virtues of man, a place and role of man in society, man's mission in life, the pursuit of "light", etc.

These are the eternal philosophical themes that will never lose its relevance. I ask aloud the questions that every person asks. Do I find the answers? For some of them I didn't. For some I give my own answer, which may be similar or different from a listener's response.

But most importantly - I ask questions and sought the answers. A search is the way.

In general, such thoughts, kind of "bee in a bonnet" allows an author to write honest songs about things that the author really cares. But there is another side to this phenomenon - MCs starts to repeat.

What do you think, when does it need to stop talking about the subject, which has been repeatedly described from different perspectives?

I believe that these "White wales" are the eternal questions that were before the Ancient Greeks and will be for a long time after us. If these issues concern an author, why should he write about something else?

However, in order not to tire a listener, you need to work on the sound, flow, interpretation, treatment of baring of topics. I will put the point when everything is clear to me, and nothing disturbs me. In the meantime I have a lot of questions to myself, to society, to a listener‌ Who worked at the music for the new album?

A lot of people worked at the musical part of the album.

More specifically, many people modified the album, because I wrote all music by myself. Then they done

the arrangements, worked with samples, drums and etc. Some beats had 5-10 versions, constantly changing, until they were brought to a level that satisfied me. So, besides me fruitfully worked on the album: 2special (arrangement, mixing, mastering), Ta r a s D e r g a c h e v ( g u i t a r a n d k e y b o a r d s ) , MentalSideBeats (percussion, sampler), Unknown Character (guitar).

The album has a lot of joint tracks. Tell us about the guests of the album "Teach me to fly".

Yes, this time I decided to put together a team to record an album. This is the team of singers, not rappers.

There are my favorite Vikaveronika, my good friend and founder of the label Past Future Jam - Artemy Cheros, my homie Zaver and late musical prodigy Taras Dergachev. Thanks to them for inspiration, the coloring of my album with their voices and the help in realizing of dream!

Also I want to tell about the artist Jana Panasiuk, who is preparing a series of paintings on each of the tracks.

Together we discuss ideas, looks for the images, and then she draws. I want the album "Teach me to fly" to be not a collection of rap tracks, but a work of art.

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In general, the album is conceptual. It is divided into four parts, which differ in their mood. Tell us about them.

In fact, I tried to make a conceptual work. And I did it. The album is divided into four acts: "Spreading wings," "Free Flight", "The Fall" and "Enlightenment". Each of the acts consists of 3-4 songs. Their mood and lyrics spend the listener through the different stages of the human being.

"Spreading wings." It is an act of awareness of correct values and inspiration from touching the eternity. "I'm spreading my wings! I'm flying to eternity! I'm flying... ".

"Free Flight". I find my free flight, which permeated with lullabies calm, a sense of love, and finally, the explosion of nature in a riot of sounds, scents, tastes...

"The Fall". Am I falling? Negative mood grows from thinking about the life of gravity. My aggression is caused by the state of things around: the dominance of injustice, indifference and apathy. I'm broken and run through a burning city in panic. My city is burning!

"Enlightenment". Stop! Time to reflect ... In this act I do a stop and find a balance. I repent. I have to rethink my values and reach enlightenment.

In general, the album was originally included the fifth act, which was called "Aurea" (Golden Age). It spoke about the technological revolution, space exploration, the dominance of morality and the development of new society. It was a story about step forward, step to the golden age of history.

But at the last moment, I decided to exclude this act from the album. It will be released as a separate EP or album. We'll have to see.

Metaphors of flight and fall - they symbolize an internal struggle in man or are you talking about in the tracks in the first place, about the relationship between man and the community and the fall of the society?

You are right. I talk about individual and collective sides of this theme. If one act is a rise in all senses, the other is a fall in of both individual and society at large.

What would you like to inspire listeners to by reflections on personal ups and downs?

I want to inspire people to realize their dreams! I want to show that each of us have ups and downs. I do not talk about material success in life; I talk about our inner world. All we can stumble and fall, become slaves of our sins and eventually become completely different, crooked, different from what we have been or we are in fact. But even if you in a deep pit now, you can to soar. You can become the best, to reach for the highest virtues and be a conspirational person.

I wish people not to stop after falling. I want them to be inspired and to spread their wings! And to embody their dreams, walking along the path of self-realization, find their place in life, and develop their talents.

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The publishers of the book "Art and City" are called it to be the first Russian-language edition, which include a full analysis of the global phenomenon of street art. And perhaps it is true. This book is for anyone interested in the subject of street art as a means to speak out, to express their protest or to influence a change of a city.

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At the same time it is a limitation of the book's topic.

And the author honestly talks about it more in the introductory section addressed to terminology problems: "Most of what is produced in the street today is no more than "street art": works that are a charming form of art, but they are created out of context and without special semantic sense. In my book I try to deselect all of this and to show what, in my opinion, has a certain value in the context of the phenomenon of street art."

Without going into details of the terminology, it is important that Igor Ponosov sees street art as opposed to "street art", necessarily a contextual and meaningful concept. This is a non-profit art, the goal of which goes beyond "pure" art and work with the art form.

If you look at urban street art, it is difficult not to agree with the author - in fact, most of it is an entertaining street art, often without a deep message and even more without a critical component. And most of the books on this subject (as a rule, published in the West as there are no such publications in the countries of former Soviet Union) are the photobooks of street art.

The boundaries of the analysis Does the analysis of Igor Ponosov become one-sided, deselecting this form of street art? In part, maybe it

does, but the author does not claim his book to be an exhaustive description of all the art that we can see on city streets. Taking the criterion of critical and protest component of street art, he builds a line of research in strict accordance with the selected criterion.

We learn about the history of street art from the early twentieth century to the present day. The author describes the history of the European art and the art of both Americas. A separate section is devoted to street art in Russia. Igor Ponosov describes the direction, approach and objectives of street art and the processes of institutionalization and its interaction with different areas of city life.

The book encourages thinking and argues with the author. Those "internal debates" are perhaps one of the most important results of any good analytical publication.

Ideology of Art The first that evokes critical reflections is an inclination in the "left-wing" art. Description of protest art is mainly concerned with the shares of various artists who oppose capitalism. The author tries to see class conflict and struggle of the oppressed classes against inequalities almost in all forms of street art.

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Regarding the bias in the "left" art, it can be logically argued by the fact that the representatives of the opposite ideological flank is rarely turn to the avantgarde and street art, and more likely use a kitsch of classic painting, or simply the standard propaganda posters. This is partly true. But among the "left" protest art there are many ordinary banners with slogans. And in this aspect they differ only with content from the same banners of "right-wing" ideological block. Also different ideologies love using murals for their aims. Especially when it is put on the service of a government. For a person who does not support any of these political flanks, their value as art and their effect is very small. Must the author include examples of art from the opposite ideology for the sake of abstract objectivity of the studies? It's up to the author. By the way, regarding murals - Igor Ponosov pays attention to its use in the pro-government propaganda in Russia today.

Hidden meaning: to find or think out?

Discussion about class conflict is more difficult. An important question is its manifestation in art. If in the case of politically engaged artists all is simply - they articulate sufficiently message and goals of their works, the situation with graffiti writers is much more complicated. Igor Ponosov sees in early New York graffiti the "instrument of struggle and confrontation with machinery metropolis" (p. 58).

Do writers have seen in their works such global processes and goals? It is doubtful, considering that most of them were bored teenagers who were looking for new forms of creativity. Yes, of course, they were poor and could not afford to "traditional" forms of art and entertainment, and that stimulate them to look for new one. But from this to realizing their drawings as a means of struggle against the commercialization of art and the global power of the city is very long way.

Igor understands it, continuing his thought: "But adherents of this closed subculture never admit in this, so that any connection with the fight here may be found only at the level of "signifying" (p. 58). But is it worth to look for meanings that are not attached in graffiti by authors? If we want we can find a variety of meanings almost in everything. On the other hand, in any work a viewer finds something, what an artist could not think when he was creating a picture. And this is also the beauty and the message of art. All this make the question of the boundary between finding the meaning and inventing it more important.

Throughout the book the author continues to assess the forms of art, including the controversial art forms, through the prism of social contradictions and

struggles. And if these contradictions are undoubtedly present in the lives of many artists, because they permeate the entire social structure, the struggle against them is the idea and the goal of only a few. Get at least pishasao, which is also in focus of Igor's analyses. On the one hand, this genre of street art is imbued of protest component. But at the same time, it would be very rude exaggeration to submit all pishasao as a protest art. A significant portion of its representatives (except the style of art) does not differ from conventional taggers and they haven't global goals. Simply as they are deprived of any political consciousness.

In connection with pishasao arises another eternal question - where is the line between art and vandalism, and where is this border? Of course, there cannot be an answer. But in a situation where people paint tags on monuments and cross the works of other artists, even declaring that it is a protest against something else, it is perceived more as destruction without creation. But this is not the remark to the book, but only the thoughts about the pishasao, or rather, some of its representatives.

"Commercial" vs "Independent" By virtue of the described focus on social (class) conflicts, the author pays much attention to the fight of artists against the commercialization of art and the city. Also he describes the processes of transition the independent artists in the "commercial" category (for example, Os Gemeos, p. 78). Of course, there are artists whose protest message is unequivocal, and they can be clearly attributed to the "camp" of independent or "commercial" artists. But a huge number of artists create works with a social content and also art for fun. In this case both examples of their works can be non-commercial and commercial. It is unlikely that someone will undertake to argue with the fact that the "rebellion", especially in beautiful art pack, is very good sold. And to a greater or lesser degree it has always been. It follows that between the protest non-commercial and commercial art there is not a clear dividing line, but a wide field in which mixed both types of art. And this is true for so many classifications when they transfer from theory into reality.

Is this a problem or a reason to reject these classifications? Of course, it is not. But this is the reason for the understanding of their abstract nature.

This is a static model, which only marks the contours of reality.

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It is also a reason to think – do we must to divide the art univocally into protest and entertainment, commercial and non-commercial, etc.? Yes, we do.

They are separated by reality. But all these opposites perfectly interact with each other in real life, constantly collaborating and creating a huge and diverse picture of street art. In addition, the fact of the perception of a particular person builds or destroys border between art forms. Where a person who understands certain "subcultural code," see the specific content and message, a "man in the street" sees only the bright and cheerful (or vice versa, boring for him) picture.

Is it bomb or firecracker?

A related question is the real influence of art on a city. Is it really important and effective influence?

Maybe do the entertainment street art change a city equally with the protest art? After all, they both have an effect on people, and thereby they can push them to action.

The book "Art and City" ends with the dispute ("Bomb or firecracker. The conversation of the two artists"). This discussion, taken from an article by M.V. Dobuzhinsky of 1918 year, is still relevant to this day. The book of Igor Ponosov is also relevant,

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because, no matter what the opinions each of us has about this or that form of street art, we have few articles and books about protest street art. And generally, they write little about protest street art especially in the post-Soviet space. But art should be different, that each of us can choose the one that interested him.

"Art and City" is a book written by a person who is engaged in art and studies it for a long time. And it has made the book alive. The author is not just an observer, who writing scientific work. He is worried about the facts, which are in the centre of his book.

In results he studies this subject from the inside.

Maybe it makes the author's position subjective, but it only benefits the global debate on street art. In addition to all this advantages, the book is rich of references to the various examples of street art, books and films devoted to him. Thanks to them, you can significantly increase your knowledge on the subject. And, perhaps, you will not just read Igor Ponosov's book, but also will think about the information, argue with the author, and change the city with the help of art.

Igor Ponosov – Art and City: Graffiti, street art and activism. – Moscow.: Igor Ponosov, 2016. – 208 p.

Popularity of battle rap grows worldwide. Although on the forefront now is offline battles, but also battles in Internet should not be forgotten. Confirmation of this can be the Ukrainian "Nice Battle IV. Hometown Defend" ended at the end of last year. This battle collected more than two hundred tracks. And in the final rounds of the "Nice Battle IV" we listened to a lot of interesting MCs from different cities of Ukraine. The winner of battle became young and talented MC KapŃ–tan Smollett. He says in the interview about battles and their role in the development of MC's skills.

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Tell us about yourself and your music.

Hi! My name is Vadim. I'm 20 years old, originally from the small town Snigirevka in Mykolaiv region. Now I live in Nikolaev, here I study at the Faculty of Philology.

I start doing music in a childhood. Then I went to a local choir and sang, but somehow it didn't become my favorite interest. I began to try myself in rap when I was 13 years old.

As I'm young, I'm writing exactly about what worries people of my age. Of course, in some songs you can hear hints of youthful maximalism.

You are a representative of the modern sound of hiphop. You can often hear the opinion that young MCs do not understand the classic hip-hop and have a completely different perspective on the music and culture. How would you comment this opinion? What is your opinion about sound and cultural aspect of hiphop?

I cannot speak about all of young artists, but I withdrew from the classic sound long ago. I very rarely listen to the classic hip-hop, I do not delved into its history, biographies of artists, trends and directions. I have to be honest, I do not understand this terminology completely, I just do what I feel.

I believe that we have to keep up with the times and we must go beyond our comfort zone. Many artists have established themselves in a particular style and they do not want to experiment. I don't welcome this position entirely. Such excessive conservatism is not required; it stops the

development of new trends.

Why do battle rap attract you?

It attracts me just because I'm a fan of experiments.

Battle is a place, where you can show yourself in all your glory as a performer, as a person who owns a powerful recitative and dope rhymes! There you can show your flow, and an ability to develop a theme, and the skills of rhyming.

There is an opinion that battle is akin to diss. MC trying to crush opponents. Of course, in reality, the majority of battles moved beyond the set of represents long ago and organized with the help of specific topics for rounds. Has the component of MC's representative disappeared from the battle rap?

In fact, battles are disses, which participants use against to each other. And it's right, because it was in the origins of battles as such. I do not really understand this trend when organizers give topic for a round. But this can be traced only in online battles. Thank God, this is not in offline battles, or I did not notice this.

I have my own trick - I make a track on a battle in two parts.

The first is to open a theme of a round, and the second is for represent. I think this is correct. Battles are not a competition of poets, their meaning is not how best to develop a theme, but their goal is to show own superiority over your rival. Therefore, only the first part of my battle tracks is a kind of tribute to the topics of the rounds created by the organizers.

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If we talk about the topics - in your opinion, is the most part of them interesting or often you got standard and boring topics?

I would have canceled all topics in online battles. I do not see any sense in them. And most of them are trivial. 70% of themes in the battles are sayings, aphorisms, which everyone can reveal in their own way. To get the maximum score for the disclosure of the theme, you need to pass it as it is seen by a battleship judge. But when there are many judges, each of them can see a topic in own way. On this basis, it is practically impossible to please everyone. Plus, there are topics that generally kill competitive spirit.

Rappers are starting to puzzle over a reveal of theme, but do not bother in choosing some jokes towards the opponent. I think this is what kills the battles.

What should be an interesting topic of battle?

Honestly, I do not remember what the name of battle, but once upon a theme was a picture. Organizers instead of topics gave us a picture. Participants of a battleship must describe what was depicted in the picture, or use the title of the picture and send it all to the opponent. It was quite interesting!

Tell us about your way on the "Nice Battle". How did you decide to participate? What did you expect from the battle, and what was a surprise?

Frankly, I became a participant of the battle after I saw the prize pool. But I don't see anything "criminal" in it. After all,

one way or other I have to return the money, which I spend on recording and mixing my battle tracks, is it right?

Basically, I was sure that I could get to the semi-finals or finals, as it fortunately happened.

I had two surprises on the battle. The first was Ivan Sorich.

For all the years of my participation in battles, his diss against me was one of the best, I've ever heard! Second surprise was AysŃ–dok's losing in the quarterfinals. I thought that I would meet with him in the semi-finals, but, alas, it did not happen.

Who was your strongest opponent?

The strongest opponent was Grybuu. Our semifinal pair would suppose to be the final, but the lot fell that we met in the semifinals. It is because of this pair, I worried the most.

Also Ivan Sorich was very strong. Although I won him, but I underestimated this guy!

What do the victory in "Nice Battle" gave to you? Do you regard it as a transition to a new stage of creativity?

Participation in the battle brought me new acquaintances.

Also, thanks to it, I saw a lot of interesting places in IvanoFrankivsk. And, of course, it is important financial support the prize for winning the "Nice Battle". Now I have enough money for the recording and mixing of my album. Thanks organizers for this!

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What is contemporary Ukrainian battle rap? What is a difference from battle scenes in neighboring countries?

Ukrainian battle rap is infancy. Rap battles in Ukrainian language are dead. There was a playground in Lviv titled "Banderstadt Battle". But during two seasons, it hadn't one battle, which I watched to the end. I understand that have opening the door to the battle, the organizers took all of the participants. But level of most part of them is very low and performance looked, to put it mildly, not very. This battle hadn't main-event with more or less well-known MCs. Now the third season begins, and I hope that the organizers will fix their mistakes. It is more likely that I'll be a participant of this event.

I could not overlooked "SLOVO" project in Kharkov and Odessa. "RapSoxBattle" is a very interesting battle playground, opened in Kiev. Maybe, I will also participate in this battle.

And of course my "native" battle "PidBit". On this battle I started as a Ukrainian speaking MC. Now the selection of the 15 season begins. I will not participate, but I will judge it.

hip-hop attracts you the most?

Captain Smollett is my nickname on battles. Crazy Lazy is the nickname for out-battle creativity. But this year I think to make a re-branding of the second nickname.

In the 2016 I participated in many battles, so I released only four tracks not for competitions. But as now I have enough money for a big release, I think about an album. I have promised to my small audience for the last two years that I would release an album. But last year I rejected the idea of a release. So now I do not want to name any dates. As soon as I will have everything ready, maybe I will not turn around the game, but at least I will create it. I promise it you for sure!

(Laughs) If we talk about styles, trap music, wave and grime attracts me more than other. If the organizers of the battles have the opportunity to make grime clash, I would gladly support the idea and participate.

Who of the MCs do you want to meet in a battle?

I would like to meet with Levan Bіashvіlі, Train of the Centra crew, the Tur of the Nastroy crew, with Freel and with someone from PVNCH.

Do you write songs not only for the battles? What type of

https://vk.com/nice__battle https://vk.com/crazylazysnigk https://twitter.com/crazylazysnigk https://soundcloud.com/crazylazysnigk https://www.instagram.com/crazylazysnigk 031

The speed at which MCs published their releases overs the top. Everyone tries to often remind herself to fans, because a whole army of young rappers breathe down their back. They are ready not to get out of the Internet to attract the attention of listeners.

Naturally, the number of albums from year to year only increases. Limits of this growth are not visible. But albums of those who are a household name are waited. And often fashionable, though empty actors jostle those who are legendary and deservedly loved by several generations of lovers of rap. Who is the most popular MC promises to release albums in the coming months, and how can these releases be interesting?

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"Cruel Winter" of the GOOD Music label with which Big Sean has been long associated.

Meanwhile this disc hasn't release date. But the album Big Sean was released February 3th.

Nick Grant - Return of the Cool This album has been already out. And it will not disappoint you! Nick Grant declared about himself with the last year's mixtape. This is his debut album, with a really cool hip-hop, in which modernity is not trying to trample on the traditions and canons, and goes well with them.

Lupe Fiasco - DROGAS Light Such MC as Lupe Fiasco always causes a lot of controversy. And by his approach to music and by his lyrics and by his statements in the press.

Consequently, it is difficult to predict what will be his new album, but people will discuss it. Release is planned for February 10th.

Prodigy - Hegelian Dialectic (The Book of Revelation) It's another album, which has been released recently. And it is the next step in a large discography of Prodigy. Almost conceptual album, "Hegelian Dialectic" opens the trilogy, in which there was a place not only for gangster sagas, but also for social issues, as it Prodigy understands. Overall this is release for fans of this Mobb Deep's member.

Fat Joe & Remy Ma - Plata O Plomo This veteran duo is perhaps one of the surprises of the year. On the one hand, we can expect little from them. Fat Joe, playing by the rules of a commercially hip-hop, fell into a shade in the 2000s. The videos for the album only confirm the idea of stereotyped selection within "Plata O Plomo". There are girls, clubs and gold.

Everything is as usual. At the same time cool recitative and a large proportion of humor in these videos give us a hope that the album will be not bad! It is the reason why it receives a status of surprise that will be waiting for us on February 17th.

Big Sean - I Decided.

A popular representative of the modern commercially successful rap, Big Sean for a long time has got a considerable number of fans. They also wait for his album. Album will include track with Eminem. It is also the reason why many listeners wait this album. By the way, Big Sean fans are waiting for one more cd - a collection

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Oddisee - The Iceberg Oddisee often pleases the fans. And everyone knows that his new album will bring a dose of classic sound and calm conscious lyrics. No surprises, but they are not needed. February 24 will be soon.

Too Short - The Pimp Tape There is another veteran whose albums are no longer a surprise. We all know what to wait from them, and wait in terms of sound and, especially, in terms of content. Stories about pimps Too Short has been telling during three decades. Apparently on March 10, we will get the next. Nevertheless, it will find listeners, because Too Short is classic of Californian rap.

Your Old Droog - Packs On March 10 will be released another album. And perhaps it will be one of the most important, not only in this "day of releases", but in general this spring. This MC was confused with Nas because he has similar tone of voice and manner of recitative and declared himself by a couple cool EPs. It is the sound, which proves that the traditional hip-hop is ever-living!

Raekwon - The Wild You can talk that releases of Wu-Tang Clan's members became boring. But why do you listen to and discuss them? So, the new Raekwon's album will be released on March 10 and it will sound in the speakers and headphones of hip-hop heads in different countries.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandana The duo has been already loved by many listeners.

"Bandana" does not have an exact release date, but the 2017 just begun, so it pays to be patient and wait!

Madchild - The Darkest Hour March 10 will be a good date for rap music. We hope that the independent scene will be also filled up with a good release from Madchild. Do you love hardcore from this unique artist? If so, then wait for his album!

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and will be heard on the dance floor, but rarely in the headphones of hip-hop culture lovers. If you want to chose among these albums the most "promising", it will be "Bigger and Badder Than Ever" by Boosie Badazz. Probably, this MC will give juicy rap with the heavy beats and without unnecessary sweetness.

Of course, all of these releases are only a small fraction of those that MCs prepare worldwide.

And we can hope for Nas album having been promised to release in the last year. Also Yasin Bey says that he will leave the hip-hop after the release of the three final albums. One was released at the last moment of 2016 year. So, will he release two more soon?

Many listeners will be wait for a long list of albums by representatives of contemporary rap.

Among them are Migos with the album "CULTURE", 2 Chainz with "Pretty Girls Like Trap Music", Boosie Badazz with plate "Bigger and Badder Than Ever", Travis Scott and his "AstroWorld", Wiz Khalifa with "Rolling Papers 2: The Weed Album". Iggy Azalea will release the album "Digital Distortion", Lil Uzi Vert - "Luv Is Rage 2", Lil Wayne - "Funeral", and a label Maybach Music Group will release the compilation titled "Self Made 4".

How much are these releases interesting? For fans of trap music and contemporary pop-rap, certainly, these albums will be very interesting. To say about them objectively is difficult, as all of them pretty much depend on commercial trends

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Do you often watch movies that capture from the first minute, and keep your attention to the very end? The pleasure of viewing them is always mixed with bitterness... the fact that they run out! And, of course, we are all waiting for the continuation of such films.

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"The Get Down" became for me this type picture, with bright colors, emotions and nostalgia. Now is the good time for the nostalgia in hip-hop. This culture will soon celebrate an impressive anniversary - its first seeds sprouted a half of century ago. And, of course, for millions of people around the world the time of the birth of hip-hop is the era of their youth. Youth which is inseparable from hip-hop. But not only the adult generation, but even young people, that did not find that time, experiences a kind of nostalgia. This is nostalgia by a culture that was original, not shackled by stereotypes and frameworks of millions contracts.

Anyone who faced with the changes in today's hiphop and does not find himself in them begins to reminisce about the past. Including the time, which he didn't see.

And, of course, as any phenomenon that is not imprinted on the video, the birth of hip-hop culture is associated with many myths. And this is fertile ground for films.

"The Get Down" has grown out of all of this -

nostalgia, myths, romance of free culture. In its creation pioneers of hip-hop participated Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Africa Bambaataa, Rahem and Nas. Someone participated in the role of adviser, and someone was as the voice of the film.

They brought to the film a lot of important details from the past, and the stories of their lives. This, of course, made the film better and pushed it closer to reality.

However, not all agree with this assessment of "The Get Down". There were a lot of people who saw the errors and inaccuracies in the storyline of the film.

Especially critics were indignant, saying that the film is devoid of interesting and coherent plot. The first episodes they recognize as "crumpled" and they say emotions to be the only value of the film.

The audience, however, not often read abstruse critics. Perhaps that is why their reviews are quite opposite. For the most part very positive. Indeed, the emotions really play not the last role in the film.

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“The Get Down" raises them from the hip-hop, because each episode involves us in an atmosphere that will not happen again. But also it gets emotions also from the personal relationships of the characters. Characters and types of actors match perfectly. It's a hip-hop musical. And like most other musicals, it is not notable for complexity of plot. But it is hardly a significant drawback of the film, as noted by many critics.

Huge number of simple movies, which plot foreseen from the very beginning, became and becomes legendary. People don't like to think about the plot much, but they like to empathize to heroes.

But will not argue about the complexity and simplicity in the films - we all will reconcile by diversity. As for "The Get Down" is such a film, that should be an example for serials about youth culture. Musical and very bright. And not only visually. We can say that during the time viewing "The Get Down" you will distract from everything and plunge into the formation of US mass culture of those years. Frames of a picture that unfolds on a screen is much wider than hip-hop as such. There

are soul, disco, musicals, kung fu, street gangs, vacant lots and trendy clubs, Bohemians and gangsters, politicians and religious fanatics. There is all contradictory diversity of society. And by means of it "The Get Down" oversteps the limits of only entertainment series.

The premiere was advertised on a large scale, and the film was waited over the world. Output of "The Get Down" on the screens is another proof of the international format of hip-hop culture, because its director, Baz Luhrmann, was born in Australia and had no relation to the hip-hop of 70s. But he was inspired by this culture, and began working at the idea of a film about its origins since 2006 year. So "The Get Down" is the brainchild of the hip-hop, which conquered the talented director.

In 2017 we are promised several films about hiphop. In particular, these are biopics about 2Pac and Tha Dogg Pound. And, of course, many people will wait for them. But with greater interest they will be waiting for the continuation of "The Get Down", all those who watched the first episodes of the story!

https://www.netflix.com/by/title/80025601 038

Jazz on the radio has played since times immemorial, when there was no Internet, and on TV it hardly worth to look for this music. At the least in the post-Soviet channels. The old jazz fans can tell a lot about how they had to withstand the pressure of totalitarian power just because of the desire to listen to your favorite music. Young jazz musicians would talk about how they searched records in the country where jazz was not prohibited more, but had few listeners. Very young listeners can reflect about the influence of jazz on modern music. Trendy styles today are obliged to culture of jazz and blues so many. Hip-hop is worth to be mentioned the first among them.

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But I want to talk not about hip-hop, but about the legendary jazz radio program, which story began back in 1989 year. At the time poet, writer and jazz fan Dmitry Savitsky began to talk about the masters of jazz on the waves of "Radio Liberty". By the time Dmitri Petrovitch more than ten years lived in France. He wrote for the French magazines and worked as a freelance reporter on several radio stations. He wrote including about jazz.

After another interview, which Dmitry Savitsky made with legendary Horace Silver, he proposed to a directorate of "Radio Liberty" to create a jazz show. And that was the moment which forever changed the history of this famous "voice from behind the Iron Curtain"!

"Radio Liberty" mainly talked about politics and only then about the culture, but there was not very much music on its waves. The main producer of the radio, Ruslan Geliskhanov, supported the establishment of "49 and a half minute of jazz". Later, the program has been reduced to "49 minutes of jazz". Its broadcasting lasted until 2004! There are 693 issues presented to jazz lovers almost 34,000 minutes of pleasure! Dmitry Savitsky is not only a connoisseur of jazz, but also a wonderful storyteller. His manner of representing jazz for listeners is recognizable and unique. All his programs are alive and natural. And this is very important, because a boring broadcast format is a reason why many interesting projects stumble.

For 15 years, around the program was formed its own fanbase. Taking into account that during that time a young generation has grown, among the listeners of "49 Minutes" were people of all the ages, divided by a gap of

generation, but they had one in common - love of jazz!

With the transition to a new broadcast format, "Radio Liberty" reduced Dmitry Savitsky's program to "9 minutes of jazz". This provoked protests from the audience, but the program had lived for several months in this format, after which the broadcasting time increased slightly (to 14 minutes). Then its name was changed to "Jazz on Freedom." Finally, in 2009 under the name "Jazz Time" program has returned to 48 minutes time format.

It is difficult to create a program about jazz during three decades, and do not recur its topics. Besides, Dmitry Savitsky made the program, mainly about jazz classics.

Contemporary jazz has also found a place in the air of "49 minutes of jazz" and their future incarnations, but still it could never compete with the legends. With all of this, Dmitry Savitsky again and again presented classics so that it sounded as the opening for people who could not boast of a detailed knowledge of creativity of dozen legendary musicians.

On December 24, 2016 was released the last episode of "Jazz Time". A whole era was ended with it in the history of "Radio Liberty", and big epic for Russian jazz lovers and jazz history. An important indicator of the quality level of this program is that its archive does not become obsolete. Each issue is interesting today. And this explains why fans of "Jazz Time" and talent of Dmitry Savitsky collect editions of the program, create websites with their description and distributed archive on a torrent.

Thanks to our DS for that!

http://ds.it.net.ua http://www.svoboda.org/z/992.html 040

The past year gave us a lot of great hip-hop albums. And traditionally, we choose the best, without the rankings and the title of "best of the best", just because contemporary hip-hop is very diverse, and try to choose the best album among boom bap, alternative hip-hop, all kinds of Southern rap, and the crossover of hip-hop with other styles of music - it is unrealistic task. It's like to choose the best album among jazz and metal at the same time.

So we just offer you a selection of the best releases, explaining why they are, in our opinion, worth noticing.

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A Tribe Called Quest - We Got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service The return of the legend. And the return is more than successful! This great album is proved that interest to the classic MCs is not dead, and A Tribe Called Quest has fans among veterans and among young generation. The album became a monument to the great MC Phife Dawg. Rest In Peace!

J. Cole - 4 Your Eyez Only After release of this album HipHopDX called J. Cole "Nas without Illmatic". "4 Your Eyez Only" shows that in an era of dominance of dance hits, which is neglected lyrics for the heavy drums and minimalist "acid" melodies, simple and natural rap is actual contrary to predictions. J. Cole does not try to invent some unusual "chips" in the performance, and the music of the album is simple and beautiful. This natural beauty is combined with a conscious message, and makes "4 Your Eyez Only" one of the best albums of the year.

ScHoolboy Q - Blank Face LP The album blew up the rap scene. Not because it was on the first place of the charts – there are always a lot of such releases, but because it showed modern view on hip-hop.

The view that reflects life. Is not reality has attracted us in rap?

Common - Black America Again This is a conceptual album that faces us with a picture of American history and culture. This is a consistent view on this topic by the eyes of black man. Magnificent video that supports the album deserves special attention!

Trae Tha Truth - Tha Truth, Pt. 2 The legacy of the southern rap spread throughout the world. Essentially all modern hip-hop is a descendant of the southern sound of the 2000s. However, some MCs have a really original style of performance, which united with the non-standard bits. Trae Tha Truth is an excellent example of this approach. Album "Tha Truth, Pt. 2" became a new stage in his music. This is a very bright and original album. Its tracks require to be listened to again and again.

Kamaiyah - A Good Night in The Ghetto Kamaiyah with her album has proven that in contamporary hip-hop, she will remain for a long time. Today the West Coast hip-hop is heavily influenced by the southern sound.

Kamaiyah mixes harmonically this influence with the various forms of rap music. The result is a layer cake of hip-hop from different eras. But this cake is fresh and nothing spoils its taste.

Rawberry - From Bad To Worse EP This is the best boom bap release of the year. Dutch MC managed to stay within the boundaries of tradition and at the same time to create a unique emotional intensity in his tracks! By means of it the album is ahead of many bigname veterans, which releases were just good, but no more.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - This Unruly Mess I've Made This duo makes hip-hop popular. There is hip-hop, but not its contemporary descendants. There is no canonicity of boom bap, but it has everything what we like in rap - cool lyrics, recitative, and the beats which are not oversaturated of electronics.

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Anderson. Paak - Malibu Anderson. Paak is one of the names of 2016. He is truly an original musician. His music includes hiphop, soul and condiments from a number of other genres. All of this makes his music unique. And that is very important - his music is emotional and beautiful.

Boogie Belgique - Volta This is the best instrumental album of the year. There are very nice beats, magnificent work with samples and taste with which they were selected by Boogie Belgique, makes this album wonderful!

Grand Tapestry - Grand Tapestry This is an experimental album. But unlike the popular experiments with electronics, Grand Tapestry works with ethnic music of India. It turns out very interesting.

The Game - 1992 The Game has not pleased us with albums in the recent years. In pursuit of fashion trends, he did some "pop gangsta rap". Sometimes the tracks were cool, but the whole albums do not reach the level of his releases of 2000s. And The Game decided to plunge into the memories. The album devoted to 1992 year sounds appropriately. It is very cool! Of course, this is not a

copy of the sound of those years, and its modern interpretation. So the album is good, because copies are not wanted, but a look at the past is interesting to many listeners.

De La Soul - And the Anonymous Nobody This legendary crew has not been pleased his fans with a new album due to the stupidity of the label for several years. Now they overcome all difficulties. And the album is really cool. It's too soon to dismiss De La Soul. They will spot many popular young artists!

Thi'sl - Against All Odds "Against All Odds" is an excellent combination of energetic recitative, southern sound, and meaningful lyrics. Thi'sl with this album set high standards for himself!

Meyhem Lauren - Piatto D'Oro Among the popular artists, not all has rushed to the electronic sound. Many have adhered to hip-hop.

"Piatto D'Oro" is a very juicy and energetic rap album!

Jim Jones - The Kitchen There is another album that surprised with its commitment to style and its high quality.

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Joell Ortiz - That's Hip-hop What could be the album with the same name? Of course this is hip-hop, and that's all that we love in the rap of 90's - early 2000's.

Royce da 5'9'' - Layers There is one of the best Royce's albums. The veteran does not lose his grip!

Kery James - Mouhammad Alix This is the best French album of the year. The pressure of the albums is rarely for contemporary rap. This is not a classic bone-rattling hardcore rap. There is a place for melody that goes well with heavy and modern sound.

Lord Infamous - Anarchy Among all the southern rappers there are not many beginners who are able to compete with the veterans.

This posthumous album of Lord Infamous is the best proof.

Lloyd Banks - All or Nothing: Live it Up (mixtape) It's infrequently to find mixtapes, which are equal with albums. And it's very rarely that they surpass many albums! Lloyd Banks released a very cool release. In addition, in 2016 he presented another mixtape

"Halloween Havoc 3: Four Days of Fury". It is also recommended to audition.

Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition Danny Brown is a dope MC. This is the new school, which is interesting to listen to. Danny Brown is an original MC. No wonder that innovators such as EL P are not averse to cooperate with him. And the album "Atrocity Exhibition" exhibits all the best skills of Danny Brown, as well as his creative growth.

Lushlife & CSLSX - Ritualize There is a good teamwork. "Ritualize" can be called alternative hip-hop, but not too complex and without unusual experiments. It is worth expecting that the duo will please us with new releases. And most likely they will not trite.

Sho Baraka - The Narrative There is another concept album, dedicated to AfricanAmerican culture. This view on the 20th century by the eyes of a contemporary young MC. Sho Baraka was inspired by very different cultural monuments, and the album sounds diverse. This is an interesting modern sound, but the sound, devoid of bored electronics. Hip-hop is not a disco.

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Blitz the Ambassador - Diasporadical Blitz the Ambassador needs no introduction.

"Diasporadical" continues the style of his previous albums. This is beautiful music. There is a lot of hiphop with taste of soul and African rhythms.

Kid Cudi - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' This is the great album, consisting of four parts.

Again, it is conceptual. And this is understandable creativity of Kid Cudi always formed around a particular idea. Therefore, his albums have never been just a collection of songs. But if the last album absorbed indie rock, this sounds more heavy, with splashes of electronics.

88 Ultra & Qreepz - Beheld Beats of 88 Ultra are never muddle up with others.

This is a journey into deep space. Qreepz keeps step with a colleague in this plan. "Beheld" is an enjoying of atmospheric music. What is the more to add?

Arrested Development - Changing The Narrative This is a very beautiful album. It has a lot of soul, a lot of live music, beautiful vocals. But hip-hop did not stay in the background. Due to this diversity, "Changing The Narrative" can be called hip-hop,

which blurs the boundaries. This album will be interesting to different generations of listeners. The listeners who really love to listen to music, not just to create a background by its sound or dance in a club.

Mac Lethal - Congratulations Mac Lethal has been an important figure of the alternative hip-hop for a long time.

"Congratulations" is a very good album, first of all, thanks to the lyrics.

Atmosphere - Fishing Blues There is another one guru of alternative hip-hop.

"Fishing Blues" is a new portion of the conscious lyrics and a good soft beats.

Banks & Steelz - Anything But Words This is the unusual duo from member of indie rock group Interpol, Paul Banks and legendary member of Wu-Tang Clan - RZA. How do the ideas of representatives of the two distant from each other genres combine? Great! Of course, the album leans more to hip-hop, but fans of the modern independent rock also will find something interesting. And it's a very interesting collaboration that extends the scope of the hip-hop music.

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Of course, the classic hip-hop pleased us a lot of interesting albums for the whole year. And although we have already said about some of them, there are still a lot of records, what we want to mention separately.

Apollo Brown & Skyzoo - The Easy Truth The duo which will gladden always by the fact of its existence. This album only confirms the great skills of the two hip-hop artists.

Dominique Larue & J. Rawls - Almost There This is another duo, created by classical form of beatmaker plus MC. Dominique Larue is a girl with beautiful tone of voice and masterly recitative. Album "Almost There" should be in the collection of rap music fans.

Chris Rivers - Medicated Consumption 2.0. The Refill Chris Rivers is a son of the legendary Big Pun. Such artists always get a special attention. On the one hand, all people are interested in when children of famous MCs release tracks. On the other hand, listeners compare them with their fathers and often dismissively write them into the category of "father's protege." Chris Rivers dismisses the neglect by his music. Album "Medicated Consumption 2.0. The Refill" proved that Chris is already a dope MC. In the album you can listen to persistent and emotional mcing and cool instrumentals.

U.G. - Portals This is the solo album of Cella Dwellas member. And this is high-quality hip-hop. Such veterans rarely release bad albums, but often they produce just "normal" albums. So U.G. is an exception to this rule. The every track in album sounds fresh and powerful!

D.I.T.C. - D.I.T.C. Studios Recently, the legendary crew from New York intensified again and released the album. And that's great, because we have not compilations of unreleased material, but fullformat album with a recognizable sound. D.I.T.C. changed with the times, without losing anything that was their hallmark in the past.

La Coka Nostra - To Thine Own Self Be True Who has not waited for their album? Of course, it's cool.

And of course, it is powerful. This is hardcore as it should be.

KXNG Crooked - Good Vs Evil This is the wonderful album of KXNG Crooked. This MC develops, and his music gets more and more shades.

Snowgoons - Goon Bap Snowgoons are famous for their collaborations with veterans of the American rap scene. "Goon Bap" in this regard become a "starry" album. So it's hard to pass him.

This release is a kind of monuments of international hiphop.

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Missy D - When Music Hits You Feel No Pain She mcs as well as sings. And this combination of talents of Missy D makes her album be desirable in collection of every fan of melodic hip-hop.

Sonny Seeza - Bridges The album was criticized by many listeners, but to be honest, it is difficult to understand why. It is impossible to agree with the fact that it's boring. The tracks sound powerfully thanks to the hardcore mcing of Sonny Seeza.

Nolan The Ninja - He(art) That album captivates with its atmosphere. It sounds should sound like a rap from the streets. Is this a banal phrase? Maybe, but firstly listen to "He (art)".

Havoc & The Alchemist - The Silent Partner Again, many critics don't like this album. But the critics will always, but the album is very good in spite of critical reviews. Havoc has the style and authentic feeling of the music. His beats and verses never boring to listen to. The Alchemist is also a master of his business!

Dday One - Gathered Between He is one of the best beatmaker, if we evaluate them

on the emotional component of the music and its melodies. Albums of Dday One despite the absence of lyrics, sound integrally and one might even say, conceptually. "Gathered Between" replenishes our collection and will solace a winter evening.

Masta Ace - The Falling Season Masta Ace recorded an album in which the tracks are arranged in a united story with the help of thematic skits. The album is about the person in the modern world, where social inequality is an integral part of reality.

Onry Ozzborn - duo This is the long album, but this format is not popular today. All people hurry and they haven't time to listen to releases, even forty-minute LP, not to mention longer albums. But Onry Ozzborn knows how to keep your attention, if you, of course, like this kind of hip-hop.

Libretto - Gangsta Jazz 2 - The Album This is an unusual album. It is hip-hop, which brings us back to the 90s by its sound, and the recitative often gives way to a vocal. But even that does not explain the diversity of Libretto release. Just listen to it.

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Among the albums from the former Soviet Union we will allocate a few, but these albums are very different and interesting.

reality. Realism, which does not cause boredom - this is a description of their lyrics. In addition, members of Price of Rhythm are good MCs.

KREC - FRVTR 812 Maybe some old KREC's fans will be indignant by my words, but for me this is the best album of the band, or rather now of one Fuze. The album is very cool by its music part. The minor jazz melodies makes album's atmosphere cold as the St. Petersburg climate. Fuze's lyric unfolds before us a picture of the history of a resident of this city. This story is natural and, at the same time, rich in imagery.

Zeman - Праздник великого поражения (Feast of a Great Defeat) Zeman is one of the best Belarusian MC. His lyrics are meaningful and have lack of 'water' in the form of a rhyme for rhyme. Zeman's albums always have been associated with different periods of his life, but the "Feast of a Great Defeat" is a conceptual journey or, as the author says by himself, a solo performance, in a situation when the time changes and people around also changes, but you remain yourself.

Maple Syrup - Vacation There is an instrumental album, which would be the best soundtrack for your travels or dreams about them. Ціна Ритму - Точка Неповернення (Price of Rhythm - Point of No Return) Price of Rhythm perfectly worked on their debut album. It's their debut album, but the crew already managed to develop a unique style. Their songs are diversity by the style and naturalistic in the lyrics.

Here, you will not hear lyrics, which distant from the

Mark Evich & Urbanmonstaz - 27 This is an album of world level. Soul and Hip-hop in the plate are connected as in the best works of American luminaries of the genre. Therefore, "27" is not just a good album, but also it is significant for the development of this genre in Russia, where often instead of soul in rap tracks we can still hear the terrible pop hooks.

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Separately we want to consider a few albums that are somehow connected with hip-hop, but stay quite far removed from the recitative and, accordingly, from rap in itself.

Jesse Boykins III - Bartholomew Of course, it is neo soul, if we can use any appropriate stylistic labels in this case. Influence of hip-hop in this album is clearly audible from the beginning to the end.

But it is rather as a long tradition of African-American music, certain rhythmic structures and a composition structure. Personally Jesse Boykins I I I sings beautifully. The beauty of music is perhaps one of the most important criteria of its quality, regardless of the style.

Mndsgn - Body Wash Such a mix of electronic music, RnB and hip-hop is really modern and interesting. No piles of 'sweet' synths and heavy straight barrels, which can drive us into despondency. Instead, we got minimalist and beautiful music. It is paradoxically proves that soul, the live and the 'warm' music, can be an electronic, without losing their natural vibrations.

Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love!

This seems to be modern RnB. But hip-hop influenced on this style to a great extent. If earlier it was the other way around, hip-hop artists did songs with elements of RnB, but now the influence of hip-hop on the entire modern culture is so great that other styles are beginning to borrow its elements. Some RnB artists aggravate their sound, making it more measured, electronic and it partakes of modern rap. But beautiful vocal of Childish Gambino hasn't changed. Мэйти - Дневник Сельского Священника Maty is not a rapper, but at the same time it is impossible to deny the intimacy of his music with hip-hop. It's just her original version, in which Russian poetry is intertwined with the modern musical form. And in his tracks you can easy find customary melody for Russian music and Western rhythms. This album is definitely one of the best in the Russian music of the past year. Дельфин - Она (Dolphin - She) Dolphin is a legend. He is a musician who managed to create his own style in the era of universal copying of Western standards. Now Dolphin's style is completely different, but it is still unique. His music has very much minor, longing and melancholy. "She" sounds honest.

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