Slovo 31 (english language)

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African Rap: Five Important Albums of the Genre 011 016

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Authors: Vitali "Nelson" Makhnach Marianna Chief

Marianne BP

The 90's street style

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Editor: Vitali "Nelson" Makhnach

Belaroots

Hip-Hop books: from comics to research 039

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Jhetta Ebron

Wu-Tang Forever: 20th Anniversary 028

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Greg Schick

Hip-Hop Knowledge Seminar 018

Translators: Mikael Salikh Marianna Chief

Salto Nazad

Den Da Funk Reviews

Hip-Hop: from culture to commerce

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

Music group Salto Nazad don't leave you indifferent. It is original and truly beautiful. Fans of hip-hop, and listeners of soul, reggae and pop keep an eye on Salto Nazad's creativity. And everyone of them finds their own emotions in it. About modern Ukrainian music and the development of Salto Nazad we had a talk with the band member – Sasha Tab. 003

The group Salto Nazad has already well known outside of Ukraine. And many listeners note not only the quality of your music, but also the original mix of different styles. Many crews try to overcome the boundaries of specific styles. But not all of them turn it out original and harmonious. Tell us about your vision of different styles combination? What did it grow from? And what influenced him?

I think that a combination of styles is necessary for creating something new. This is one of the methods of searching. For us, the combination of styles was inevitable, because our current sound producer Vanyok Klimenko is a big fan of hip-hop, funk and soul, and I'm a fan of reggae music. Yes, and earlier we worked in a trio with beatmaker Syr, who also made his integral contribution to the sound of Salto Nazad.

That's how the styles blended. We always try to develop and discover new horizons, so now we cooperate with many cool Ukrainian musicians, bringing something new into the sound of our music.

Modern Western popular music has largely grown out of soul music. The influence of this genre concerns not only sound, but the very mood, emotions in music. Do you think this predetermined the development of modern music? And how did the culture affect your music?

Soul influenced us very much, as most of the band's members grew up listening to soul music. I think that all Afro-music has strongly influenced the development of the contemporary world musical culture. And this is especially close to us.

How is the innovation in the sound of modern reggae and hip-hop reflected in your music and performance?

We think that both the old school and the new one put their imprint on us, because consciously or subconsciously as a sponge we absorb all that we listen to, and in the future it reflects on our creativity. In general, we are always for the innovation in music, but with the condition - to pay tribute to the traditions. We are afraid of becoming "dinosaurs", which would not perceive and absorb new music. The older you become, the more difficult it becomes to comply with this requirement.

You became the first representatives of the label Rookodill'a. Is an independent label in Ukraine facing some specific regional difficulties?

Label, in principle, constantly faces various difficulties (smiling). As it seems to us, the task of label is to solve the difficulties, so that an artist does not have to solve them by himself.

In our countries the concept of "label" is still often confused with the concept of "get-togethers". Is the approach changing? Do objective changes in Ukrainian culture contribute to this?

Label is really a get-together of like-minded people. We are united by music and attitude to the world. We try to develop a clean and honest relationship within the team and create. I would like to influence music with the help of young people, develop kindness and love, honesty and faith in them.

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Your clips "I do not know how" and "Keep" are distinguished by a simple, but instantly memorable idea. Is an idea of a clip prompted by the song itself or it is a planned brainstorming process? What do you value in these ideas and how do you select them?

In general, work on clips is never the same. The clip "Keep" is an impromptu. We were driving with the Israeli director Sasha Prilutsky (we invited him to make a video clip "I do not know how") in the car from the airport. He asked us to play Salto Nazad's new songs.

When he listened to the "Keep", Sasha took out the camera and filmed a clip from one take. It was an unplanned film. Usually we either think ideas of clips by the whole label, or our leader Vanyok comes up with them. Sometimes the films are directed by our friends, directors K. Mikhailov and B. Yakimenko. In this case, they create the ideas. Since the situations are different, then the clips are not alike each other. Recently we were lucky enough to work on two clips with Max Ksenda. He is a very talented director. Soon you will see the result of our work. " I do not know how " also attracts by its choreography. In general, when people listen to your music they want to dance. In this regard, I have a question - did the dance element of hip-hop affect you?

Of course, it has influenced. At school I was engaged in break dance and I fall in love with this style for life. It developed a sense of rhythm in me, I added some elements myself, and in the result, a symbiosis of dance,

freestyle and my feelings turned out.

I met the opinion that Ukraine, among the majority of the post-Soviet countries, is now a kind of center of high-quality popular music. And I would agree with that. Really there are a lot of interesting artists who are in the mainstream of pop music, but make it a modern and original version. Do you a part of this wave? And how do you feel about the term "pop music"?

Of course, now music in Ukraine is developing more than ever. We also try to contribute to this process. This is one of the most important components of our mission.

We make for ourselves the distinction between the concepts of "pop music" and "pops". This is two absolutely opposite concepts for us. Specifically, the label "pop music" is good for us (smiling).

What gave you the participation in the selection for Eurovision? Besides the growth of listeners, does such a contest give some valuable knowledge - about the "kitchen" of the show business or the level of its professionalism?

In addition to new listeners, Eurovision gave an understanding that we need a lot of work. It gets us inspiration, now we want to do even more. Also we get some interesting offers of joint work with other musicians, several of our songs were taken to soundtracks for films, and, of course, some interesting offers came from the organizers of concerts and festivals.

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Mother is a theme that touches everyone. But writing on this topic is not easy, because a lot of have been sung about it, and it have been done in different ways. Someone has sentimental songs, someone has fun. How did you write this song?

What is complicated of this theme?

For a long time we had a desire to write a song about mother. But we believe that such songs cannot be artificially created, they come when their time comes.

So it happened. The first lines of lyrics I once wrote in the studio. The Eurovision Song Contest stimulated its correcting as we went to the semifinals with this sketch. For a week the song had been written by Vanka Klymenko and our friend musicians, being understood and sung by me. I'm happy that such a song about mother was released.

Since the release of the album "Tree" several years have passed. Many listeners are waiting for your new album. Do you work on it, and do you plan to release full-length albums?

Of course, we plan to record an album. Perhaps, we'll start writing it in the summer, and in the fall new songs will ready. There are many different sketches and demos. That means that we already have something to work on.

Comparing with that period, what were the most important changes in your work?

Comparing with the period of the albums "Tree" and "House", it's been a long time. We traveled a lot, started up the creative association Rokodill'a, worked on a new sound of Salto Nazad, created a new Ukrainian music. We became more experienced and gained more skills and ideas. And the number of people in our ranks has increased which can't prevent affecting the final result of creativity. The most important changes are that we began to write more songs in the Ukrainian language as we really like it, and involved more live instruments, musicians, and reduced the number of soloists of the group to one.

Speaking about the music industry in the postSoviet region, the theme of format always arises. Do you see positive changes in this regard in Ukraine?

Is "alternative" music in the ether of radio and TV? And how strong are the "soviet" stereotypes in this sphere?

"Soviet" stereotypes still affect the society and musical tastes of Ukrainians, but now music is experiencing an upsurge, a certain revolution of tastes is felt, trends are changing, radio and TV are slowly adapting to these changes, albeit it is very slowly.

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The main thing is to fill the country's music box with high-quality, original music and then there will be a chance that everything will be fine. Plus, we need to think more about the development of culture, moral education, first of all, about education of oneself, in order to give people the right example.

Speaking about the music industry in the postSoviet region, the theme of format always arises.

Do you see positive changes in this regard in Ukraine? Is "alternative" music in the ether of radio and TV? And how strong are the "soviet" stereotypes in this sphere?

"Soviet" stereotypes still affect the society and musical tastes of Ukrainians, but now music is experiencing an upsurge, a certain revolution of tastes is felt, trends are changing, radio and TV are slowly adapting to these changes, albeit it is very slowly. The main thing is to fill the country's music box with highquality, original music and then there will be a chance

that everything will be fine. Plus, we need to think more about the development of culture, moral education, first of all, about education of oneself, in order to give people the right example.

It's interesting to know about your view on the joint tracks, in particular on the combination of styles of artists. Would it you be closer and more comfortable to do tracks with artists whose style is common with yours? Or, on the contrary, it is interesting to work at the junction of completely different styles?

I love music in its various forms. If we talk about styles, then I love experiments. I'm interested in making joint songs at the junction of different genres.

What are your goals for the foreseeable future?

The goals are write new songs, make clips and give concerts. But we want to achieve stability in it, so that all these processes will not chaotic.

http://rookodilla.com https://vk.com/saltonazadband 007

African hip-hop can boast of a long history and a lot of talented artists. The uniqueness of the hip-hop of the black continent is its diversity. In many countries of Europe hip-hop was often copied from American, and later it was connected with local pop music. Often in this moment, the "national" specifics of hip-hop ended. Well, if the local pop music was different from the western one. Then the sound associated with it may have found a certain specific. Otherwise, the differences were only in the language of performing.

In Africa, this process was more complicated.

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Firstly, originally hip-hop here was connected with completely different genres, both with American in origin and with purely African ones. Consequently, copies in the pure form did not occur so often. Even the sound of classic albums of the 90s acquired a local flavor.

Secondly, African pop music is unique and it's rooted in the ethnic music of the continent. Therefore, its fusion with hip-hop contrasts out against the background of such "mixes" from the countries where both hip-hop and pop music were completely borrowed in the West.

Thirdly, the fusion of hip-hop with folklore under African conditions turned out to be very organic. For the reason that folklore is not a dead music of the past, sounding only in ethnographic collections, but it is alive and closely connected with the real life of a large part of the continent's population. Of course, experiments of combining folklore with hip-hop are more often done not in African villages, but in urban studios with an eye on the western listener. Because of this, often the African MCs do not like such projects, for their exploitation of the stereotype about the "exotic" of Africa.

And, finally, the fact that hip-hop music is AfricanAmerican in origin makes her return to Africa doubly interesting. It is interesting from the point of view of repeated processing and mixing of ancient African musical traditions with European ones, in their refraction through the prism of American reality, and then – a new mixture with modern African culture.

The legacy of records of African hip-hop over the past few decades is very extensive. Especially if you add to them the records of African emigrants who have moved to Europe. We do not set out to highlight the best or most significant albums of this genre, especially as they cannot be accommodated in the top five. We just want to

recall some very bright, important and original albums of African hip-hop.

Positive Black Soul - Salaam Positive Black Soul is one of the pioneers of African hiphop. Although experts will notice that the pioneers are logical called artists who recorded the first tracks at the junction of hip-hop and other genres in the mid-80s.

May be it is true. But Positive Black Soul became those who directly introduced African hip-hop without its mix with pop music. Their second album, "Salaam" was released in 1995, when this team was already well known outside of their native Senegal. The album shows how the classical, in its structure, sampled hip-hop od 90s is enriched with African percussion, rhythmic performance, vocals and, of course, languages – from French to Wolof. It is difficult to imagine a music lover and a connoisseur of hip-hop, who would remain indifferent to this record!

Daara J - Xalima Daara J also created Senegalese hip-hop, which, by the way, still remains one of the brightest and most developed in Africa. What is the difference between this album and the album of Positive Black Soul? Daara J added even more African "spices", and not limited to this, added elements of reggae, Cuban music, funk and soul to their music. The result is an alloy that cannot get old. Do not forget about the participation in the creation of the album of the legendary reggae musician – Mad Professor. It's no wonder that after 18 years (the album "Xalima" was released in 1999) it sounds fresh and interesting. This is a greeting from the 90's, which dignifiedly place is not in the museum, but in your headphones!

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X Plastaz - Maasai Hip Hop The uniqueness of X Plastaz is that they looked at hiphop from the point of view of the inhabitants of the Tanzanian village of the Masai tribe. The album "Maasai Hip Hop" was released in Germany in 2004, becoming one of the most popular examples of an alloy of hip-hop and ethnic culture. And X Plastaz is still the most famous hip-hop crew from Tanzania. The most interesting thing is that the ethnics in the sound of the album are not so many. Mainly it is expressed in language, style of performance and the very atmosphere of the album.

Emmanuel Jal - Warchild The horror of the war, through which Emmanuel Jal passed, is impossible to feel, sitting in the apartment at the computer. The film about him ("Warchild" (2008)), also will not be able to convey it. But this album shows that a person can turn the tide. Having lost relatives, Emmanuel managed to survive, to leave the hell, engulfed by the war and the dictatorship of Sudan, and to throw out all the pain and emotion in his poems.

"Warchild" is his first album. The record was released in 2008 and reflects the tendencies of hip-hop of those years, but with the African specificity. Here the heavy basses of modern hip-hop are combined with the melody of the African vocals and the atmospheric background melodies in which the traditions of the black continent are unmistakably recognized. And, of course, the lyrics that make you listen to and think, think about the world that is sick.

Ben Sharpa - Ben Sharpa As a child, Ben Sharpa felt the humiliation of apartheid in South Africa, lived in immigration in the United States, and returned to his homeland to become one of the creators of the local hip-hop scene. After going through the diabetic coma, he miraculously recovered and continued to write the lyrics. Ben put all his life experience into music and became one of the best lyricists of the black continent. Political, sharply social and simply honest, Ben Sharpa's rap stands out today against the backdrop of pop rappers from South Africa, which rapping about girls, money and their own coolness. Alas, these rappers sound exactly like their American "prototypes". But Ben Sharpa is not. His self-titled album of the year 2008 for those years sounds simply revolutionary! Ben managed to combine electronic sound with a dense rhythm and recitative. This is not dancing hits, but rap from the "back side of the Matrix".

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The whole work of Greg Schick is an example of his sincere love for hip-hop. Through his numerous projects, he proved that even one person can bring a huge benefit to culture. We discussed with Greg the situation with media in contemporary hip-hop, important cultural projects in different regions of the planet and the future of Greg's work in hip-hop.

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Now you are working on the Nomadic Wax label and the World Hip Hop Market website. Tell us about them.

How do these projects collaborate?

World Hip Hop Market is a web site I started in 2004 in an attempt to introduce global hip-hop music to a U.S. audience. The site was an online record store that sold old school (U.S.) hip-hop vinyl as well as new, imported hiphop records from all over Europe, Japan, Australia, and Brazil. I connected with a lot of great artists, producers and DJs so I started posting little articles about them on the site as well. Turns out that the articles were more popular than actually buying the imported records. So in 2008, I transformed it into solely a blog/news site.

I met the Nomadic Wax guys, Ben Herson (founder of Nomadic Wax, 2001) and Magee McIlvaine, at a festival they produced at Trinity College in 2007. Ben founded the company as a record label and mobile recording studio in Senegal, but really expanded into live shows with African hip-hop artists. Magee was a filmmaker and Trinity College student who teamed up with Ben for this international hiphop festival. It was amazing because, at the time, I thought "who else is doing this international hip-hop stuff?" And then there it was, the Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival in Hartford, Connecticut! (www.trinityhiphop.com) We started collaborating in 2008 with my role mainly writing press releases and doing PR for their music and video releases and live events. In 2011, they brought me on as a Managing Director to oversee event production, bookings, PR and music licensing. During that time we put

a bunch of global mixtapes, dozens of music videos and short documentary films, and produced shows at colleges, conferences and festivals like SXSW, CMJ Music Marathon and A3C Hip-hop Festival (as well as continuing the Trinity College festival). But the more event production I did, the less PR and music licensing. And that's where I'm at now: still producing the Trinity festival (12th year) and other events as they arise. We do a few shows per year with the John F Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, which is amazing.

Nomadic Wax is well known in the field of independent hip-hop. In addition, not every label can boast of such a long history. What is the main thing for the development of an independent label and why do many labels not exist for long time? Is it due to objective or subjective reasons?

Times are very tough for all labels. The last ten years have seen a huge shift in how music is found and consumed, and Nomadic Wax had to change as well.

When Ben started the company, he was trying to get these amazing Senegalese artists heard in the USA. It was a hard sell in 2001, but he continued and with the live shows, panel discussions, and contacts within colleges, Ben was able to create an interest in African hip-hop artists that went on for quite a while. At that time, Nomadic Wax had put out two "African Underground" compilation albums and became a distributor for many African and diaspora artists in the USA. This means that through Nomadic Wax, the albums were picked up by iTunes, CD Baby and other online platforms. But by the end of the 2000s, artists could put their music online directly and it wasn't necessary to go through Nomadic Wax. Plus, with the bigger emphasis on live events, the smaller college shows that sustained Nomadic Wax in the early years had nearly gone away. By the time I came on board in 2011, Nomadic Wax was only producing mixtapes and the record label side was really just a catalog.

Ultimately it comes down to money. Record labels are a business and they can only exist as long as they make a profit, or as long as someone is willing to lose money running the company. Large record companies work in economies of scale with bigger budgets, but also only sign bigger artists with big followings. Smaller record companies don't have the resources, and thereby not the clout, of a bigger company, so there is only so much they can accomplish. This is the capitalistic side of the art of music, but in the end it comes down to money.

Many old labels stopped releasing music on physical media. Do you think it's important to keep the physical format? Or will it inevitably become a rudiment in the era of digital music?

There was a time when a CD was a calling card and I could come away from a festival with 30-40 CDs. Artists rarely spend money on physical copies anymore because more people download music. Nomadic Wax hasn't released a physical CD since 2011.

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Personally, I grew up in the era of vinyl and cassettes. I love the cover art, liner notes, production credits and the feel of the record sleeve or CD case. In the USA, there is a rekindling of interest in vinyl, which is kind of cool (although expensive). To me, that signals that fans desire something visceral from their music purchases, not just files. So I think the physical will always be around in some way, although to ignore the primary digital delivery methods would just be bad business for an artist.

The World Hip Hop Market is unique in that sense that it represents international hip-hop without special focus on the music scene of the United States or some other country. Is it possible in this way to really unite the representatives of hip-hop from different parts of the world? Or are there any countries where most readers of your site live?

It's amazing, but we've had visitors from 215 countries and territories! About a third of our traffic is from the USA, then it trickles off with UK, Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands. We have had good traffic from South Africa, Kenya, India. My original intention was to have mainly a US audience, but I am thrilled that people from everywhere have found the site.

Special conceptual media is an integral part of hip-hop.

But they are very different and face a number of problems and temptations. For example, the most popular sites, as a rule, do not carry a serious message to the readers. At the same time, small themed sites face the problem of low attendance and lack of funds for development. What solutions of those problems did you find based on your experience?

I wish I knew a real solution. World Hip Hop Market exists on minimal funds, and to preserve the integrity of the site I have refused to run ads or take money for article placement.

In 2012, I really tried to push the site traffic. I hired an editor and a lot of writers. We put up 60+ posts per month for a while. I ran Facebook ads. Out traffic went from 3,500 page views per month to 12,000 page views per month. The problem was that I really needed the page views to be like 50,000 per DAY to be at the level of HipHopDX or Allhiphop.com. Popular sites cater to “pop� artists and music, gossip and celebrity culture. Hip-hop culture is, by definitely, counter-cultural. So when you commodify it, you dilute it.

Of all the global hip-hop sites around in 2004 when I started, only two remain: Africanhiphop.com and britishhiphop.co.uk. So many amazing sites have folded and disappeared. Personally, I have scaled back World Hip Hop Market and accepted that if I am still getting 3,000 or more page views per month, then I am happy. The people who find it useful are always there.

In the age of the Internet, the media is constantly changing. People often talk about the "death" of the text and make a bet on visual content. How do all these changes affect the work and development of your site?

It's true that technology has helped create a world where people are more visual and with less patience. The recent advent of 1-2 minute mini-docs from news companies like Great Big Story (CNN), Noisey (Vice) and other companies shows how people want to consume news: utilizing video and in short.

However, I refuse to believe that text will ever die. Print books, ebooks, and more news sites and blogs exist than ever before. I still read 10,000 word articles online just as I read 500 word articles. The most important thing is to know your audience and your goals. My goals are more of a historian and archivist, so text can cover a lot more ground.

Still, we use video to cover specialized events.

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Each website has an editorial policy, including restrictions that prevent the publishing of certain materials. Do you have such editorial policy?

Nothing extremely formal. World Hip Hop Market generally does not cover US based artists with a few exceptions (diaspora, non-English speaking performers, collaborations between US and non-US artists, etc.) We prefer artists with a political or social change message, or articles about culture. We try to represent all genders, languages and religions and shy away from themes of misogyny and violence. We don't accept paid placement for articles.

How do you feel about the coverage of the controversial characters of popular rap? Some people believe that journalist must write about everyone, giving choice to the reader. Others told that a journalist should write about what he himself values and what he considers necessary to tell the world. Which approach is closest to you?

I publish on World Hip Hop Market based on what I value.

There are hundreds of web sites where you can find information about US hip-hop, or celebrity gossip. So readers have the choice to go there instead of my site.

Now, someone making their full time living as a journalist may not have the luxury of turning down paid work writing about characters in pop rap. But a journalist can still write with integrity no matter what topic or person they are covering.

How do paper hip-hop magazines develop in the USA? Have they been replaced by web-sites? Are paper magazines mostly local or are there national-level hiphop magazines? Tell us about the most interesting ones.

The magazine industry has really suffered in the USA as people have shifted to getting information online.

Magazines and newspapers used to be gatekeepers to information, but the Internet has changed that. The only few magazines left – "XXL", "Hip-hop Weekly", "Vibe" – are national level magazines focusing on popular artists and gossip, and even their circulation has severely shrunk.

A few people are still trying to make it work. One that I like is "I Am Hip-hop" from London (www.iamhiphopmagazine.com). And another is "Crayon Beats" (www.facebook.com/CrayonBeats). I think both of these only come out 2-4 times per year, but they represent the culture. "Wax Poetics" is always dope.

schools to give these small amounts to pay artists to teach.

Overall, grants are very hard to come by. Hip-hop is still viewed as violence, sex and drugs by the mainstream. The art of hip-hop isn't recognized widely. Unlike Western Europe, the US government doesn't provide grants to make US music popular around the world. They let the capitalist market determine that. So I don't really see grants helping the "hip-hop community". I see no grants for hip-hop media.

The US State Department has used hip-hop artists for diplomacy over the last 10-15 years. "Next Level" (https://exchanges.state.gov/us/program/next-level) is the biggest program, but there are many other smaller ones and also some ad hoc grants given by specific embassies.

There is a lot of talk and discussions about the social role of hip-hop. What real changes did you see in communities thanks to hip-hop? What did they impress you with?

Hip-hop has always been about making something from nothing, and we still see that. "Each one, teach one" is a common mantra for hip-hop heads and we still see artists who then help foster in the next generation of MCs, dancers, DJs, graffiti artists. In many cases, this gives kids a sense of pride and purpose where otherwise they may not have them.

It's all grassroots though. It's nearly all local cats with passion and drive making it happen.

I've linked with leaders in communities all over the world and one place the really impresses me is Uganda. There are so many grassroots movements there: "Breakdance Project Uganda", "Bavubuka Foundation", those are bigger ones but there are dozens. I just learned about "Nawe Osobola MCing Project Uganda" last week. And what strikes me as unique is how youth are trained to be leaders and also allowed to learn about and understand themselves. This has to be the key to transforming communities by empowering individuals.

In the USA, hip-hop has already become a part of tradition. And it's no wonder that various organizations support culture giving out grants for hip-hop projects. Is this support a real help to the hip-hop community? And does the hip-hop media receive such grants?

What some people have found is that they can teach hiphop, or use hip-hop for youth programming, and since the kids are receptive to it, certain schools or youth empowerment organizations will give money to fund them.

But this is all because of the individuals who are passionate about helping kids and also love hip-hop. They convince

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What projects do you realize besides the site?

At the moment, I am producing two shows at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC with global hip-hop artists. I am producing the 12th annual "Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival". I am editing the "Hip-hop Atlas" with short hip-hop histories from 100 countries. I am researching a book about global hip-hop organizations. Finally, I program a monthly podcast with the "Hip-hop Loves Foundation" call "Global Love Warming". Here is the latest episode: https://www.mixcloud.com/hiphoploves/globallove-warming-episode-6 Recently you participated in "Hip-hop Knowledge Seminar", held in Russia. Tell us about this event. Before that time, were you familiar with Russian hip-hop? And how did your opinion on it change after this conference?

Before I went to Russia, my experience with Russian hiphop was pretty minimal. I had worked with Grand PaP, DJ Sybiro and Krussia (who lives in NYC) and heard of expatriates like Ivan Ives and DJ Vadim. I knew of rapper Timati and some good b-boy crews like Top 9. But I had also read about the hip-hop history of Russia, so I knew there was a lot I hadn't seen.

We took two dancers, two MCs and one hip-hop professor to Russia to visit three cities (Moscow, Belgorod and Tolyatti). In each city we did lectures and workshops plus they had b-boy/b-girl battles in Belgorod and Tolyatti and an

MC battle in Tolyatti. Plus a big graffiti event in Belgorod.

We met a lot of amazing people.

Honestly, with all my work in global hip-hop, I wasn't surprised to find a vibrant underground hip-hop scene in all these places. We spoke with MCs, dancers, producers, DJs, graffiti writers. We even met a dope beatboxer in Moscow.

They met us with love and we returned it. That's the power of hip-hop. Even beyond language barriers. We see each other and acknowledge that those are our brothers and sisters in hip-hop.

And at the end of the interview I want to ask about the plans for the development of Nomadic Wax, World Hip Hop Market and other your projects.

For now, World Hip Hop Market will continue to be a news source and archive for global hip-hop culture. Nomadic Wax continues to produce the "Trinity International HipHop Festival" and more future hip-hop cultural exchanges.

We are still partners with the Kennedy Center and produce a couple of shows there each year.

Nomadic Wax partnered with MTV to produce "Rebel Music" (www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aRwprNai4A) and we continue to put out a few music videos with our small pool of artists like Femi, Kokayi, Bocafloja, Keur Gui (www.youtube.com/user/djmagee/videos). Plus the "Hiphop Atlas" will be published soon, so watch for that.

http://worldhiphopmarket.com http://www.nomadicwax.com www.youtube.com/user/djmagee/videos http://trinityhiphop.com https://www.mixcloud.com/hiphoploves/global-love-warming-episode-6 015

On February 18, a seminar devoted to hip-hop culture as a tool for development and education was held in Moscow. Unfortunately, in this role hip-hop in Russia is still almost not considered. And in the West, this side of hip-hop remains in the shade of entertaining rap music.

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Nevertheless, progress in this area in the United States is obvious. Already in many colleges and universities there are departments and courses devoted to hip-hop culture.

Just a representative of one of these educational programs, Seth Markle, Professor of History and International Relations (from Trinity College, Connecticut) came to Moscow.

This seminar is a part of the large-scale educational project "Under The Curtain". On the Russian side, the organization "DA EXIT" and the "Hip-Hop Union" movement took part in it. This movement is known to many by seminars, music projects and the organization of visits by famous representatives of international hiphop.

By the way, this time not only Seth Markle was a guest.

Whole delegation from Trinity College came in Russia with him. Among of them was Greg Schick (Greg Schick), the creator of the portal "World Hip Hop Market" and manager of the "Nomadic Wax" label.

The most valuable thing is that the American guests were able to share a great deal of experience in the use of hip-hop in pedagogical activities, including in solving acute social problems.

One of the objectives of the seminar was the signing of a joint memorandum on cooperation between representatives of Russian and American hip-hop. The memorandum includes five basic postulates: Item number 1. Contrary to the difference of cultures and existing conflicts of interest, hip-hop confirms its international status and remains true to its true humanitarian mission of spreading the values that are fundamental for every society: Peace, Love, Unity and

Joy. Item number 2. It is the social mission as the active field of the fifth element - Knowledge, that forms hip-hop as a culture. Responsibility to society and, in particular, to children (the 4th item of the Hip Hop Declaration of Peace) is the most important problem facing hip-hop.

Item number 3. On the threshold of the advent of a new information era, when Knowledge becomes the highest value and the basic energy of development, a special role is assigned to education as the driving force of hip-hop.

Item number 4. Experiencing global expansion, hip-hop takes on its own forms, depending on the language environment, social structure and traditions of each specific region, while activating people's traditions and performing a socially useful function.

Item number 5. Comparative study of the social structure models of hip-hop communities in our countries has unlimited potential that can be used to form the social ideology of hip-hop for the benefit of future generations.

Of course, such memoranda only sound the desire and approach to cooperation, but it's also good. It is also good that not only the residents of Moscow were able to participate in the seminar with American guests. The Trinity College delegation also visited in Belgorod and Togliatti. Video of the seminar from Belgorod you can watch on YouTube.

https://vk.com/hiphopunite http://bit.ly/2njW6Vr http://bit.ly/2nepcUV 017

Jhetta Ebron is among those young Mะกs who catch us by their emotions and naturalism in music and lyrics. Her hip-hop will catch fancy those who are tormented by nostalgia, as well as those who are looking for interesting fresh music.

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You started doing music in your childhood. Over the years, hip-hop has changed a lot. How did you look for your own style? What events in the history of hip-hop did influence this process?

I found my style when I was very young. Since then I've just been working to perfect it. I would say that Drake hitting the scene would be a big event in hip-hop that influenced me.

I'm very aggressive but during that time I started experimenting with a softer sound to show a different side of Jhetta.

Now most of the artists try to release singles and separate tracks regularly, reminding the listener about themselves. This is logical, because in the endless stream of information on the Internet it is easy to get lost. The tradition of releasing of albums is not forgotten, but it has receded into the background. Are you interested mostly in working on a single track or realizing consistently a single concept of a big release?

I've released a lot of projects. I want to start on just releasing singles though kind feel like my projects get under looked and I'm tired of my hard work going unnoticed. I feel like maybe if I switch it up and just drop some DOPE singles, and really push them... I can move this wave. Honestly, these days artists can make good singles but can't make a decent project. Got me over here missing the days that I could listen to an album without skipping every other song.

to releases, especially since they need to be advertised on the network. As a result, the enthusiasm of the artists disappears and a kind of personal creative crisis sets in.

Have you ever faced this problem? What does helps you to solve it?

I have never really faced this problem. It bothers me but I don't fall into a crisis. You're supposed to use things like that as motivation to go back into the lab and cook up something that's gonna force them to listen. You have to be strong mentally in order to get through that disappointment. Low numbers can bring you down lol. Gotta get back up though and suck that shit up and work harder.

What feedback is the most important for you: critical or rapturous?

I'm accepting of both but neither is important.

In the United States there is a formed long tradition of mixtapes. Someone thinks that mixtape is an unfinished album, an outline of the album. Others say that mixtapes are a special culture, with its own specifics and atmosphere. Tell us about your vision of the role of mixtapes in hip-hop and about your mixtapes.

Mixtapes are like diaries to me. Every time I drop a project it's usually after I just got through a difficult time.

Sometimes I feel guilty about only dropping music after bad things happen... but man pain is inspiring lol. That's what my mixtapes usually revolve around... trial and triumph.

They are quite different in sound, which indicates your constant development as an artist. What happened in your creativity between the release of "Biggest Enemy" and "Biggest Enemy 2"? And how did these events affect the second mixtape?

When I dropped "Biggest Enemy" I was in the military.

Therefore I had a filter on what I could say. I was going through some crazy shit though. With "BE2", I was out and trying to step back into society. Different level different devil is true because I went through some more crazy shit. It seemed like everything I went through during the "Biggest Enemy" period I was going through it again but this time I was more prepared. I was stronger. I had grown a lot. It was only right to show that growth.

Many young artists are worried about feedback.

Creating tracks and albums requires a lot of time and effort. But often the listener does not react very actively

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Thanks to the general availability of studio recording, now many artists practically do not give live shows.

Often they have good quality studio tracks, but very boring live performances. But there are also reverse examples. How do you think, what does it depend on?

And how do you evaluate your live performances? What would you like to change in them in the future?

I haven't performed in a while. One thing I know about my past live performances is that I lacked confidence. However, I have that now I just need a stage. I can't wait for the days where I'm performing and the crowd is singing my lyrics.

You have to be able to entertain, get personal with the people while enjoying good music.

Today, more and more MCs choose a slow and monotonous style of performance. Your recitative is emotional and rhythmic. In your opinion, should MCs keep expression in performance or it all depends on the lyrics and the sound of the track?

Expression should be in it all... that's what good music is all about.

In your biography it is written that the service in the Air Force influenced your music, and among other things, your creativity. How exactly was that? And how has your lyrics changed after this period of your life?

They've changed tremendously. I'm able to express myself in a way that I never could before. Being out of the military has made me appreciate being my own boss in a way. I can't live my life with someone directing my feet. My music is

constantly changing because my life is constantly changing.

The Air Force was another stepping stone on my path to greatness.

How important is the social position of the artist for you?

Should it appear in the lyrics?

It's important for me.

Trump's election has stirred the whole world. Hip-hop community, of course, also did not remain on the sidelines. Do you think this will lead to more politicization of hip-hop lyrics? Or is this a temporary phenomenon and after some time this theme will start to leave the tracks and statements of the artists?

Hip-hop has always been political whether anyone wants to admit or not. Music in general. It might leave the artists but it will always have a spot in music. The only difference is if they allow that kind of conscious music to hop on a mainstream wave. Political hip-hop gets overlooked.

How do you see a combination of serious themes and entertainment in hip-hop?

It brings you back to what music is all about feeling. It forces you to feel something real. That bubble gum rap is just a facade, man.

What are you working at now? What tracks, clips and albums are you planning to release this year?

Right now I'm just trying to perfect my craft. I can't leak any details lol. Just wait on it.

https://jhettae.com https://soundcloud.com/jhettae https://www.youtube.com/user/jhetta94 020

This album is a child of his time and, at the same time, its monument. Listening to "Wu-Tang Forever" you do not only immerse in the rap atmosphere of its heyday, but also feel how much has changed since then.

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With the release of "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)", the clan became a cult crew. But it often happens that taking off to the top with a magnificent debut album, the artists do not cope with the expectations of listeners.

Their subsequent releases, in this case, only show the way down.

But it is not in the case of the Wu-Tang Clan. With the album "Wu-Tang Forever", they confirmed the fans' opinion that this team in hip-hop is not just for a long time, but it has already become one of its most important symbols. The critics' opinion also could not stand the power of this album. He broke many "canons". For example, it has always been assumed that long tracks without clinging "hooks" are not able to become hits. WuTang Clan released their "Triumph" contrary to this opinion and the requirements of the label. It became a hit for the ages. And there were a lot of such tracks, because the style of the Wu-Tang Clan itself is not a short dance composition. These are narratives with minimalistic and often monotonous beats, which, thanks to the skill of RZA, have become the standard of hip-hop production. A powerful recitative combined with street themes, steep rhymes and a mix of "philosophy" from cinematography about martial arts, as well as chess and the ideas of African-American organizations like "Five-Percent Nation", did their job. The group's albums became

conceptual, even without a strict concept. They became them so often in spite of the fact that in the tracks read several completely different MCs. The Wu-Tang Clan itself is a community of very different people. The team united MCs, each of them was in its own way "strange", but made its identity a chip that singled it out among others and attracted people.

Of course, today such albums no longer come out. Even the representatives of the old school hip-hop sound in a new way. Members of the clan are not an exception. And this is understandable, because time does not stand still.

Double albums also do not go out now. Exactly, they release, but very rarely. The format is getting smaller in duration, and many even concentrate on release of singles. And this is also dictated by the specifics of the time. Therefore, "Wu-Tang Forever" is also a pleasure for those who, according to an old habit, like to listen to albums from beginning to the end, plunging for an hour or two into the atmosphere of the plate.

27 tracks (and in some publications there are two more bonuses) is really impressive scale for the album. It is difficult to single out the best tracks. You can, of course, try to identify a few of the most popular ones, like as "Triumph", but with the same success you can find a number of other tracks that are just as good for your taste.

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What about the tracks of the album "Wu-Tang Forever"?

The first track "Wu-Revolution" sends us to the ideas of many African American organizations, about the origins of mankind and the black man, about the mental revolution (the track is dedicated to it) and, of course, about the degradation of the society that needs this revolution.

Immediately, Wu-Tang reminds us of the impact on them of films about martial arts – the track uses a dialogue from the film "Shaolin Temple." The sound of the track is colored with samples from African-American soul music, which once again emphasizes its theme.

"Reunited". The second track of the album is already significantly "easier" in its content. Here MCs talk about the success of the group, about the continuation of their joint work after the debut album made them symbolic figures of style. The key element of the beat was the samples of violin and strings. This is simple, but impossible to forget!

"For Heaven's Sake". The track is filled with a game of words and a mass of references, both to popular culture, and to history. In addition, he is replete with the game of slang. Instrumental of the track beats by heavy drums and makes you swing your head in time with it. "Cherry on the cake" became a sample from the King Floyd's song "Do not Leave Me Lonely".

"Cash Still Rules / Scary Hours (Still Do not Move Anything But But The Money)". Actually, the theme of the track is clear from its name. Money still decides. But

where does this sometimes lead to? That's what the clan members tell about it, filling the lyrics with images of New York streets, including some cases and situations, the essence of which must be thought out without being an eyewitness. The beat is based on samples from the song of Skeeter Davis "The End of the World" (1962) and the legendary hit "Paid in Full" by Eric B. & Rakim (1987).

"Visionz" is another track in which rhyming is more important than a strict message. The clan shines with play of words and saturates the lyrics with images. Babyface and Ghostface Killah's joint track "This Is for the Lover in You (Puffy's Face to Face Mix)" became the basis for the central sample of "Visionz". This is the slow and steep beat!

"As High as Wu-Tang Get" speaks how the clan is cool.

But it says so, that the listener wades through the intricacies of images. A steep bass line asks for examples of "canons" of beatmaking. The track uses a sample from the song "I'll Play the Blues for You" by the bluesman Albert King.

"Severe Punishment" is a "gangster" track, but the clan members would not be themselves if it was just a standard collection of stereotypes about guns and disassemblies.

Swirling rhymed turns and a series of samples from "Words From a Genius" by The Genius (1991); "Ice Cream Man" (rare demo) by Method Man and the dialogue "Are You My Judge?" from the movie "3 Evil Masters" (1980) put on it the seal of clan members, unlike other MCs.

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"Older Gods" is the classic beat for New York of those years, which built on a minor piano, and street lyrics saturated with hip-hop.

"Maria", perhaps, is one of the album's most concrete tracks. Sex, sex and again sex is its topic. The track includes samples from "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" by Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968); "Get Out of My Life, Woman" by Lee Dorsey (1966); "Maria" by Leonard Bernstein and Russ Tamblyn (1961); and a dialogue from the film "Marco Polo (AKA 4 Assassins)".

"A Better Tomorrow" is probably the darkest track of "Wu-Tang Forever". Episodes of hopeless reality here alternate with questions about the bright future, rhetorical and said in emptiness. Beat is ideal for narration, but it's not gloomy and not funny. This is just a calm and neutral instrumental with elements of the song "Love Theme From "Romeo and Juliet" (A Time for Us)" by Peter Nero (1969).

"It's Yourz". This is a kind of represent with samples from "Sing Sing" by Gaz (1978) and "Look on a Soft Side" by Jean-Pierre Decerf and Marc Saclays (1979). The sound of the track is extremely minimal beat.

"Wu-Tang Forever Intro" is a sketch about the clan that prepares a listener for the main hit of the album "Triumph".

The track uses music from the movie "Duel to the Death".

The clan cannot be without kung fu.

"Triumph" is an ode to the clan's rise to the top of hip-hop.

Six minutes of verses without choruses and other distracting "chips". It's just a wave of hip-hop, which does not take speed, fury or a memorable beat. Track takes our attention by self-confidence and pleasure from the

achieved heights. The beat is rich in samples: "The Bees' Picnic" by Jerry Goldsmith (1978); "Second Defeat of Hung Wen-Ting" from the movie "Fists of the White Lotus" (1980); "Wu-Tang - Killa Armee Freestyle" by Tony Touch, Inspectah Deck and Killa Sin (1996); "Just Found Me" by The Rance Allen Group.

The lyrics of "Impossible" can be called multi-layered.

Here MCs draw a picture from mysticism and conspiracy theories to the description of the murder in the street. With this track, the clan shows how the eclecticism of completely different styles and thoughts of its participants is combined into a single lyric, where all the themes are interrelated. An important role in creating the atmosphere of the track was played by Tekitha's vocals. This singer took part in two tracks of the album, and without her voice these tracks would lose a lot! The musical part of "Impossible" is built on a sample of Beethoven's 8 sonatas.

"Little Ghetto Boys". A sketch of the life of the ghetto.

Starting with the conflict with the police, the track tells about "dark things" in the streets, jumps on the success story and constantly brings us to the question: "the boy from the ghetto, what will you do when you grow up?" The beats cling to a powerful rhythm with the snare, which tearing the space of sound, and the melody created by samples from "Little Ghetto Boy" by Donny Hathaway (1972); "Duel to the Death" by Michael Lai (1982); "Ghetto Child" by O.V. Wright; and the dialogue "Iron Armor" from the movie "Invincible Armor".

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"Deadly Melody". Do not mess with Wu, dude! You do not win this war! True, with such a pressure of the lyrics, the beat sounds rather weak for him.

"The City" continues the previous track. Again, Wu declares the war. The melodic minor beat owes its atmosphere to the samples from "Living for the City" by Stevie Wonder (1973) and "Screams 7; Woman, Three Screams, Exterior Close Perspective" by The Hollywood Edge Sound Effects Library (1990) "The Projects" is another eclectic track, where the gangster story turns into a conversation about sex. In this case, if you think about it, there is no contradiction here.

Like many tracks of the album, "The Projects" can be called a snapshot of reality. The piano from the sample of song "Cry Together" by The O'Jays (1978) sets the rhythm of the track, partly even overlapping the drums.

"Bells of War". In this track, completely different themes are intertwined, inhered in the lyrics of the clan. There are also pictures of streets, and a look at the clan itself and its future. The instrument uses a sample from the song "Sneakin' in the Back" by Tom Scott and The L.A. Express (1974).

"The M.G.M." Rap and boxing are associated in the creativity of many MCs. Wu-Tang wasn't exception. The track refers us to the boxing match of the famous Julio Cesar Chรกvez.

"Dog Shit" is the most expressive track, thanks to the power and uniqueness of the couplets Ol' Dirty Bastard. The lyrics are very dirty, as was often the case with ODB. Sex, jokes over other MCs and a ragged style made him noticeable on the background of all the compositions of the album. And the sample from one more hit of the clan "Shame on a Nigga" seems to connect it with their first

album.

"Duck Seazon" is difficult to separate from the previous one, if only because the bit is based on the same sample from "Shame on a Nigga", and in addition to it a dialogue from the film "Unbeaten 28".

"Hellz Wind Staff" with heavy bass and samples from "Signed D.C." by Love (1966); "Rebel Without a Pause" by Public Enemy (1987) and the dialogue from "Unbeaten 28" does not let go for all five minutes of sound. The track hasn't one topic, the clan shoots rhymes on completely different topics, but it is the style and the famous street atmosphere of their lyrics unites all verses.

"Heaterz" changes the previous track, supplementing again the heavy bass with a melodic sample from the song "Giving Up" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.

"Black Shampoo" is a dose of romance from the Wu-Tang Clan. It's a very soft track with the appropriate lyrics, drawing images of relaxation and bliss. The clan speaks directly in the lyrics: "postpone this gangster shit on the shelf." A sample for a beat is taken from the track "Calgon, Take Me Away!" by Calgon (1970).

Musically, "Second Coming" is one of the best tracks of the album. The heavy bass here does not create aggression and pressure, but it create a dense background, over which the airy melody from the Richard Harris' song "MacArthur Park", or rather from the version of this song performed by Donna Summer. But the most important decoration of the track is the vocal of Tekitha! This is the perfect final track of the album. "The world and the hip-hop game will not be the same." Approximately so it is possible to characterize the sense of this track by one phrase. Is not the end point of the album?

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"The Closing" is a skit with reflections about what and why the clan members do it. This is a kind of addition to the album. In the international versions of "Wu-Tang Forever" the album included two more bonuses: "Sunshower" and "Projects" (remix).

Of course, today this album seems very long. And at the same time this is imperishable classics. No wonder he has survived two decades without losing his status and his glory. This is possible for a few records. It is also important that Wu-Tang Clan, being closely connected with the whole direction of street rap, differed in the complexity of their lines. Their tracks are full of images, links to films, names of historical and mythological characters, and much more. This makes the clan's lyrics interesting for detailed analysis by the fans, but at the same time, it is poorly understood by foreigners who do not have context and slang. Complicating the situation is also the fact that many lyrics are written in the format of

"stream of consciousness" – MCs jump from topic to topic, or just weave rhymes, creating different images.

However, as history showed, this did not stop the clan from becoming one of the most revered rap teams on the planet. The famous Wu-Tang logo can be found in almost every country in the world, so you can hear their tracks there. Critics, evaluating the album, noted the growth of many members of the clan from the time of the debut album, and also classified some couplets as "the best in the history of hip-hop"! Although not all the critics have honored the album with maximum ratings, but no one of them called it a failure. For a double disc, this is all the more cool, given that a large number of tracks in principle cannot be a single stream of hits.

The ensuing albums of the clan were subjected to much harsh criticism. But it was already quite another time and another hip-hop.

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You shouldn't write if you can't write. This is true for creativity, regardless of its genre.

But if you feel that you have to say about something – do not be silent. In this album there are only those topics that made me think and worry. And I talk about them without reference to the "canons" and "trends". Is it depressive? Is it darkly? Yes. But it is honestly. https://nelsonbleak.bandcamp.com/releases https://soundcloud.com/nelsonbleak https://www.reverbnation.com/nelsonbleak https://www.facebook.com/nelsonbleakmusic/ http://www.datpiff.com/profile/nelsonbleak http://www.datpiff.com/Nelson-Bleak-Square-mixtape.830196.html

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Belaroots is one of those bands that unite artists who already have their own formed views on music. Therefore, in Belaroots you can immediately hear the voices of the unique persons. It makes their debut album yet more interesting. Add to this the fact that it is a conscious Belarusian album, which is closely linked to our culture and reality.

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How was created your joint project? If Zeman and Angst are known for Belarusian listeners by their rap, Contra is known primarily as a painter. Therefore it is interesting how you came to collaboration in a musical project?

Zeman: First the name was found. I like to invent any such linguistic jokes, I write them in Twitter usually. And the sounding of our country's name seemed interesting. My friends told me that this pun should not die. But what to do when the album "Comma" already was able to record. Then was born the idea of the group. Whom to invite in it – I have long thought. I was delighted from the tracks, especially from the lyrics of Angst. And I know Alexander for a long time – more than 10 years. It so happened that we had common and quite close friends. There was no secret to me that Contra was interested in every aspect of hip-hop culture. Men liked my offer, and that group was born.

Angst: I would not say that I've been known to listeners (at the time of offer, I only took part in the two tracks on the SP Kava's EP), so the proposal Zeman was an opportunity more systematically work towards the creation of the music.

And as far as I understand, on my place in the group could be a rapper Vozhyk (smiles).

Kontra: Back when I was 14 years, we with the guys danced breakin', wrote tags on the walls, and recorded some wild and funny freestyles on an old tape recorder. In my 30 I could not even think that I will continue to engage in graffiti and start writing rap. And that Zeman's offer was pleasant surprise for me. I always listened his tracks since the days of the Imperatar and Chyrvonym pa Belamu in my player.

Then we wrote about our offer to the Hedgehog, Ronnie Ronich, but Angst's lyrics and enthusiasm caught us.

Personally, I still do not understand that we have already

released their first album.

How was formed a concrete idea of Belaroots album "Adnakarennyja" (Of one root)?

Zeman: It was formed quite slowly. In the original, we were looking for an idea that could fasten our thoughts together and at the same time idea must be a simple and understandable. And after some time, Alexander drew the logo. Suddenly, everything became clear - fire, air, water, earth, tree-roots, and the roots is a very good metaphor, which unites national Belarusian culture and hip-hop, because, of course, the roots here and there is one of the main concepts. Well, then – the west, center, east and color are the next elements of our idea. There was a common pattern that formed idea.

Angst: All was not so! I suggested call the album "Adnakarennyja" (Of one root) during the recording of the first track of Belaroots "Fog" on Super8 studio where Zeman was finishing the last tracks on "Radio Fiametta", and I was recorded the tracks for still not completed my debut album. And the first version of the logo appeared before I was called to the group. Moreover, I proposed that name more as a joke, but it has taken root. Actually, the intuitive idea of an album, and emerged from the group's name and album name, starting from the lyrics handling track "Fog", which, in my opinion, there is a kind of "concentrate" of the album.

Kontra: Zeman and Angst are both right. First, the first sketches of the logo was created, then Angst proposed the name, and then untwisted the idea that all of us would like: a search for meaning in the fact that all around us, where we are, who we are, what we can do or change and what we want.

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You sought to demonstrate and integrate in the album differences a variety of regions of Belarus. But in general, the differences in regional culture in Belarus are large?

Zeman: The main word here is to unite. We did not stress the difference, but its presence is for us – the thing is undeniable. You should hear how Kontra speak Poleshuk dialect of Belarusian language! But the main point is not the differences, but rather in unity.

Angst: There are differences, but I would have used the other word – specifics. They are not very important and their presence – it's more than ok! The uniqueness of dialects, customs, traditions, beliefs and, for example, ornamental patterns of different regions of Belarus are real treasure. All these features and make us a full-fledged nation. Learn things fun and interesting. I am a man from the east, for example, after the first record came to Zeman and secretly asked what it means unfamiliar to me the word "starčyć" in the verse of Contra? (Smiles).

Kontra: Ethnographers and historians written piles of materials about the characteristics and features, but we tried not to go into it, to show it or to compare, but on the contrary – we have sought to combine into a single whole, as rightly Zeman said. We are not ethnographers and not a historian, we are amateurs. I know firsthand how it is when people apply even different meanings of the word in different villages in the neighborhood, at a distance of 3 kilometers.

Belarus is an interesting country with its speeches, songs, rituals, traditions, and visual arts. And it can be proud of.

This diversity is so great thing, as it cannot be the same bird

in the same forest.

Belarus and its culture is a massive of materials for several albums. And it is not necessary here to cling to economy or politics. One word is the "Adnakarennyja" (Of one root).

The album turned out high-quality and interesting.

Another interesting is variety of your style, and links to the Belarusian culture in its various manifestations. It seems to me that the Belarusian rap in our environment cannot take place without such a connection with the local culture. I mean that with the global lyrics, the content of which is clear to the representative of the hiphop culture from any country, but made in Belarusian, this music will find very few listeners. Do you agree with that?

Zeman: What in our country today can find the own listeners? I do not think that we got a lot of new listeners after the album release. Because a very few people is interesting in a rap, and, unfortunately, a very few people is interesting in Belarusian language. And in our situation they get rap on the Belarusian language. When talking about the fact that few who are interested in rap, of course, someone will say that the concerts of Russian stars got thousands fans. But on the concert of Vodyara Blues were only 30 people. It is shamefully. Therefore, there is not a rap is popular, but the usual pop music is popular. About the language is also referred to when convenient. From the beginning we take a sober look at what we do. This music is personal, and it is difficult to find the audience, but it is sincere.

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Angst: It all depends on the artist's aim. The desire to express the way you want is one task, and the aim is get "a lot of listeners," which you will have to cater to is the other. For me at the moment is more important the first aim. I find it interesting to set a specific creative task and try to qualitatively and fun to perform it. This is the joy of creation! And I do not want to make money on those people who shared this joy with me. Especially with our own Belarusian showbusiness to pursue pure creativity is the only option.

Kontra: And it is good that this connection is real! This is its peculiarity. It (our music) is the local and with a specific of "beats from the Bronx." You can add fashionable Jamaican motifs, for example, but we are not Jamaicanians. And Belarusians are different from them.

Rapping in embroidered shirts and bast shoes also isn't our aim (laughs). And to go to some sort of market, change the style and "make money" is also not my way.

And if my music will get 10 listeners – that's good.

What do you think about this specifics – It is a way to own Belarusian style of rap music or just a feature that may disappear if conditions change in our country?

Zeman: As for me, there cannot be any self Belarusian or other style. Language is only a tool. There is the artist's brush, what was producted in Belarus, UK or Germany – but who see the difference when he draws a picture of? So here, the main thing in his mind. And here, of course, which may not all Belarusians have the same thoughts.

Rap is tribune, shape, not more. And it specifics is not in the conditions. We mcing about something eternal, surpassing the time, for these things all conditions are favorable.

Angst: All basically is alike. But I do not really like this cliche "language is a tool." We need explain this metaphor. For example, language is a musical instrument, violin. The Belarusian language is violin, and Russian is guitar. Ok? There are multi-instrumentalist (Zeman as a graduate of linguistic university, apparently, of these), but mostly virtuoso professional uses only one tool, to which he have ability from childhood. What about I tell you? I'm just very often meet people in the field of literary who allegedly played a long time and professionally, but they haven't a miracle in their work.

And I do not know how to explain to them that in one hand they have a guitar, and the other they have a bow.

Kontra: This "feature" or style disappears only with us, and the conditions are just an excuse to protect their laziness. I wish that it was just the native language of many generations in a new way, without any motive, politicians, without the "for" and "against." This is primer. Here Angst did not know the word "starčyć" – now he knows. A sense that we are investing in the lyrics is most importantly than one word. Primer haven't the time, conditions and limits. In Sweden, there is a good Swedish rap, in Poland is the strong Polish. Why cannot the Belarusian-language rap in Belarus? At least, this is as rare as a play guitar by a bow or by flippers on drums.

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Belarusian rap has long existed. But at the same time it we have a small number of artists and the quality of most of their tracks are not too high. Exceptions are a few artists that are well known in our musical space.

But the number of Belarusian-language rap albums can be counted on the fingers. Why the way of Belarusian rock, where the Belarussian language was the main, did not became the way of our rap? It is a matter of time or some specific features rap music in our country?

Zeman: Belarusian rock has deeper roots. When there was first interest in our language, many of our rockgenerals have been on a wave, and they were very helpful.

A rap started development in Belarus on the 8-10 years late. This is the first. Secondly, there is a prejudice that Belarusian-language music is politically oriented. And only a few people wanting to fight against this prejudice. It turns out that ones do not want write in Belarusian, because they will become a part of "ideological camp", and others are part of the "camp" and they further reinforce the stereotype. But that's who of those who mcing in Belarusian, needed in rap, but not a big name? This is rhetorical question... Although there is a simpler explanation – what is the average age of the rapper in Belarus now? Is this generation know the language? It's good if they just do not to put dismissive to it.

Angst: Culturologist Maxim Zhbankov wrote that the Belarusian rock lived as much as there was a protest wave in society in those days (from mid-80s to the end of

2000s), and when the wave is gone and matured disappointment, the form of rock music died, lost their actuality. Therefore, in this sense, it is good that it's not happened with our rap.

Kontra: I almost answered this question above and I can subscribe to the words of my friends. I want to break the stereotype that screams that the music in the Belarusian language is a protest, dissent, unfashionable, and so on.

This is funny and scary stereotype, because it destroy the meaning of both. Language is a connection between us and those who passed it to us, and do not say that in a lullaby from my grandmother had something from protest.

That's what I love and I want to carry it in the form of branches of hip-hop culture.

What are the features of its development you see in the future?

Zeman: I do not see the development of rap in general now, globally. We have the technical development, but we lose the meaning every year. Artists produces high-quality shit. The Belarusian rap is three cripples. Belaroots and three cripples apart us. Nothing here will not, at least not yet. Well, if everybody just preserve myself. It seems to me that this culture need maniac kind of Vlad Valov, but he must be willing to sacrifice yourself. That is, that he must work for hip-hop, but not required get glory from this. Of course, I tried, but I have no talent for it. And so – there is the darkness here.

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Angst: Belarusian rap need be rewriting. We do not must cling to the new wave of protest of the today's mainstream rockers. We must destroy primitive in rap. I am not sure that three of us can do it, but this does not mean that we should not try. Desperate fools were at all times and in all areas, some of them we believe great people.

Kontra: Even nothing to add to the words of Zeman and Angst. We must try, but first we must understand what we can and what we want. We must make themselves.

Do not think of templates and views. I want at least to the Belarusian rap sound strong and true.

Rap in Belarus totally influenced by Russian rap. In fact most of our artists simply copy of all popular trends of the neighbor country. Is it possible in such circumstances to speak about the Belarusian rap, if it creates in Russian?

Zeman: Yes, it is possible. For example, Looptroop is American or Swedish rap? Or Het VerZet is English or Dutch? For me, all our artists do Belarusian rap, and language is an only instrument of labor. Well, you cannot say that when Zeman mcing in Russian, it's Russian rap, and when he mcing in Belarusian, it is the Belarusian. It is stupid. The main thing – it's what about whose reality artist say in the tracks, but that's another conversation.

But I do not know a single Belarusian-born rapper, who

would become a Russian rapper.

Angst: "Russian rap," as well as "Russian rock", for me, in a sense such false terms honestly – especially if they are placed next to the concepts of "rap" and "rock".

Although, of course, I recognize the differences and peculiarities. I also laugh with a definition of "Russian rock poetry." Well, that else nobody did not think to publish "Russian rap poetry" books. In particular, I use the term "rap from Belarus." I am glad when it's about us and our realities. But I understand that in my idealistic notions such thing as "the Belarus rap" was not generated. Neither in the Russian language nor in Belarusian.

Kontra: I think that I am absolutely incompetent in this matter, but I remember the story of the famous street artists Os Gemeos. When we asked them how they reached such a unique style, they said that around them while there was no information from the outside (it was in 80s) about popular graffiti styles and trends. So they started to invent something of their own, in such a confined geographical area. Maybe musicians and other creative people also need just be themselves and don't seen on the trends? For example, you can find the same old song motif, even the words are similar in different regions of Belarus, but with some changes and dialectal features. But who first came up with such a motive?...

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Previously talked a lot about the Minsk city school rap.

It seems despite the language of performance, its style different from the Russian rap. Do you agree with that?

How do you think a new generation of rappers with the Belarusian capital will save these features?

Zeman: It seems to me that there was a certain team of friends, which has decided that among them, there is no Minsk school of rap. And as style within the same party may not differ, then it is called Minsk style. But when asked to explain what was this style, what is the answer? Someone may say that it is more melodic, but how many of these melodic groups actually had? Is it Nestandartny Varyant?

Ok, this is all? What I did personally was not very melodic, but if my style is not from Minsk, what is it? Another thing is that the Russian rap seems the same even on the background of our own. But that's their problem, I know a couple of artists from Russia, which I like, and this is enough for me.

Their style is not copy of that they have there now in favor.

In general, Russia is huge, and there are styles of these must be a million. It is a pity that we hear only the same thing.

Angst: But I like this melodiousness of the Belarusian language and it is seemed its feature. It is saved even in our version of the Russian language (we are talking in Russian with a slight accent). Nestandartny Variant, Myrovey, Korzh, LSP – all of them in one form or another, but they sing or pull vowels with proper intonations. It is a pity that I did not have an ear for music and voice – I also would have howled sometimes (laughs).

Kontra: The same school there is in Brest for their local groups that are affected by not only Russian, but also Polish style. Rap from Brest, from what I heard, was more aggressive than rap from Minsk. And can such schools are in Grodno, Gomel and other Belarusian cities? Probably

authentic beginners also are there. Without doubt, the differences were there (they were especially felt in the first wave of hip-hop in the former Soviet Union). It is difficult to say what and who influenced on every artist. I even have not time to keep track of what is happening at sea of contemporary information. I am the old man (laughs).

Returning to the theme of the album. In my opinion the important aspect is its 'alive' and conscious seriously content. That is, the album is not perceived stereotypically and so it can be listen with interest and attentively. How did you find the themes of songs? And how difficult it is to find common threads for all members of the group?

Zeman: My rap is always personal. If I have something to worry about it is strong enough, it will give results, and will very likely turn into a lyrics. Therefore, from me there all at once are hopes, fears and questions. For me now the very important topic is that over time, friends become further from you, and how to live with it. There are reflections on the timeless themes, such as links between generations and the immutability of time. There each of us have on a track which we have devoted to our hometowns, well, it was agreed, in accordance with the concept of the album. And in general – one of us written verse, others join or not. That's how we do it.

Angst: We have not thought through in detail each track. We determined about the topic idea, and already our verses met and began to talk to each other, forming a certain "chemistry". A general concept of the first album was taken once immediately and without discussion, since it is logical, and connected with the name of our group.

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Kontra: In fact, work together with Angst and Zeman is very nice. We quickly find something in common, we are somewhat similar, in some ways opposite, but these similarities and differences between themselves somehow discard unnecessary or uninteresting already at the stage of recording or at the stage of writing the lyrics. We wrote the album in one breath. A common theme is on the surface.

With me in Belaroots very smart and experienced in the music of friends, so interesting to work with them and extend upward.

The album was released, and you already have some idea of his perception by the audience. How this perception will change your vision of the further development of the group Belaroots? What can we expect next?

Zeman: In our community in an social network "VK" are slightly less than 400 people. Well, let's see how much listeners will come on the presentation with free entry, but, you know they will not a many. I liked the comment from journalist Alexander Arsyonau that he feels the album as "milestone" of Belarusian rap. That's very nice to hear. After all, that's what we wanted to do. Yes, it does not sound

modest, but not for himself. That's for this very Belarusian rap. We are not going to stop. Now we discussing what exactly to do next, but absolutely true that we will do next!

After all, if we will not, then who will? Thank you!

Angst: I would like to continue postmodern play with halfforgotten Belarusian musical material, mcing to beats with Belarusian samples (as like on the track "Here" with Vaitsyushkevich or on my solo track "Bayu-bye"). This play firstly, connects the "now" and "then" eliminates our eternal fragmentation of time and generations, and secondly, gives the audience the effect of inclusion and recognition, attracting additional attention. And I myself really wonder where we will go with a second album. Or where the second album will lead us.

Kontra: There are plans to record a couple of tracks with the people who read not only for our two official languages, but this is the mysterious case. There is a goal to work with over the quality, manner, style and vocals. There is a purpose to start singing better than Vaitsyushkevich, and that Angst will not resent (smiles). There is a purpose to record not only the second, but the third album. The goal is not to be ashamed of what you do and love. The goal is not to stop, and not only in music.

https://vk.com/belaroots https://belaroots.bandcamp.com/releases https://soundcloud.com/belaroots https://vk.com/taktak_studio https://vk.com/angstmusic https://vk.com/imperator_official 035

We love hip-hop. We love watching movies about it. And we like to read exciting books, which embodies not only the memories and thoughts of the authors, but most importantly – their love to hiphop. The variety of documentary and fiction about hip-hop is amazing. It can be collecting for years, like vinyl records. It also has its own classics and its rarities.

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Ed Piskor - Hip Hop Family Tree, Vol. 1-4 There are series of books about the old school of hip-hop. Who is who in the early mythological history of hip-hop? These books will answer. And these books will do it in an exciting format of comics! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17591945-hip-hop-family-tree-vol-1 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18444234-hip-hop-family-tree-vol-2 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24587995-hip-hop-family-tree-book-3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26889693-hip-hop-family-tree-book-4 Martha Cooper - Hip-Hop Files 1979-1984 Without the photo albums of Martha Cooper, there should not be a collection of books about hip-hop. These photos are more valuable than gold. They preserved for us the atmosphere of that era. "Hip-Hop Files 1979-1984" unlike another legendary album "Subway Art" is dedicated not only to graffiti, but to all the sides of hip-hop culture of the early 80's. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133182.Hip_Hop_Files Raquel Z. Rivera - New York Ricans From the Hip Hop Zone A lot has been said about the role of Puerto Ricans in the formation of hip-hop, but it is not enough. It is not enough because they are often forgotten. But the representatives of this nation have introduced an important specificity in our culture. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2231691.New_York_Ricans_from_the_Hip_Hop_Zone Oliver Wang - Classic Material: The Hip Hop Album Guide This book includes several dozen reviews and covers of classic hip-hop albums. 20 years of rap records history are in one book! Every musical fanatic dreams about such edition! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1093932.Classic_Material Michael Eric Dyson (Editor), Sohail Daulatzai (Editor) - Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic The book is devoted to one album - "Illmatic" by Nas. Is there not very big "review"? No, it's not, considering the significance of this album for culture. Writers and critics analyze it in details from track to track. Such books make you look at a well-known album in a new way. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2219075.Born_to_Use_Mics Angie Martinez - My Voice Angie Martinez is the "voice of New York." She created one of the most popular radio shows in the history of hip-hop. And her story is inseparable from hip-hop culture. Perhaps, among journalists, no one has influenced hip-hop like Angie Martinez. "My Voice" is her memoirs, from which it is difficult to come off. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28967446-my-voice

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Jay-Z - Decoded This is one more memoir, which is worth reading. In order to understand how a person from nowhere becomes the number one in the industry. And most importantly, to understand how the mind and the ability to "see the whole picture" help not to drown in the depths of criminal life, calculating the game a few steps forward. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8425806-decoded James G. Spady & Charles G. Lee - Street Conscious Rap What is the conscious hip-hop? Where are its boundaries? And how does this concept manifest itself in the tracks of popular American MCs? The answers to these questions you will find in this book, in numerous interviews, decorated with rare photos. https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967174104/domingoyu-20 S. Craig Watkins - Hip-Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement This, perhaps, is one of the most famous "scientific" books about hip-hop. At the same time, it is easy readable, and helps to understand completely different aspects of hip-hop culture. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133177.Hip_Hop_Matters Steve Stoute - The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy The role of hip-hop in the modern economy, its relationship with specific companies and processes in the modern mass culture industry, are detailed in this book. No wonder it was appreciated by the most popular MCs, which themselves can say a lot about the hip-hop industry. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10473465-the-tanning-of-america Adriana N. Helbig (Editor), Milosz Miszczynski (Editor) - Hip Hop at Europe's Edge: Music, Agency, and Social Change In this collection, researchers from different countries of Europe analyze the relationship between hip-hop and social reality. How does hip-hop reflect the specifics of different countries? Are the representatives of this culture looking for their national and regional identity and with what problems do they encounter on this path? How does the political agenda affect discourse in hip-hop culture? The book "Hip Hop at Europe's Edge: Music, Agency, and Social Change" pleases not only the qualitative analysis of these complex issues, but also the scale of coverage of the whole region. http://amzn.to/2mB98PD

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Marianne BP will surprise you with her music. Her lyrics touch upon important topics of our life while still being light and poetic. Her vocals are very emotional and at the same time minimalistic. The eclecticism of many genres in the music of Marianne BP makes her songs modern and devoid of artificial stylistic boundaries. Recently, along with producer 303Box Marianne BP released a magnificent album "ApartĂŠ Parisienne".

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Tell us about your solo works, which preceded your collaboration album.

Before it were different musical projects, with a rather tendency to trip-hop, but all started from writing: originally I'm an author. And, from encounter to encounter with musicians and actors, I unified writing and musicality for different projects. What led me to them was the influence of jazz and its liberty, and of my instincts. I like doing various things, so I started collaborating with rappers, because I like the scripture and the rhythm, that are alike mine.

Many styles are conjugated in your music. What was the formation of your style and what was the basis of its eclecticism?

There are trip-hop, electro, hip-hop, jazz, French chanson.

There are such artists as Ray Charles, Serge Gainsbourg, Bob Marley. I am eclectic by myself. Music is an emotion, so that music reflected mine. I don't come from a community, so I'm open-minded, open to whatever echoes my emotions and sense of musicality.

Modern electronic music is very diverse and continues to evolve. What directions and horizons of its development do you see?

I think because of globalization and hybridization systems, electro music envelops every genre, inspired from every genre, so to speak. That's why we find electro rap, electro jazz, electro jazz-hip-hop, electro classic. In the era for high-end technology computer music opens up and explores the perspectives of "electronization" of all kinds of music. It's still an experimentation that evolves with technology. Like molecular cuisine, we might once go to molecular music.

music. In your videos, we also can see links to certain images associated with fashion culture. What role does the fashion play in your creativity?

Fashion is a world of Paris based upon – among others – narcissism and plastic aesthetic, my "a priori" rejects thesevalues, they are codes, the guide manual. So I play with them. I take both sides. I like the paradoxical exploration of the worlds that I do not understand (as the fashion industry), not familiar to my very own values.

Happiness comes from other stuff, deep human interaction, nature, more than purchasing an outrageously expensive jacket. It is as a caricature. That's why in "INDIGENE", I paralleled the young Parisian girl that looked cliché and superficial in appearances, but bore a strong and human message, about solitude and claustrophobia within these shallow values, which the world imposes to us.

Minimalism in music and vocals require taste, experience and a sense of music. It allows removing all unnecessary, while enhancing the perception of the very essence of music and its message. Your album is just like that. Tell us about your approach to work with sound and about the meaning of such a minimalistic sound for you.

303Box composer, alias MOD2, is an essentialist in regards to music dynamics, a particular approach to the sound world around him.

Your music and, in particular, your videos are saturated with the atmosphere of Paris. What does this city mean for the Parisians themselves? How exactly did it influence your music and lyrics?

I live in Paris, but I originally come from outside of it, which allowed me to be able to apprehend and understand the discrepancy between my outer and inside Paris lives.

I'm sensitive, so I feel the urge of the human soul to connect to natural realms. Even though Paris is magnificent culturally, it also encloses the backside, as every megalopolis, that is isolation, individualism, bad smells, and lack of vegetation. The "Aparté Parisienne" project comes from my numerous trips in the Paris metro. When I worked with the composer, at his place, to work on this, I strolled all around Paris to feel its energy. The composer sampled the music with extracts from Paris noises (like woman's footsteps under a bridge) to create rhythm and atmosphere. I endeavored to embrace it all and I created lyrics and rhythms. It's all about the specific energy of Paris, and the urge to get out of it sometimes, because it's as smothering as inspiring, like every big city to me.

Paris is the center of fashion. The fashion is always associated with youth subcultures, and with modern

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told me it was a "pack" of relaxation. Critics on the other side thought it was very singular, original, texts interesting and rich. Some others were totally indifferent to it.

The Parisian music scene constantly evolves. How is it changing now and what trends would you mark?

Paris music scene is really rich. Lots of different things happen and coexist. Unfortunately, the French musical industry tends to be led by bankable trendy easy music.

Since the drop of the disc industry, in favor of download or online display. I can give the example of a recent artist, that I like a lot, BESSA, who is smart in her emotional musicality and her writing.

Tell us about the important live shows that have become the starting point for you in your work and have shown an increase in the interest of listeners.

Every live show had been important in my artistic building process. Almost all time we have a great quality of listening from the public. What fills me up with positive emotion every time is what builds me a reserve of maximal essential essence. I'm surprised and touched that, even though I'm said to be quite specific and uncommon, people give me the possibility to be "pop".

What is 303Box trying to get away from his music and, conversely, what is he striving for in its creating?

303Box looks for calm, is passionate about music, it is a crucial dimension in his life, and he cannot live without. He yearns for subjective perfection. He is sensitive to uncanny unimportant things.

He considers that every sound has a role to play within a musical work, that's how he used the "living sample", ex: a washing machine in a laundry, or an old lady flipping pages of her book. That's a magic carpet very inspiring to embed my words, jumping around "à la française". Afterwards I wanted an organic quality of this electronic music, that's why I invited a musician (Munir Hossn – www.munirhossn.com) with a whole old soul, in order to add musicality a bit less minimalistic, but more diffusing and romantic. To arrange it all, I chose to work with a talented producer, KLM alias Clément Mirguet, to unify the whole.

How was your album received by listeners and critics? It often happens that the tastes of listeners and critics are different. Were there such differences in your case?

Listeners usually liked it, because of the affection, sharing the side of the project that takes us away on an imaginary trip, that soothes them, because of the lively words, living in that egoistical side of a city that Paris sometimes offer. They

Marianne, when you write the lyrics and sing - do you focus on the emotions of the music, or do you try to select the music for the finished lyrics and your vision of his performance?

It's very instinctive. A musical basis, an emotion that inspires me, I write very fast, I sing fast, and sometimes I rearrange the lyrics later. Then we can work in team about the primary emotions and the final arrangement.

What are you working on now? What joint and solo releases are you planning to release?

My novel just released "Rose Ascendant Pourpre". Also I work in trip-hop project Reverso. It is a tribute to lyrics of the jazz standards. And I do a monologue poetic project, which will be released soon. Also we plan to release a great variety of videos, among which a project with the photographer Charles Roux (www.charlesroux.com), fashion video with PEPLVM Magazine (http://peplvmmagazine.com) and good graphic things with Guillaume Saix from Webmyart (http://webmyart.over-blog.com).

http://www.mariannebp.com https://www.facebook.com/MarianneBp.music https://mariannebp.bandcamp.com https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/marianne-bp/id871987509 https://www.amazon.fr/Rose-Ascendant-Pourpre-Marianne-BP-ebook/dp/B01N15G4Y9 041

Hip-hop stands out from all subcultures with a special attitude to appearance. Of course, any youth culture has its own "dress code."

But for some of them, it is too monotonous and rigidly standardized.

Other styles are bright and interesting, but not the most convenient and practical. It's not bad - it's just fact. The image of hip-hop heads, as opposed to the above facts, is diverse, and "ergonomic."

In addition, it went a long way, and every era in the development of hip-hop culture introduced something new in the image of its representatives. Perhaps, the most vivid and eye-catching style of hip-hop fans' clothes was created in the 90s.

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Someone will argue with this. For the veterans, the style of the 80's is most familiar, with narrow jeans and short leather jackets. There is image a la Run-D.M.C. True, but they unlikely recall the specific outfits of the MCs from early '80s, which were more like stage costumes, rather than casual clothes. So they were, and that's why they eventually became a thing of the past. But the street image of those years can still be found today. And today many elements of those epic fashion returns in one form or another. Modern "mods" will say that just now the hip-hop fashion has become really interesting. You can recall the design trends from Kanye West or the combinations of specific elements of the hiphoppers style with the fashion of people very far from this culture. To the 90s fashion reproach, they can say about its excessive eclecticism and pathos. On the one hand there were sports suits. On the other there were chinchillas fur coats. But even today there are a lot of "freaks" on the stage. We want to say not about some unimaginable images from the 90s that surprised and provoked a heated discussion, but which have already been forgotten. Much more interesting are those images that have become "snapshots" of the era.

Hardcore!

When people talk about the most radical elements of the hiphopper's wardrobe of the 90's, they remember, first of all, the military uniform of Public Enemy. Despite of its value of the ideological message, this was a uniform that was hardly seen on the streets. Another thing is military jackets M-65 in combination with military khaki pants and workers boots made of yellow nubuck leather. Of course, there were a lot of variations of the shoes and pants models. But, perhaps, it was the Das EFX who captured in memory the classic fusion of working, military and street clothes.

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Flannel psychedelic Unlike the "rude" uniform of hardcore rap from New York, the rap from California gave us a different image – dudes in checkered shirts of completely different colors, wide jeans and sneakers, who slowly walking around the one-story quarters of the huge Los Angeles. This image was picked up by a young pleiad of rappers of the American south. Sometimes it was even possible to see a combination of sneakers with trousers and the same flannel shirts. “Sport Hop" Sportswear will always have a place on the streets. This is understood by manufacturers of all brands that position themselves as "street style wear." From sports suits as such, to the combination of jeans and sports jackets of all kinds and colors – that style in hip-hop, whose roots go back to the 70's. And it remained in it. It is reason of the "deification" of "legendary" models sneakers.

What was the coolest in all this variety of images? Freedom! This is the most important thing. Not the desire to show expensive brands (although it appeared in hip-hop quite early), but a desire to feel freedom in simple and comfortable clothes. And these clothes showed that it is not necessary to create any special costumes to look bright and unusual. It's enough to take the most simple and comfortable clothes, but to connect it in the way you feel when you turn on the old street hip-hop. It was this "street" aspect that made both music and clothes of those years alive. This is often not enough today, in the era of narrow jeans and designer jackets. Although, of course, this style also has its own taste and gives positive emotions to those who follow it.

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Den Da Funk is a vivid representative of Ukrainian hip-hop. In his work he travels from experimental sound to classical boom bap. It is the classic sound you will find in the recently released Den's album "Journey of Hanuman". In the process of working on it, Den Da Funk visited the other side of our planet and this new experience will certainly be reflected in future tracks of the artist.

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Tell us about the "Tommy Gun" project. What has happened to this project now and how has your approach to creativity changed after work on it?

The "Tommy Gun" project is closed. Now it exists only in the form of material that we published once on the Internet. The approach to creativity, of course, has changed. If I answered in "Tommy Gun" for lyrics only, and took little participation in creating music, so now I'm completely immersed in all the work on the tracks.

By the way, after the "Tommy Gun", I created a group called "Rhythms Ra" and even released an album. So, if you have free time, I recommend listen to it.

Your lyrics are full of play with words. I would even say that this game in combination with intonations creates the whole "taste" of your lyrics. Do you put this on the first place and how do you correlate the form and content?

First of all, I try to write the truth. That is, I deliberately do not invent a theme for a song. This happens spontaneously. There is my personal experience in every song. The form, of course, is important, but if the song does not have an essence and life, so the form does not help. We must try to make everything harmonious.

From the information of your public page, we can understand that Eastern philosophy is important to you. The name of the album "The Journey of Hanuman" also refers to the Indian mythology. But

at the same time, in the lyrics, you are not trying to "load" the listeners with mythology and philosophy.

Do you try not to stake in creativity on a "heavy" message, simply bringing a listener to the topic easily and without tediousness?

Eastern philosophy is really important to me, because it is fully presented in my life. I practice Zen, as well as Himalayan yoga. I try to convey my experience in my songs. And I try to make it easy, without a heavy message.

How do you feel about the opposite situation - the rap segment (quite common in the west), which overloaded with mystical symbols and content?

I think that everyone will find something for themselves.

I am absolutely loyal to everything and try not to criticize.

As far as I know, the work on the album "The Journey of Hanuman" was going on for a long time.

What difficulties arose in the way of creating the album? And how did his concept change during this time?

Almost the entire album was ready in August 2015. The clip for the song "The Way of the Warrior" was also filmed at that time. Then my wife and I flew to Bali for 7 months, and accordingly all this time the album "was waiting" for my return. In Bali, I did not stop working on new songs and tried to perform in local clubs.

In the spring of 2016 I returned to Kiev and resumed work on the album. During this period, Vanya from "Salto Back" has already created the label "Rookodill'a" and invited me as an artist. I accepted the offer, after which we started working together.

In the late August, there was an official presentation of the video for the song "The Way of the Warrior". I'm happy with this clip and song.

There was a question about the release of the album. And then I really faced a lot of difficulties. I will not list everything, only a few examples.

We recorded the song "Observer" at the studio, everything suited us. The time and energy was spent on it. The next day I had to get it and give it on mastering.

Mistakenly all the accumulated material was removed from the computer. And it had to be rewritten again.

After there were problems with the studio, as the studio "Rookodill'a" moved to another place and I had to look for other studios where this could all be done. And I had my own album release deadlines.

The album was supposed to have more songs. But for certain reasons, some of them were not included in the final release. In general, there were a lot of trifles and I'm glad that the album still came out. Thanks to everyone who appreciated it.

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Honoring traditions is certainly worthy of respect, but at the same time, one should not forget about development. It's one of the reasons why I was a part of Tommy Gun. I've always been interested in experiment.

There is so much music in Ukraine that there is not enough time now to follow everyone. In any case, there are guys who remain in the boom bap, but they experiment and create its current trends. I also do not forget about it in my work.

How do you think the mastery or general mood of an artist as a person is more important to connect the serious themes and humor, as well as the ease of their presentation? That is, if a person is cheerful and gloom is alien to him, then his lyrics will be filled with humor? And in the opposite case, no skill in working with rhyme will help and a man's gloomy view of the world will break through the intricacies of words?

This is the interesting question. You know, everything happens. Sometimes the most cheerful artists turn out to be very gloomy and unhappy in their life. By the way, I really wonder when an artist can convey a state in different forms. For example, when he can convey a serious meaning in a light and cheerful song. In any case, people will feel this. Not all, of course, but they will feel it.

How does the concert scene develop in this segment of hip-hop? Is the attendance of such concerts growing?

The situation is ambiguous. But with confidence I can say that some people are interested in it and there are artists who have a large number of listeners.

The classical sound of boom bap in Ukraine has gained its steady audience. In the west, it is always been like this. But also there are beatmakers who try to stay on the line of boom bap, but experiment and create its modern directions. Are there such attempts in Ukraine? And whether it is necessary or the whole essence of the "classical" style in hip-hop is precisely in the preservation of traditions?

Sampling plays a key role for beatmaking in the genre of boom bap. Which of the Ukrainian beatmakers would you specifically mention for their sampling technique?

I can mention a guy as Kulya from Tulym. It is impossible not to say about Padvarotnya. And DJ Jeremy Star. And, of course, I must tell about Fame. He is a universal soldier. About this person you need to

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How often do they sample traditional and modern Ukrainian music?

I'll say so, they are sampling everything that is possible.

In Kiev, there was a vinyl library opened not very long ago, which once again proves the growing interest of people to collect vinyl. Representatives of the hip-hop community in this library are common visitors. Do you collect vinyl? Tell us about the most interesting records in your collection.

I like vinyl very much and collected it in my time, but then I gave everything to my friends DJs. My favorite record from the collection is the first album of RunD.M.C. I bought it in Kiev at the "flea market". It was the American release of 1985 year. There was also an interesting and old record of Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs.

Tell us about cooperation with the label Rookodill'a. What does the label give to you? And what are the features of the interaction between the artist and the label in the era of "self-promotion" of

artists in the Internet?

The label Rookodill'a is a circle of people closed in spirit and interest. The guys help me with management, concerts, shootings of clips, records in the studio, etc.

I have full freedom for creativity. We do not have contracts. The only contract is a handshake that reflects respect and trust. Together we try to make quality and interesting music. Now a lot of new material is being prepared, which you will surely hear.

Do you think that the album "The Journey of Hanuman" marked the end of a long period in your work, and now its new stage begins? What are the features of the new stage?

I think yes. I needed to release just such an album. And it was at this time. Yes, I can safely say that now there has started a new stage in my work.

The peculiarity is that I again undertake an experiment, the results of which will soon be heard. For the time being I do not want to disclose all the cards and say too much. I'd rather show it in practice.

I can say frankly that my Path continues!

https://vk.com/den_da_funk https://vk.com/rookodilla https://soundcloud.com/den-m-907808078 048

Wyclef Jean - J'ouvert For a long time ago we did not hear the full-length releases from Wyclef. "J'ouvert" will please both those who waited for him, and those for whom this record became a surprise.

As usual, Wyclef's music mixes a variety of styles, but the overall "Caribbean" orientation remains unchanged. The album is soft, melodic and danceable. And the final track "Ne Me Quitte Pas" is a masterpiece, piercing to the depths of soul.

Rag'n'Bone Man - Human Rag'n'Bone Man, perhaps, after Everlast, is the second person who perfectly mixed hip-hop and blues. However, it cannot be called a "copy" of the senior colleague.

Rag'n'Bone Man is unique and interesting in its own way.

In addition to blues, in the album "Human" you will hear rock, soul, and pop music, in its living and natural hypostasis. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/human/id1173599753

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/jouvert-deluxeedition/id1194174563 Kaskets - Waves Of Ashes Kaskets is a duo of 88 Ultra and Qreepz. Both producers do not need representation, and the album "Waves Of Ashes" does not surprise with something new. Fortunately, many listeners expect from these talented artists not surprises, but their unique atmospheric music. And on this album it is represented in its entire splendor. It's easy to get away into this album and you will not want to come back from it. https://kaskets.bandcamp.com/releases LiKWUiD & 2 Hungry Bros. - Fay Grim This album is unusual due to its lyrics. LiKWUiD is not only an interesting MC, but also a poetess who does not limit her poetry to the canons of hip-hop. Musically, he relies on classical sampled hip-hop, in his own understanding by 2 Hungry Bros., which also makes the album non-standard.

Soulkast - Je Viens De La Soulkast always attracts by his pressure, aggressive and memorable timbre of voice, and other chips characteristic of hardcore rap. But this album is much softer than the previous ones. In it appeared beats, which are atypical for the classical sound of past releases. And it's good that all this made the album only more interesting and brighter. https://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/id1194510697 CES Cru - Catastrophic Event Specialists CES Cru released a big album. The fans of the team, and indeed those who are interested in the artists of the Strange Music label will like a recognizable modern sound of this plate. It will not be liked, perhaps, by connoisseurs of the classics. But they, probably, will note the skillz of MCs from CES Cru. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/catastrophic-eventspecialists-deluxe/id1191680443

https://likwuid.bandcamp.com/album/fay-grim

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Bastien Keb - 22.02.85 This is an unusual album that is worth listening to at least for the sake of interest in modern hip-hop trends, in no settled and annoyed standards of dance pop rap, but the researches for a new sound. "22.02.85" is a kind of postmodern album, in which music of the second half of the 20th century was mixed. More precisely, melodic and romantic genres of this music were mixed in the sound of Bastien Keb. It's hip-hop, with soul and funk, but it sounds absolutely modern and innovative in many respects. https://bastienkeb.bandcamp.com/album/220285 IAM - Revolution The legends of French rap did not disappoint! "Revolution" is a great album, which simply asks for a hip-hop fan collection. The sound of the team has changed, but did not chase the popular standards. It's good, because this is fear of old hip-hop fans. They fear that veterans will lose his classic style for new trends. In the example of "Revolution" you can see how to reach the golden mean in keeping the classical base and searching for a new sound. http://apple.co/2phFWKB Ill Camille - Heirloom Ill Camille has been noticed on the hip-hop stage for a long time, but, perhaps, this album will essentially expand its fan base. "Heirloom" is great in everything! Music, lyrics, performance, joint tracks and the overall concept of the

album – everything here is thought out and combined into a single cocktail, the taste of which will remain in your memory for a long time. https://jakartarecordslabel.bandcamp.com/album/heirloom Médine - Prose Élite This is a very powerful album. Médine on the last plates became a little softer in sound, but his tracks became more melodic, atmospheric and it creates a feeling of some global scale. By the way, some Médine's video clips only emphasize such "cinematic" scope of his music. "Prose Élite" is a very good album. You must enjoy it! http://apple.co/2mCvs7P Rick Ross - Rather You Than Me It's hard to bypass this heavyweight of rap music. It is clear that we listen to Rick not for the message of his lyrics. The message is predictable and plays with the stereotypes of mainstream rap. But we listen to it for powerful sound, juicy recitative, rhyme play, and the image in which all these elements of Rick Ross's style take shape. "Rather You Than Me" became the next step in the personal chronicle of the artist. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rather-you-thanme/id1213158632

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Raekwon - The Wild This is one of the best Raekwon's albums, among those released in recent years. It is difficult to write something about this record. Everything what you want to hear you will find in the tracks of this MC. Firstly, it is the same atmosphere of New York hip-hop, which many MCs lost, while others, on the contrary, are kept so scrupulously that it sounds like from museum archives. So Raekwon found the golden mean between these extremes, and thus he breathed life into his new album. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-wild/id1200617532 A7PHA - A7PHA A7PHA is Doseone & Mestizo's duet. They represent alternative hip-hop. The duo's sound is gloomy and heavy, sometimes minimalistic and dry, sometimes atmospheric, but invariably keeping a listener in suspense.

Joey Bada$$ - All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ Joey is a symbol of renaissance of the New York rap sound of the 90's. But the time goes by and Joey himself must change to stay afloat. He does it successfully, keeping the whole essence of his "classical" style, but adding to it the new in sound and in the lyrics. "All-Amerikkkan Bada $$" is a demonstration of the growth and development of this MC. https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/all-amerikkkanbada%24%24/id1210537350 Freddie Gibbs - You Only Live 2wice This is very good album. It is not very long, does not bother, and from the first seconds attracts by a dense, but measured sound. Freddie Gibbs' recitative is just perfectly created for such beats. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/you-only-live2wice/id1212682475

https://www.anticon.com/item/a7pha CunninLynguists - The Rose (EP) It is difficult to imagine that CunninLynguists can release a bad album. Their magnificent lyrics and sound, to which the word "kindness" best fits, never lose relevance. Simply because such music is timeless. The new EP of the group includes only three tracks, but all of them are nice. And you will want to listen it again and again.

Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. Fans always very much anticipate Kendrick's albums. And these expectations impose a certain imprint on the albums.

The "DAMN." is a good album, but not the best one. He falls short of his magnificent predecessor, "To Pimp A Butterfly." Nevertheless, you need to listen to "DAMN." And many people will do it with pleasure! http://www.kendricklamar.com

https://cunninlynguists.bandcamp.com/album/the-rose-ep

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Chinese Man - Shikantaza Pay attention to this beatmaker. His music has its own unique sense of style. As a result, its sound is very diverse, but devoid of any experiments that are difficult to comprehend. "Shikantaza" will conquer completely different listeners. And in the future, probably, we'll hear more about Chinese Man! https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shikantaza/id11692475 65

Смоки Мо - День третий (Smokey Mo - 3rd Day) Smokey Mo is dope! Haters can go to hell with all this nagging about the "second Kara-Te". Here he is the new Mola, who kicked asses of all this teenagers' pleiad who copy American pop rap, without a shadow of their own thoughts. Smoky Mo showed that under modern beats, he can write very cool lyrics. His lyrics are simple and understandable to all. The album is full of hits, the lines of which you will quote! http://apple.co/2mFH9Lh

Body Count - Bloodlust Body Count remain true to themself! And it pleases. Their combination of hip-hop and heavy rock has always been one of the best. Few people can really combine all aspects of these two genres, but not just add electric guitars to hip-hop.

But Body Count did it and they did it excellently! Add here hard and direct lyrics in which Ice T goes from street topics to social issues, and you get a decent album! http://bodycountband.com Krec - Обелиск16 (Krec - Obelisk16) Krec is one of the few Russian MCs who really glad us by their new albums. The previous CD "FRVTR 812" was one of the best records of the genre in the past year, but the "Obelisk16" is also very good. Against the background of his predecessor, it lacks conceptuality, but nevertheless the general mood and Fuze's style mixes the tracks into a united release. http://apple.co/2omGXnw

Мэйти - И, треснув, зеркало звенит (Meyti – Having cracked, mirror plinked) Meyti's music is not really a rap. This style is only one ingredient in the general dish, which this poet, singer and MC are preparing for us. But such artists show with their albums that hip-hop can enter pop music without turning it into a set of dull poser stereotypes. His music and poetry always encourage us to feel and sink into the world of Meyti.

It happens also when his new album sounds. http://apple.co/2oVFlPi Catch The Crackle - For What This is very interesting instrumental release from Belarus.

The sound of the plate "For What" attracts with its minimalism, juicy and natural drums, minor, but not gloomy melodies, and a calming atmosphere. This is the beautiful music for a wide range of listeners. https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/catch-thecrackle/id998961577

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Fans of the classical hip-hop sound haven't time for boring. Beatmakers and MCs regularly fun them by their new releases.

Often it is difficult to choose the best among these releases, because they all try to follow the "canons", and all of them have something in common, and in some ways every such album supplement others. We chose more than two dozen different albums, released in the last couple of months. Thanks to them you will go on a journey from melodic jazz-hop through a boom bap to hardcore rap. MCs and producers, who deserved the legendary status, met on this list with less known, but no less interesting colleagues. Enjoy!

Westside Gunn - Riots on Fashion Avenue https://effiscienz.bandcamp.com/album/riots-on-fashion-avenue Your Old Droog - PACKS https://fatbeatsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/packs Dee La Kream - The Way Of Life https://eluziv-productions.bandcamp.com DJ Low Cut - Dead End https://djlowcut.bandcamp.com/album/dead-end Don Producci - The Cleanup https://donproducci.bandcamp.com/album/the-cleanup HashFinger – Elsewhere https://hashfinger.bandcamp.com/album/elsewhere K-DEF - In the Moment https://www.beatport.com/release/in-the-moment/1966105 Murs - Captain California https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/captain-california/id1203145653

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Killah Priest - The Untold Story Of Walter Reed Part 2 http://www.datpiff.com/Killah-Priest-The-Untold-Story-Of-Walter-Reed-Pt-2-mixtape.831651.html MC Bravado - Hip-Hop* https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hip-hop/id1198794547 Milano Constantine – The Way We Were https://djskizz.bandcamp.com/album/milano-constantine-the-way-we-were Oddisee - The Iceberg https://oddiseemmg.bandcamp.com/album/the-iceberg Onry Ozzborn - c v p ii d https://onryozzborn.bandcamp.com/album/c-v-p-ii-d Page Kennedy - Torn Pages https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/torn-pages/id1205756006 Onra - Chinoiseries Pt. 3 https://onra.bandcamp.com/album/chinoiseries-pt-3 Roc Marciano - Rosebudd's Revenge https://play.spotify.com/track/2GuYZLD1mzK5b4baULbHMH

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Philanthrope & Flitz &Suppe & Omaure - Todai moto kurashi https://vindig.bandcamp.com/album/todai-moto-kurashi Tha Soloist - We Are Both Awake Now... Please Don't Despise Me Tha Soloist - Sologram & The Imminent Purge https://angelthasoloist.bandcamp.com/album Group Home - Forever https://soundcloud.com/smoke-on-records/group-home-forever A.G. (D.I.T.C.) & John Robinson - They Watching EP https://www.fatbeats.com/products/john-robinson-ag-of-ditc-they-watching-ep Methuzulah - Crystal Ball https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/crystal-ball/id1208671144 Talib Kweli & Styles P - The Seven https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-seven/id1213158424 Phat Kat & DJ Dister - The S.O.S. Project https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-s-o-s-project/id1215127856 055

In the era of postmodernism and post-industrialism, the hallmark of which is pluralism, we can observe that cultural studies "are beginning to appeal to a multitude of previously unexplored, marginal objects and phenomena, including youth subcultures." (1) Alternative cultural practices, such as counterculture and subculture, emerged as a response to the repressive culture of the 1960s. Sufficient number of works, which in mass order began to appear in the West in the postwar period, the period of heyday of protest youth movements has been devoted to the problem of youth subcultures and countercultures. Among of them, the "Subcultural Conflict and Working Class Community" by Phil Cohen; "Resistance through Rituals: Youth Subcultures in the Post-War Britain," by Stuart Hall; "After Subculture: Critical Studies in Contemporary Youth Culture," by Andy Bennett, who introduced the term "neo-tribes" (non-tribes) in relation to youth subcultures; "Club Cultures: Music, Media and Subcultural Capital," by Sarah Thornton. She also introduces the notion of "subcultural capital", questioning the concept of "cultural capital" Pierre Bourdieu. British researchers Dick Hebdidge, author of "Subculture: The Meaning of Style", and Paul Gilroy, author of "The Black Atlantic" were researching youth subcultures in the UK, including reggae / dancehall culture and hip-hop, which were developing on the wave of migrations from the former West Indies to Europe.

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One way or another, practically all the above-mentioned authors in their works touch upon the problem of mercantilization and commercialization of subcultures, many of which initially positioned themselves as protest countercultures. In the end, any successful subculture passes through a path from rejection to acceptance by a mass society, and one of the most revealing examples in this case can serve a hip-hop street subculture, for each figure of which there must be a dozen sociologists (2), according to Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton, the authors of the book "History of DJs". Indeed, given that hip-hop is a musical and cultural phenomenon that originated in the United States, namely in New York (or more precisely, in its notorious Bronx district), the concern of American researchers about the prospects for the development of this cultural is logical. A lot of works, both monographs and articles and dissertations, are devoted to the history of hiphop as a full-fledged street culture, sociology and anthropology of hip-hop, its influence on racial and intercultural relations and many other topics. Distribution of hip-hop products in the global entertainment market and its globalization (as well as glocalization), as well as the forced commercialization of its content (primarily rap) generate debate and controversy around the world and force both content creators and consumers to think about true message that hip-hop carries.

The coming era of mass consumption of culture has not bypassed the subculture, and the dominant role of the United States in the dissemination of mass cultural values has endowed hip-hop and its best-selling product – rap – the boundless power and influence that it has for more than forty years continues to exert on the musical and cultural world.

Hip-hop as a cultural phenomenon Most people tend to identify hip-hop as a full-fledged subculture with only one-fifth of its component – rap music.

And this is not surprising, considering that this particular form of expression, born in the midst of African Americans and Hispanics in the United States, has received the widest coverage in the world.

Until 1974, mcing, djing, break-dance and graffiti, existed and developed as separate cultural manifestations among African American and Latin American communities in New York. In 1974, by the efforts of the DJs and ideologists of this cultural movement, it was decided to combine the four elements into a single whole, adding to them the fifth, which they called "knowledge" (a certain philosophy and worldview). Despite this widely accepted and used concept of the five elements that make up the essence of hip-hop culture, many refer to it as well a unique style in clothing (successfully borrowed by designers around the world),

"black cinema", literature, slang, as well as some types of street sport such as skateboarding or BMX. However, the latter, rather, can be attributed to the broader concept of "street culture," of which hip-hop is one part, but keep in mind that hip-hop was originally a musical subculture, the consolidation around which was based on the musical tastes of African-American and Latin American youth.

At a time when in the 70s in the clubs in New York disco reigned, among the poor layers of the "black" and "brown" people began to appear underground parties, in which over time, DJs, mcs and bboys / bgirls began to compete in their skills. Thus, hip-hop culture has acquired an adversarial and competitive nature, and the main weapons of teenagers' problem, gang members and drug dealers have become a microphone, a can with paint, a DJ instrument and the art of a dancer. One of the hallmarks of early hip-hop as a subculture was a positive (peaceful) protest against the reigning violence and poverty that black teenagers encountered in their daily lives.

Thus, when we talk about hip-hop as a subculture, we must be aware that each element mentioned has passed its own definite path of development and continues to develop independently. Rap, as part of hip-hop music, is perhaps the brightest in terms of media coverage of the element that influences the image of the whole hip-hop culture.

In stylistic terms, according to some sociologists and specialists in cultural sciences, rap music is something between modern and postmodern, developing postmodern imitation techniques and collage of different sounds for modern expression purposes and articulated social criticism and riot (3). Throughout his development as a hip-hop music genre, rap has also begun to cover and analyze critical social, political and economic topics, such as police rampaging, early pregnancy, drug abuse, racism and much more.

Mercantilization and commercialization of hip-hop Globalization is the widespread distribution and implantation of a culture of consumption. It did not bypass the subculture in which the market immediately saw the potential for promoting its products, using the "street and aggressive style" that appeals to the young.

About attempts to commercialize hip-hop and its individual elements began to speak in the early 80's. So, the cult and the first feature film about the hip-hop culture of 1982, the "Wild Style", shows the emotional throwing of the protagonist, the street painter who tags trains, who was offered to transfer graffiti to the canvas and exhibit it in a gallery. Then, probably, very few people thought about that soon around the world, including in Russia, there will be street art biennials, money for which will be allocated by state institutions.

1 Kostina A.V. National culture - ethical culture - mass culture: "balance of interests" in modern society. - Moscow: The Libricom Book House, 2009. P. 82 2 Brewster, B., Broton F. The history of DJs. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra. Culture, 2007. P. 337 3 Mass culture: modern Western studies / Editor V.V. Zvereva. - M.: Foundation for Scientific Research "Pragmatics of Culture", 2005. P. 229

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Hip-hop and rap at the dawn of its appearance were "black" (African-American) and "brown" (Latin American) music.

However, the white population of America was given the opportunity, in view of its dominant racial, cultural and economic superiority at that time, to re-define the music produced by the black (4). In many respects this was promoted by the policy of large record companies (often owned by white Americans) who bought independent small labels promoting "black" music. In the end, the rap was absorbed by the multinational music industry, and large labels contributed to creating more demand in the mainstream – cable TV shows such as "YO! MTV Raps", attracted to MTV an even larger audience (5).

A special place in hip-hop culture, as in any youth subculture, is occupied by symbols. The symbolic objects – dress, appearance, language, ritual occasions, styles of interaction, music – were made to form a unity with the group's relations, situation, experience (6). In hip-hop, the main symbols were music, as well as a unique, yet easily reproducible, style in clothing. With the increasing popularity of rap and certain rap artists, the significance of the brands of clothes they wore increased. The brightest example here is the Run-D.M.C, when from the moment of

their entering the stage began the era when it was already difficult to distinguish between real and staged hip-hop.

Their love for Adidas branded sneakers, which they sang in their early songs, led to a number of profitable deals with the company, and many rappers subsequently followed that trend. Massively, hip hop artists and entrepreneurs began to contract lucrative deals for clothing lines that created a highly visible synergy between music and designer fashion in an unprecedented way (7).

Hip-hop-derived urban casual attire has generated a billion dollar fashion industry by translating urbanity and blackness into designer apparel (8). And street tastes are now actively shape the design decisions of brands who want to sell to wider youth markets (9).

Adopting black fashion, music and style has been one way in which white kids indicate the breaking away from mainstream values, since African American fashion, music and style "were by definition no part of the mainstream, because mainstream meant white." (10) Thus, white adolescents, adopting a style borrowed from the streets, chose to abstract from the dominant "parent" culture and consider themselves a subculture, the values of which they began to share.

4 Resistance through Rituals: Youth Subcultures in Post-War Britain. / Ed.by Stuart Hall and Tony Jefferson. P. 134 5 Tup, D. Rap Attack: from African rap to global hip-hop. - Moscow: Alpina non-fiction, 2012. P. 319, 321 6 Hebdige, D. Subculture. The meaning of style. P. 114 7 White, M. From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap, and the Performance of Masculinity. University of Illinois Press, 2011. Р. 46 8 Ibid. Р. 45 9 Ilan, J. Understanding Street Culture: Poverty, Crime, Youth and Cool. Palgrave MacMillan, 2015. Р. 110 10 White, M. From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap, and the Performance of Masculinity. Р. 45

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Along with the symbols created by hip-hop artists, images also become a product easily promoted to the mainstream market. The image of a gangster, hard and cold-blooded, sung in gangsta rap (g-rap), helped many artists to reach the desired tops – from the tragic figure 2Pac to the now bankrupt 50 Cent. Stephen Best and Douglas Kellner in his essay "Rap, Black Wrath and Racial Disagreement" write that "gangster identity is often nothing more than an advertising image created only because it is sold. The demand of the market for increasingly shocking and evocative products rewards any extremes. This is the reason of the complaints of some rappers that they are forced to portray themselves as gangsters and make their work more shocking, so that it is well bought." (11) No less important component of the image is the racial (ethnic) belonging of the artist – If the "black" and "brown" was historically considered "real", then the "white" was always treated as something "fake". Everything changed with the appearance of such "white" hip-hop stars as the Beastie Boys and Eminem, who were able to prove to the world of hip-hop that from the cultural point of view of their message they are quite "real" even if their race can talk about the opposite.

However, over the time, even in the "authentic" racial

environment, falsifications began to appear: in the early 90s a significant number of music consumers discovered a form of rap that sounded much better for them than rap genuine.

Images of MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice were fake, but ideal for the generation of MTV (12). Also, such world-famous hip-hop artists, representatives of the African-American community as Jay-Z and Lil' Wayne, were as well subjected to harsh criticism and accusations of betraying the "black" culture and "decomposing true hip-hop from within".

In the era of globalization and the prevailing postmodern mass culture, people (and especially young people) tend to reject the dominant culture and go in search of other cultural identity. Hip-hop was originally an ethnic subculture, expressing protest and attitude toward the life of the marginal layers of American society – African Americans and Hispanics.

Over time, it transformed into a popular youth mainstream culture, which found its audience almost all over the world, but the dominance of American artists on the music market allowed American rap to set the tone and create the image of rap (and hip-hop in general) that is consumed all over the world.

11 Mass culture: modern Western studies / Editor V. V. Zvereva. P. 239 12 Tup, D. Rap Attack: from African rap to global hip-hop. - Moscow: Alpina non-fiction, 2012. P. 313

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As hip hop graffiti entered galleries, rappers and break dancers reached the uptown clubs, hit records sold to mainstream audiences and television cameras (and later cash-in movies) recorded the sights and sounds of this vibrant Black and Latino youth cultural movement, the world watched, first in curiosity and eventually with desire (13), notes Jonathan Ilan, the author of the book "Understanding Street Culture: Poverty, Crime, Youth and Cool".

As soon as the dominant culture begins to actively use subcultural images and turns them into commodities (as happened in the case of hip-hop), the symbols and ideas inherent in this subculture begin to lose their original meaning and become more subject to changes and new meanings that are attributed to mass culture. Over the time, hip-hop has ceased to be a purely class and racial subculture, as it was originally, and turned into a culture of musical preferences and lifestyle of global youth, often distortedly represented in the media.

Hip-hop, like many other subcultures and club cultures, was, above all, a subculture that turned free time into a certain kind of fetish parties, dance and graffiti jams, competitions between DJs, rappers, dancers and street artists. Over the time, this trend has undergone great changes, since for many people of this culture around the world it has become possible to turn what was once leisure, into their work.

According to many researchers, the subculture as an

independent phenomenon dies as soon as it enters the mainstream consumer market. In the case of hip-hop, we can observe that hip-hop has survived as a subculture and continues to be underground even in the US, but the "wellpackaged and regulated, competitively promoted and sold, vigorously consumed" product, created on its basis, is no different from all the rest Postmodern American products (14), which entered the global music market and the entertainment industry market.

Popularization and commercialization of hip-hop and, in the first place, rap as its element are due, in large part, to the fact that in a world saturated with media, art should shock the audience in order to get its attention (15). The dominant images of street gangsters, imposed by musical channels, films and advertising campaigns, as well as rap songs with frank and provocative lyrics, seized the mainstream radio, led to a distortion of the image of hip-hop culture around the world. Nevertheless, we can state with certainty that hiphop continues to exist in two parallel worlds – "subcultural", which is created by hip-hop figures that adhere to the original values and philosophy, and the "popular" world, where from any hip-hop practice you can create a product of mass consumption. Rap was irresistible as a sincere street culture, created by dissatisfied youth. Mostly it was served in a self-contained show with DJs, MCs, graffiti artists, electric boogie and break dancers. Rap lighting was unprecedented, and rap began to appear in every corner of the entertainment field – music, comedy and politics (16).

13 Ilan, J. Understanding Street Culture: Poverty, Crime, Youth and Cool. Đ . 105 14 Brewster, B., Broton F. The history of DJs. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra. Culture, 2007. P. 432 15 Mass culture: modern Western studies / Editor V. V. Zvereva. P. 241 16 Tup, D. Rap Attack: from African rap to global hip-hop. - Moscow: Alpina non-fiction, 2012. P. 222

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Some researchers view hip-hop culture as postmodern, because post-modernism, among other things, implies a breaking with traditional values and a gradual departure from them. Thus, it can be argued that street culture (part of which is also hip-hop) in principle acts as a system of values parallel to the mainstream (17). Indeed, today many hip-hop artists who enter the global mass market no longer call for the "awakening of the black nation" and "rupture with the dominant white culture", but, on the contrary, indulge the mass culture, a part of which they themselves become.

However, one should regard it as an inevitable step of evolution which is natural to all cultural processes of modernity.

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2. Kostina A.V. National culture - ethical culture mass culture: "balance of interests" in modern society. - Moscow: The Libricom Book House, 2009. – 216 с.

3. Mass culture: modern Western studies / Editor V.V.

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Zvereva. – M.: Research Foundation "Pragmatics of Culture", 2005. – 339 с.

Tup, D. Rap Attack: from African rap to global hiphop. - Moscow: Alpina non-fiction, 2012. – 340 с.

Hebdige, D. Subculture. The meaning of style.

Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2002. 206 p.

Ilan, J. Understanding Street Culture: Poverty, Crime, Youth and Cool. Palgrave MacMillan, 2015.

216 p.

Resistance through Rituals: Youth Subcultures in Post-War Britain. / Ed.by Stuart Hall and Tony Jefferson, 2nd edition. London & New York: Routledge, 2006. 289 p.

Thornton, S. Club cultures. Music, Media and Subcultual Capital. Polity Press with Blackwell Publishers LMT, 195. 208 p.

White, M. From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap, and the Performance of Masculinity. University of Illinois Press, 2011. 176 p.

Marianna Chief https://www.facebook.com/marianna.osipova.1

13 Ilan, J. Understanding Street Culture: Poverty, Crime, Youth and Cool. Р. 105 14 Brewster, B., Broton F. The history of DJs. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra. Culture, 2007. P. 432 15 Mass culture: modern Western studies / Editor V. V. Zvereva. P. 241 16 Tup, D. Rap Attack: from African rap to global hip-hop. - Moscow: Alpina non-fiction, 2012. P. 222 17 Ilan, J. Understanding Street Culture: Poverty, Crime, Youth and Cool. Р. 106

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