European hip-hop

European hip hop refers to hip hop music and culture originating from Europe. Emerging in the 1980s following the genre's popularity in the United States, European hip hop has evolved into a diverse

Denmark#

Hip hop music in Denmark has seen significant growth in popularity over the past fifteen years, beginning with Danish-language acts such as MC Einar and Rockers by Choice. Other early contributors included lesser-known groups like Rip Rap & Rock, Flopstarz, Humleridderne, and Faktaposen. Danish rap music gained broader acceptance in the 1980s, particularly with the release of “Rap Nu,” a rap song by Gunnar “Nu” Hansen, a well-known Danish football commentator. This song was released in conjunction with the European football championship and helped introduce rap to a wider Danish audience. In the early 1990s, English became the preferred language for underground hip hop acts in Denmark, with artists like Dope Solution, Kidnap, and No Name Requested—one of the first groundbreaking female rappers—blending rap with reggae well before other Danish artists adopted the style. By the late 1990s, Danish-language rap experienced a resurgence, driven by artists such as Jokeren and his group Den Gale Pose. The Funky Fly record label played a significant role in this evolution. Unlike in many other countries, hip hop in Danish has been as successful, if not more so, than English-language acts locally. Some Danish rappers who perform in English, such as Static and NATiLL, have gained more recognition abroad, particularly in Germany and other parts of Scandinavia, than they have in Denmark. Prominent Danish-language hip hop artists include members of Full Impact Productions (F.I.P.), such as Orgi-E, Bai-D, Troo.L.S, L.O.C., Rune Rask, and U$O. This group often refers to themselves as F.I.P.G.C. (Full Impact Productions Gangster Click). The rap group Suspekt, consisting of F.I.P. members Orgi-E, Bai-D, and Rune Rask, has been a notable force in Danish hip hop, with L.O.C. frequently collaborating as a guest artist and Troo.L.S producing most of their tracks alongside Rune Rask. In 2005, Troo.L.S and Orgi-E released an album titled Forklædt Som Voksen (“Disguised As Adult”). Although the group has not officially disbanded, they have stated that they do not plan to release any new albums, though they continue to perform together. L.O.C., a member of F.I.P., is considered the most successful solo rapper in Danish hip hop history, with his albums achieving significant sales. His first album, Dominologi, included popular tracks such as “Absinthe” and “Drik Min Hjerne Ud” (“Drink My Brain Away”). His second album, Inkarneret (“Incarnated”), was also a major success, featuring hits like “Undskyld” (“Sorry”), “Hvem” (“Who”), and “Pop Det Du Har” (“Pop out What You’ve Got”). His third album, Cassiopeia, was released on September 15, 2005, with the song “Frk. Escobar” (“Miss Escobar”) becoming a major hit. Producers Rune Rask and Troo.L.S. have been instrumental in creating many of F.I.P.’s most successful tracks and have been recognized as one of the best producer teams in Denmark. In 2006, they produced the song “Gangsta Bop” by Akon, which was featured on his second album, Konvicted (2006).

Finland#

Finnish hip hop music is an increasingly robust part of the Finnish music scene. While some rappers based in Finland (Nuera, Paleface, Redrama, Jimmy Smallz, Tommy Sky) choose to record their rhymes in English, the majority use Finnish. Rapper Amoc utilizes the indigenous language Sámi in his music, which is one way to localize this global genre. The first recordings were released in the late 1980s but the real boom of Finnish hip hop came in the late 1990s. Finnish hip hop, also known as suomiräp or suomirap, is an increasingly robust part of the Finnish music scene. While early Finnish rap was often performed in English, particularly by artists like Nuera, Paleface, Redrama, Jimmy Smallz, and Tommy Sky, the majority of contemporary Finnish rappers now use Finnish in their lyrics. Some artists, such as Amoc, have also incorporated indigenous languages like Sámi into their music, reflecting a localized adaptation of the global hip hop genre. The development of Finnish hip hop began in the late 1980s, with some of the earliest recordings released during this period. However, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that the genre gained significant momentum. The first recorded Finnish rap song, “I’m Young, Beautiful and Natural,” was made in 1983 by General Njassa and was performed in English. Finnish rap made its initial breakthrough in 1990 when groups like Raptori and Pääkköset, as well as solo artist Nikke T, achieved chart success in Finland. Raptori, in particular, became a nationwide phenomenon, known for their distinctive style that blended humor and dance-pop influences from the 1980s. This early wave of Finnish rap was markedly different from American hip hop, and while it achieved popularity, it was later criticized by some for its humoristic approach. Nikke T himself expressed regret over his early dance-influenced rap, suggesting that the humor-rap trend undermined the credibility of the Finnish rap scene, which only began to recover in the late 1990s when the genre started to gain mainstream popularity. Mainstream rap artists and groups in Finland include Eevil Stöö, Mikael Gabriel, JVG, Gettomasa, Cheek, Uniikki, Teflon Brothers, Mäkki, Elastinen, Spekti, Daco Junior, Ezkimo, Nikke Ankara, Kapasiteettiyksikkö, Petri Nygård, Redrama, Juju, Pyhimys, Kube, Heikki Kuula, and Cledos.

Iceland#

The first prominent hip hop group from Iceland was Quarashi, who were marketed in the United States as being influenced by the rock hybrid sounds of the Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine. Quarashi disbanded in 2005. Around the time they released their first album, several other Icelandic rap groups emerged, including Subterranean, who are credited with producing one of Icelandic hip hop’s most significant works, Central Magnetizm. Other notable groups from this period were Team 13 (later renamed Twisted Minds), Multifunctionals, Oblivion, Bounce Brothers, and Hip Hop Elements (later known as Kritikal Mazz). Most of these groups performed in English, with the exception of Multifunctionals, who released a song titled “Númer 1” in Icelandic. The early 2000s saw the rise of the first hip hop acts performing entirely in Icelandic. Notably, XXX Rottweiler (formerly 110 Rottweilerhundar), in collaboration with Sesar A, released the first Icelandic-language hip hop albums in 2001. This milestone was followed by a wave of artists who embraced Icelandic as their primary language for rap. Among them were Bæjarins Bestu, a group known for their freestyle battle prowess, Móri, a gangsta rapper, Afkvæmi Guðanna (The Offspring of the Gods), Bent og 7Berg, Skytturnar (The Marksmen), Hæsta Hendin (The Highest Hand), and Forgotten Lores. Over time, many of these early groups ceased making music, but new artists continued to emerge within Icelandic hip hop. Icelandic hip hop lyrics are often characterized by their directness and aggressive tone, with battle raps being a significant component of the genre. Today, the Icelandic hip hop scene includes active artists such as Gísli Palmi, Þriðja Hæðin (The Third Floor), Cell 7, Kilo, Shadez of Reykjavík, Úlfur Úlfur, Aron Can, GKR, Alexander Jarl, Agust Bent, and Emmsjé Gauti. In addition to music, Icelandic hip hop culture encompasses other subgenres, including breakdancing and graffiti. Element Crew, founded in 1998 and led by Gretski, is the leading b-boy crew in Iceland. Breakdancing first appeared in the country around 1983, experienced a decline in the early 1990s, but saw a resurgence around 1997 with the Shakers Crew. The graffiti scene in Iceland began around 1991 with writers such as ONE, Pharokees, Atom, Sharq, Kez, and Youze. The early influential crews were SR (Stash Riders) and LCF (Le Circle Ferme). In 1997, TMC (Twisted Minds Crew) gained prominence, followed by the formation of CAN Crew (Can Armed Ninjas) by Sketz and Sare One. Sare One, now known as Nores and a member of TMC, is considered one of the most influential figures in Icelandic graffiti. Foreign artists who temporarily resided in Iceland, such as Kegr and Jiroe, have also contributed to the scene. One of the largest hip hop events in Iceland is Rímnaflæði, a freestyle competition held in Miðberg, where young MCs and rap groups compete by performing a single song on stage. The inaugural jury for the event included Sesar A, BlazRoca (from XXX Rottweilerhundar), and Omar Swarez (from Quarashi).

Ireland#

Hip hop culture arrived in Ireland in the 1980s and has enjoyed a steady underground scene ever since. By the early 1990s, the scenes in Dublin, Cork and Belfast included such performers as First Kouncil, Third Eye Surfers, Marxman, Messiah J. and The Expert, Homebrew and Scary Éire. Despite this, it has never had the same worldwide recognition that British hip hop has seen in recent years. Currently hip-hop in Ireland is still going strong. Dublin hosts names such as Lisa Dee, B-z Blaze, Kid Swisha and Galway born Big Que who is presently based in the United Kingdom. Ireland has its own urban music magazine RAP IRELAND, an urban brand that also promote clubs and concerts, and run Dublin-based Blackhouse Studios and the Rap Ireland DJ School. Recently, 86 Ink has come up as an alternative to British drill rap, using his Irish accent instead of putting on a London/British accent.

Norway#

Hip hop would spread to all of Scandinavia, including Norway, in the early 1980s. With breakdancing and graffiti art growing increasingly popular, a number of underground hip hop musicians gained fame among the genre’s limited fanbase in the late 1980s. These included A-Team (later Bolt Warhead) and Tommy Tee, who also put out a prominent hip hop magazine/fanzine called Fat Cap and a radio show Strictly Hip Hop (later The National Rap Show). The early to mid-nineties saw acts like Warlocks, Ellers Det, Captain Anarad and Dream Of Utopia struggle for recognition (to little effect). In the late 1990s and into the beginning of the 21st century, performers like Opaque, Darkside of the Force and Gatas Parlament became prominent. Tungtvann, Apollo, Klovner i Kamp, Spetakkel, Jaa9 & OnklP, Karpe Diem and other Norwegian-language hip hop crews, achieved some mainstream popularity after the turn of the millennium.

Sweden#

Swedish hip hop emerged in the first half of the 1980s and crossed into the mainstream a decade later. Some early rappers and crews were Per Cussion, Grandmaster Funk, Quincy Jones III and the Ice Cold Rockers. Groups that achieved mainstream popularity in the early 1990s include Just D, Infinite Mass and The Latin Kings. In the late 1990s there was a second breakthrough and artists like Petter, Organism 12, Seron, PST-Q, Öris, Professor P, Supersci, Prop Dylan, Trainspotters, Thomas Rusiak, Timbuktu, Ken Ring and Looptroop became well known. More recent acts worth mentioning are Labyrint, Stor, Linda Pira, Henry Bowers, Allyawan, Carlito Promoe, Snook, Chords, Ison & Fille, Advance Patrol, Million Stylez, Lazee, Roffe Ruff, Fronda, Grey Matter of Sweden and Adam Tensta. The group Labyrint from Uppsala have four members; Jacco, Dajanko, Dj Sai and Aki. They spread a mix of rap and reggae called Förortsreggae. Many other rappers such as Sebbe Staxx and Rhymes & Riddim have done songs within this genre. Labyrint’s songs are played through all of Sweden and is loved by many people. Their songs often have the theme “the government screws us” and try to reflect on the life of people within the suburbs. They’re signed to the record company Redline Recordings Redline Recordings is a Stockholm-based record company run by Salla and Masse, or, TSB (The Salazar Brothers). The record company was founded in 1996 by the brothers Salla, Chepe and Massa. The name is derived from the name on Stockholm’s subway, Röda Linjen (The Red Line). The record company work as a sub organization to Universal Music and is one of the most important forces within the Swedish hip hop stage. They have signed the following musicians; Carlito, Stor, Labyrint, Linda Pira, Dani M, Amsie Brown, Aki, Jacco, Dajanko and Mohammed Ali. Nils Jansson, more famously known as Henry Bowers or Kung Henry is a rapper from Uppsala with some hits. He has also participated in Poetry Slam contests and Spoken Word. Although he isn’t very big within music he is very big in Rap battles. He is internationally famous for his skills on the rap battle stage. He is signed to the record company Kaftkaotiska Inspelningar.

United Kingdom#

British hip hop originated in the early 1980s, having been hugely influenced by the New York scene. Just like in the United States, specifically New York, British hip hop emerged graffiti and breakdancing. After such work of arts, DJ’s started to take over dance clubs and this was the start of the hip hop scene in the United Kingdom. Unlike American hip hop, British hip hop artists were of all different ethnicities because different races were not segregated in Britain. As a result, an influx of ideas and music cross cultured making Hip Hop a music of all in Britain. However, hip hop still was not accepted in British society until the make of Gun Shot’s tune “No Sell Out” in 1992. As a result, various hip hop artists became popular as well as the hip hop scene. However, due to this influence, many British artists adopted American accents when recording and it wasn’t until a few years later that Britain gained the confidence to develop their own style, with “London Bridge” by Newtrament often cited as the first ever British hip hop tune. Although record labels were starting to take note of the underground scene, radio play and publicity were still a major difficulty in helping the fledgling scene to grow. Instrumental in bringing the scene to the attention of the country at large were DJs like Dave Pearce and Tim Westwood, and particularly John Peel who often championed British hip hop. However, things did look promising: Hip Hop Connection—the first major British hip hop magazine—was founded in 1989 and by the early 1990s, the British hip hop scene seemed to be thriving. Not only was there a firm base of rappers in London, but outside of the capital many cities were developing their own distinct scenes. Bristol produced The Wild Bunch (later better known as Massive Attack), and major groups like the Scratch Perverts and Smith & Mighty, and later became the home of trip hop; Nottingham was the birthplace of the Stereo MCs. As the scene grew, it became less and less common for British rappers to imitate American accents and British hip hop became much more assured of its own identity. The birth of black music radio station BBC 1Xtra, in 2002 provided another outlet for hip hop artists, with the genre being a core part of the station’s output and the station showcases many UK acts. At the same time British hip hop also blossomed in new directions, with a new style of electronic music emerging in the early 2000s, influenced heavily by hip hop and UK garage, dubbed grime. Further success followed as The Streets released their album Original Pirate Material (679 Records, 2002), and became one of the first of the new breed of British hip hop artists to gain respectable sales. This trend continued as Dizzee Rascal released his debut album, Boy in Da Corner, to huge critical acclaim. Sway also came into the public eye after winning a MOBO award in September 2005 for Best Hip Hop Act, defeating heavyweight hip hop artists 50 Cent and The Game to collect the award. Lady Sovereign achieved mainstream success both in Britain and America in 2005 after signing with Def Jam Recordings after impressing Jay-Z, as well as achieving chart success with singles released from her debut album Public Warning. The United Kingdom’s Panjabi MC created a style integrated with Indian-based music and created the single “Beware of the Boys”. Once Jay-Z added a couple of verses, it became a hit in the United States.

Baltic States#

The Baltic States saw a noticeable growth in the hip hop community since the start of the 21st century. All three of the nations that comprise the Baltic states, which became independent in 1991 at the collapse of the U.S.S.R., have created a unique Baltic sound, that started from little to no beginnings prior to the independence of the nations. In all three nations the native language; Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian, respectably, are the dominant language of Baltic MC’s. Some popular Baltic hip hop artists are: Lithuanian- G&G Sindikatas, Legato, Despotin’ Fam (Vaiper, Shmekla, Liezhuvis, Andrewla) (formerly known as Shmekla&Vaiper), Tie Geresni (Karpiz, LT, Boostas), Mc Mesijus, Lilas, Dee & Kamy. Latvian – Ziedu Vija, STA, Kurts, Armands, Nātre, Gustavo, Ozols, Skutelis, Pionieris. Estonian hip hop artists- G-Enka, A-Rühm, Põhjamaade Hirm, Kuuluud, Gorõ Lana, Fast K, S´Poom, 5 Loops, Tommyboy, Noizmakaz, Def Räädu, Stupid F & Hash, Suur Papa, Reket, Okym Riim, Beebilõust, Abraham, Chalice, Metsakutsu, RLV Massive, 7NS2 , Põhja-Tallinn, Nublu, 5MIINUST

Czech Republic#

Czech hip hop is a hip hop musical subculture in the Czech Republic. Its history began after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Since that time began the creation of this subculture with lot of bands, clubs and hip hop festivals appearing all around the country. There are so famous hip hop singers and groups: Nironic, PSH, Indy a Wich, Prago union, Supercrooo…

Germany#

German Hip Hop began as an underground music scene in 1982 when JaJaJa recorded “Katz Rap” in Ata Tak studios in Düsseldorf. “Katz Rap” by JaJaJa (1982, Ata Tak – WR 14) was the first rap song by a female on record in Europe. JaJaJa toured with a large graffiti canvas she spray painted with the band’s name and a giant reptile/dragon/dinosaur. JaJaJa’s “I Am An Animal” video released in 1983 featured breakdancing youths costumed as dinosaurs. Traditional music, from immigrants that migrated from Northern Africa, Turkey, Morocco, etc., mixed with the American hip hop scene may have contributed to Germany’s hip hop music. The Neue Deutsche Welle band Fehlfarben released a song called, “Militürk,” acknowledging and inspired by the presence of Turks in Germany. Film played a major impact in the beginning of the musical genre. Films such as, Beat Street and Wild Style, formed the first wave of hip hop fans. As a result, German youth began to graffiti and break dance which lead to underground hip hop music and development. In particular, one music group, Advance Chemistry sparked a huge interest in speaking out for the youth of Germany, especially the immigrants. Moreover, more and more people loved the hip hop scene in Germany until it reached its peak in 2001. After that time period of rapping about life in Germany, “New Schoolers” rapped about crime and violence. Till this day, hip hop plays a significant role in Germany’s music scene. Germany produced the well-known Optik Army and its frontman Kool Savas as well as several other rap combos like Aggro Berlin, Die Fantastischen Vier, Ersguterjunge, Fettes Brot or Amstaff. Several solo artists like Bushido, Sido, Fler, Samy Deluxe and Azad.

Hungary#

Hungarian hip hop is gaining more popularity. Some of the former underground bands are in the media for instance: Bankos, NKS, Akkezdet Phiai, Bobakrome, Sub Bass Monster, Hősök, MC, Street Royal, DSP.

Poland#

The Polish hip hop scene began in 1990, when American rappers like MC Hammer (“Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em”) and Vanilla Ice (“To the Extreme”) were popular. The first album by a Polish performer was “East on the Mic” by PM Cool Lee, which featured two songs in the Polish language. Lee was from Kielce, but Warsaw soon emerged as a center for hip hop, after KOLOR, a radio station, began broadcasting Kolor Shock, hosted by Bogna Świątkowska, Paul Jackson, an African American expatriate, Sylvia Opoku from London, and DJ Volt, whose crew, IKHZ, became performing stars in their own right in 1995. Volt also founded the first Polish independent hip hop label, Beat Records. Though the label didn’t last long, it did introduce groups like Trzyha and Molesta. Nowadays there are many subgenres of hip-hop present on the Polish scene and it is almost everywhere in the country. People or groups like Peja, Tede, OSTR, Sokol or AbradAb with his many projects such as Kaliber 44 are the most recognizable rappers in Poland. Polish hip-hop artists are well-known performers across Europe, especially in the Eastern Bloc. Many rappers from Poland are collaborating with artists from Europe, the US and even Cuba.

Slovakia#

Slovak hip hop is said to have begun in 1988. The hip hop scene was not popular among general public up until the start of new millennia. After 2001 hip hop music started to gain popularity as the quality of rap and music production improved. The most controversial and prominent slovak rapper and singer Rytmus is among the best selling artists in Slovakia and Czech Republic. With some of his music videos reaching more than million views he is one of the best known musicians in Central Europe. Together with Ego and Anys they formed Kontrafakt. Other popular groups and artists include H16, Gramo Rokkaz, Delik, Supa, Boy Wonder, Vec, Zverina, DMS, Nerieš, Osem, Gumbgu, Gleb, Hahacrew, Strapo, Pil C, Plexo, Mugis, Gamba, Kali, Majself.(the best hip-hop in world)

Slovenia#

Slovenian hip hop can be traced back to 1978 but all rappers were forgotten or they disappear it’s still secret, how it is known there were some illegal album releases. In the mid 80s were marked as the break-through of rap music in Slovenian music. Ali-En released first national rap album, that immediately became a classic, in 1989. The hip hop culture was heavily popularized by skier Jure Košir who also released an album with his Rap Team. In 1997 Dandrough, a rap duo, released Ko pride Bog (‘when God comes’). The next few years there was a small hole in hip hop scene, with only a couple of albums in 2000 Klemen Klemen released Trnow Stajl, possibly the most influential mainstream album in Slovenian Hip Hop history of south style, at Menart Records. And then came H-Town Thugstaz ( C-Dogg CThaReal, Dujko, P-Nut and Nasty ) from Celje with the best battle song Vojna part.1 ever in Slovenian Rap history. CThaReal continued a solo career and made 10 albums all together and is the only Slovenian Rap artist that made an English Rap album, He also got releases in the U.S.A. on Global attack mixtapes vol.6 with the song Elevated ( 4 Seasons of Rap - 2012. ) CThaReal is also one of the best freestyle MCs in Europe and is still undefeated in freestyle.. About the same time a first compilation of Slovenian Hip Hop artists was released at Radyoyo: Za narodov Blagor – 5'00" of fame, including various unknown rappers, that were just yet to pop up onto the scene. In 2001, the first freestyle rap championship was organized, launching 6pack Čukur, who placed 2nd, into the mainstream stars. The competition became a tradition and it’s held every second year since then. The next year rap duo Murat & Jose released V besedi je moč becoming again of the ultimate rap albums in Slovenia.

Bulgaria#

Bulgaria during the late ’90s saw the formation of the crews “Amnistia”, X-team, Sunrise Project, DRS, Nokaut, Sensei, Blackmouth and RBL, Junior MC, La Boss, People From Ghetto, Mechoka, Ka$ino, Rap Nation, 187, Fars, Logopet, Kingsize, SoundTrack, Dinasty, Atila, , ZLD Gen, Ragga One and “Rubber Heads” (Gumeni Glavi) the latter of which included Misho Shamara, Dreben G, Konsa and more. “Rubber Heads”’s label was called R’nB and was very popular. They even had their own clothing line. In 2000 another Bulgarian hip hop label was created and it was called Sniper Records, including famous names like Spens, DJ Stancho, Slim, Shosho and more. Much hardcore rap is produced in Bulgaria by bands like Nokaut, Sunrise Project, RBL, X-Team, Kingsize and many more. In 2011, Bulgarian hip hop was on a higher level. Misho Shamara a.k.a. Big Sha made a song with the American legend Snoop Dogg and the Bulgarian pop-star LilAna. After the song with Snoop Dogg, Big Sha worked on a project with DMX, and LilAna has songs with Akon and Flo Rida. On 31 March 2010, Big Sha and DJ Swed Lu, “delivered” The King of Crunk Lil Jon to the Bulgarian fans. Meanwhile, Sarafa from RAPTON Records recorded songs with The Outlawz, Ja Rule, and Naughty by Nature. After 2010 the Bulgarian hip hop scene was flooded with new innovative artist including - F.O., Керанов (Keranov), Явката ДЛГ (Qvkata DLG), Dim4ou, Жлъч (Jluch; he is also a member of SoCalledCrew, a rap group from Sofia, consisting of Jluch, Trasher, Евгени (Evgeny), Бате Доуен (Bate Douen or Indianus) and Брят Че (Bryat Che)) and many others, who became popular with uploading their songs online and later making videoclips for the songs. They became notorious mostly with their lyrics concerning the everyday lifestyle of the Bulgarian youth. Currently hip hop is one of the most popular music style in Bulgaria, especially among young people.

Romania#

Romanian hip hop The main theme is politics, based on anti-system protest, and social, underlining the rich-poor gap and the low quality of the new, post-Communist, enriched class. Bucharest is the main center, since most of other bands/rappers from outside the city would still come there for recording. 2006 was a great year for Romanian hip hop, especially for the underground scene. Independent labels such as Hades Records and Facem Records finally got out of the box with albums that soon reached stores at a national level. Also a big step in the evolution of Romanian hip hop was the Summer Jam 2006 hip hop festival that took place in Bucharest. Created and supervised by Hades Records/Hades Events, Summer Jam was the first of its kind and size in Romania, uniting more than 20 artists and bands over 2 days of show, including DJ contests, breakdance shows, streetball contests and much high quality hip hop. The producers of the show said that much more is to be expected for 2007’s edition. Some notable artists include:BUG Mafia, Parazitii, R.A.C.L.A., La Familia and Cedry2K. Romanian hip hop artists Parazitii have worked with major names in hip hop, artists like: Raekwon, Shabazz the Disciple, and Dutch rapper Cilvaringz.Gerata

Russia#

The first more or less known pioneers of Russian rap was a group called Malchishnik (Мальчи́шник), but the recognition of the rap genre came with the rise of a Moscow team Bad B., with their album “Naletchiki Bad B.” being released in 1994. The first Russian rap artists to have achieved commercial success: Kasta (Каста), Bad Balance/Bad.B (Плохой Баланс/Бад Би), Detsl (Децл), and the Belarusian artist Seryoga (Серега), who combined original rap with the native Russian satiric song genre chastushka which some critics consider a new branch in the rap genre: rap-chastushka. Although most of rap fans believe he does not belong to the Russian rap scene, the musician won the nomination for best Russian rap in 2005 on the RMA (Russian Music Awards). In the mid-2000s underground bands began to appear and became popular in Moscow (like Money Makaz, Supreme Playaz, Underwhat, Ddrop, Krovostok, Kazhe Oboima). Also, at the same time in Russia and Belarus new R&B performers appeared (Maks Lorens, Bianca, Satsura, Band’Eros). In 2007 Centr became increasingly popular, partially due to aggressive promotion on the internet, at 2008 they won the MTV Russia Music Awards. At the same time Russian/German rapper ST1M received scandalous popularity after production of his single “Я Рэп” (I’m Rap), featuring Seryoga, in which he was dissing nearly all the notable Russian rappers. In 2008 on Russian musical channel Muz-TV started a hip-hop show Battle for Respect, which led the winner Ant (Zasada Production) to become highly popular. The same way as in the United States, the scene is divided into “East Side” and “West Side” style, again, where the “West Siders” brag about money cars and girls, the “East Siders” rap about everything else. The most commercial “West Side” style rap produced is Timati, being the first Russian rapper to work with American producer Scott Storch and American rappers Fat Joe, Snoop Dogg, Xzbit, Busta Rhymes, and Diddy. If you ask any self-respecting hip-hop fan however, any association of Timati to hip-hop may end in violence as there is a strong opinion that his purely commercial style has no place in hip-hop. The most popular Russian hip-hop artist today is Vasiliy Mikhailovitch Vakulenko Васи́лий Миха́йлович Вакуле́нко under different aliases representing his multiple personalities. Basta (Баста) being his earliest alias is the one with heart, bringing many sincere feelings in the lyrics. Noggano (Ноггано) – his second invention is a character with many references to controlled substances, gang activities presented in a twisted style of a mastermind with a dark sense of humor. N1NT3ND0 (Нинтендо) – his latest is a character taking the vulgarity and gang activities to the max.