The real underground, or the rise of the rap. 63 region.
A Five short years of russian rap`s heyday.
A collateral scion of this Big wave happened to be the Russian rap. It is a secondary phenomenon, which never made it to the big stage. But as the undercurrent it must be crowned as the biggest, according to the wide spread, especially among uneducated youngsters.
Russian rap experienced the fastest rise and fall in a history of russian music. First of all there was not long hidden roots of rap in the russian soil, there was actually one try in early nineties to dovetail East17-ish style with sexually explicit lyric, but it was long long ago. So it appeared from nowhere, it never changed, it lasted only five years 2000 — 2005, and after that all was over.
In previous posts I said that if something doesn`t occur in the capital, it doesn`t exist at all in russian pop music, with minor exception for the second capital. But it seems like that Russian rap doesn`t consist with this rule. It was music of big provincial towns, in russian federation these towns may have million of denizens, but no clout in any areas. So depression and lamentations and ill will of rap suited them very well.
There was no lead artist on a rap scene in any given period of time. There was a loose net of festival events, and some kind of a rap crowd, where people know each other. But there was not specialized clubs, there wasn`t even a special radio station to air their songs, they were very rare guests on radio waves. So there was no infrastructure. Nevertheless it spreads like wild crown fire form peer to peer, especially as I said among youngsters, seems like their flock has not resistance to the rap at all.
The typical russian rap group projected really discouraging staff, that reflects the life of white nigga of depressed urban outskirts. But a reality at this moment was completely opposite, crime rates had dropped significantly since nineties, and the economy was on the rise, and russia was becoming more europe-like country in early 00`s. So rap corresponded only to adolescent feelings of a global disparity and nothing else.
Sad and angry rap seemed unnatural. Joyful and self-assertive hip-hop was more appropriate. The main themes were sex, booze, and success. Lyrics were not sophisticated, music wasn`t exquisite either. They were abundant with young energy and unabashed challenge to the world.
63rd region is not your typical russian rap crew. Of cause it had shared a common fate, but they were very talented, not only bold and young and slightly gifted in rhyming. They were from big town, but it was provincial and had nothing to offer for good artists. They made two outstanding albums without any help, and never get any help later, they were not aired by stations, they were not booked for the touring. Everyone could recognize something familar when accidentally hear their songs, but had no clue what the group it was. That`s the common fate of russian pop artist, who may be quite popular, but can`t make a fortune out of it. The lack of an institutional structure. In russian federation whatever you need, you may be sure it doesn`t exist or isn`t properly functioning.
Not typical was that they were not depressed at all and their songs were musically mature. You may listen 2003`s album Bez Pravil tracks 7, 11, 13, 17 and 2005`s album Riskovat tracks 7, 9, 10. They had sung all what they wanted, and then proceed their lives in other directions, may be for the better.
Russian rap didn`t get traction on a russian soil, it still remains in adolescent ghetto, from which he will never escape. Not a big deal, russian rap had been, and is not worse than other local raps of other nations. It a good niche at best. It is not the main path for russian pop music, it happens, seems rap after all belongs only to the place of origin.
