Bade group in recent days. Biography Bad Balance

The rap group Bad Balance was created in 1989 by residents of Donetsk: SheFF and Mikhey in St. Petersburg, as a dance break dance group "White Gloves". In addition to the Donetsk guys, it included five more dancers from St. Petersburg - Skal, Laga , Svan, Bogdan, L.A. For the program of their dance numbers, the group members independently recorded musical mixes, which led to the release of the first album of dance mix music called “Seven Do Not Wait for One” (1990), this album received its name because that Micah could not decide to come from Donetsk to St. Petersburg.

Sheff.

SheFF and Mikhey begin to compose RAP and record music for it. The second album with RAP numbers was released in 1991 under the title “Above the Law”. At concert venues with the program of this album, SheFF and Mikhey read RAP, and the rest of the group performed dance numbers.

Micah.

The group approached the recording of the next album with particular caution. A commercial structure was found that supported the young team and financed the recording in the famous Moscow studio Gala Records, the album "Bad Balance Raiders." was released in 1993. After recording this album, the group began to be invited on tour.

Monya.

By 1996, the group had formed as follows: SheFF and Mikhey - RAP (MC's), L.A. - DJs, Bruce - bass, Monya - backing vocals, dance. This composition recorded the next album of the group "Purely Pro...", released in 1996 The group also recorded a fifth album called “Jungle City” (1998). A number of songs from this album are now performed at concerts.

L.A.

In mid-1998, BAD B. ALLIANCE was formed with the participation of Legalize and Bad Balance, thanks to which domestic rap music rose to a qualitatively new level. New projects follow one after another, popularity increases every day. In 2000, the album “Stone Forest” was released, followed in 2003 by “Little by Little”, 2007 was marked by the release of the album “Legends of Gangsters”. And in 2009, ten years later, the world saw the first Bad Balance album, “Seven Do Not Wait for One,” recorded back in 1989. The band's newest album, with the timely title "World Wide", is currently under development.

The history of the “fathers” of Soviet hip-hop began in 1985, when two Kiev teenagers - Vlad Valov (“Chef”) and Sergei Menyakin (“Monya”) — saw African-American breakdancing, they really liked this art form, and they decided to learn to dance as well. [source?] At that time (during the years of perestroika) trade appeared in the USSR, which is what Chef and Monya began to do when they arrived in Moscow in 1986, attracting the attention of foreign tourists: the British, Germans, French and etc. It is worth considering that Chef and Monya did not know foreign languages. Then I met Sasha Nuzhdin.

The guys returned to Donetsk, where, taking two more school friends into their ranks, they created a group - Ekipazh-Synchron. Yanik became the teacher and main choreographer of the group. At the interclub, Yannick received a place for rehearsals and began to create his first dance number. The wave of breakdancing was sweeping across the world at an extraordinary speed, with more and more information leaking out and more people doing it. In 1986, the first All-Russian Breakdancing Festival was held in the city of Palanga, but no one really knew about the Donetsk Crew-Synchron, there was no advertising anywhere, and therefore the guys didn’t get there. At this time, the first number was ready, with which the group gained great success not only in Donetsk, but also in the region. Guys were recognized and autographed on the streets. [source?]

The guys earned a decent amount of money at that time, [source?] and some members of the break band had disagreements, [source?] as a result of which they all went their separate ways, creating their own break bands. So all these groups received serious respect in Leningrad, Moscow, Donetsk and Riga.

After school, Chef (CHEFF) and his friends entered the Leningrad University of Humanities in 1988. In the same year, he meets with Gleb Matveev (“DJ LA”) and invites him to create a new group. So on September 20, 1989, a group called Bad Balance was created, initially as a break group.

The team is gathering. The first to join LA and SHEF were Laga, a superb breaking dancer, and Swan, who was indispensable in synchronized dances; his signature styles were pop and locking. By hook or by crook, in September CHEF organized a rehearsal hall at the University and a couple of months later the first production number was made - Cossacks. It was a complex dance in the locking style, which immediately set the bar for Bad B. The choreographer of the dance number was LA. In turn, CHEF brought out costumes for four people: red Cossack pants, black cowboy hats, black bandanas, white and red t-shirts with the inscription “With love from Russia” and of course high slippers (everyone had this attribute). The first competitions took place in Nizhny Novgorod, Siauliai and Vitebsk, where everyone had to get to know the new team and move up on the podium. From that moment on, the group took only prizes and became the flag of St. Petersburg hip-hop. A few months later, Skalya (breaking style) and Barmaley (king-tat style and one of the first graffers in the country) joined the team, and together with them two more invincible numbers were made: Leningrad Cowboys and La-lybai. A guy from Anapa entered the university together with CHEF, his name was Kostos. He became the first administrator of a breakdance group in St. Petersburg.

The team performances of the Balances always remained at their best, and in the battles after the team performances Basket and Peps joined in, and the result was the St. Petersburg team. During such battles, all the cities froze and watched the chips that were born right during the dance. Bad B. were the first in the country to show real freestyle. After such freestyles, the fashion for preparing in a circle went away, and the spirit of improvisation appeared.

1989-1994

At the end of 1989, the group met DJ Wolf, who was known as the country's first DJ. Wolf made a scratch machine from an old Vega, Chords and a pile of scrap metal. Experiments began in rap music and mixes, which dance music was just beginning to make then there was still a group called DMJ. To the prepared music of Wolf, the guys began not to rap. The ideas of the first texts boiled down to topics about break dancing and the “soviet” system. DJ LA was originally a dancer, but began DJing in the group, learning this from Wolf.

Best of the day

By 1990, an album was released called “Seven Do Not Wait for One”; it was called that because one person was always late, but he was not expected: all creativity was interchangeable, and it was always possible to work without one person. Each b-boy knew the other's parts. However, the album was released only 20 years later - in 2009, since at that time this album could not be released due to strict Soviet censorship.

From that moment on, the guys agreed that they would record the album in a professional studio. In 1990, Sergei Krutikov (“Micah”) entered the University of Leningrad, where Bad B studied. The group begins recording the album “Above the Law,” and Mikhey provided the group with new instrumental tracks, which served as the basis for the album.

In the same year, the group’s first hit, “Leningrad,” was released.

On October 1, 1990, the first 45-minute costumed hip-hop dance program in Russia was ready, consisting of two albums: “Seven Do Not Wait for One” and “Above the Law.” The group consisted of 7 people: SHEFF, Mikhey, LA, Liga, Skalya, Swan and Bogdan aka Barmaley.

In the summer of 1990, the group flies to New York, and later moves to Washington at the invitation of Ken Ludden, who became interested in the work of Soviet guys, there the guys temporarily work at the video cassette rental company Blockbuster Video, CHEFF in the process of work rose to the rank of senior manager. But it was time to return home. After visiting the last club in the last city, a 10-day concert tour of Bad Balance was made in these cities. There were 12 venues in total with a total fee of $7,000. This amount covered flights, travel, accommodation and meals for the group. Everything went according to plan. Upon returning home, Ken Ludden managed to receive a serious offer from a large Washington production ballet company, with which CHEF returned to Russia.

Returning to post-Soviet Russia in 1993, the group released 2 albums - “Above the Law” (1990, re-released in 1993) and “Bad B Raiders.” (1994), which were released on GALA Records. In 1993-1994, the group actively performs in Moscow, giving concerts together with Bogdan Titomir.

1996-2000

In 1996, the group released its third studio album, “Purely PRO”. Perhaps the most popular album and the best among critics, after the album’s release the whole country knew and listened to the group. At this time, post-Soviet youth began to listen to “true rap,” which was popularized by rappers Bad B.

A characteristic composition of that time is the song “City Melancholy,” reflecting the life of the mid-90s in “gloomy and dull” Russia, while the lead singer of the group, Mikhei, uses melodic tunes and lyrical lyrics of the song. In the future, Micah will continue to sing reggae and soul songs that he used in the song.

Bad B. Alliance

Mid 1998. SHEF and Legalize, then already estranged from the DOB Community group, invented a new scheme that could truly raise domestic Hip-Hop to a certain level. Thus began the formation of a new formation called “Bad B. Alliance”, the foundation of which was taken from the main composition of the Bad Balance group. Mikhey had already left Bad B. and began working on his own project, “Mikhey & Jumanji,” the music of which was based on funk and reggae motifs.

The first joint carts with Legalize, entitled “Are you ready?”, which was included in the album “Jungle City”, and the song “War”, recorded together with BO after the NATO bombing of fraternal Yugoslavia, have already been recorded. A new scheme has emerged, the scheme " Alliance". First, the team Legal Bizne$$ (Legalize, N"Pans), a solo project of SHEFF, was created; then DeTsl was found in the depths of the concrete jungle, after which they created a girl's rap project "White Chocolate", focused mainly on club audience. A new time has begun, the time of the “Alliance.” A qualitative rise in domestic rap music has begun.

Bad B.Alliance's promotion system looked quite simple. It was planned to launch DeTsla, whose work was aimed at students of secondary educational institutions. Next came the work of LB (Legal Bizne$$), aimed at older people, those for whom rap was no longer a fashionable trend, but became the meaning in life. Bad Balance's music was aimed at those who were true connoisseurs of rap music, having been listening to it since the beginning of the "first wave" of rap in Russia.

It is also worth mentioning four more projects that were part of the Alliance. These are the projects “Three DJs”, “White Chocolate”, “Tommy” and “AlcoFunk”. So, the project “Three DJs”: DJ TO№1K, LA and Shooroop, the composition was based not on their own music, but on pieces of many songs by other artists. But the project did not bear fruit, because it was necessary to release an album so that the masses knew about it. But this required the consent of all authors, excerpts from whose works the DJs used in their project.

The Tommy project is a solo project of the now well-known girl Tamara (Tommy Girl). Several compositions were recorded, but due to the girl’s poor health, it was decided to exclude the project from the Alliance. The girls from White Chocolate were responsible for club-oriented Hip-Hop. But the AlkoFunk project was never able to find listeners among the masses.

Micah's departure from the group

In 1998, rumors appeared about Mikhei's departure from the group, and the secret became clear: after a quarrel with the Chief, Mikhei left the group and began a solo career, forming his own project - “Mikhei and Jumanji”, the album of which “Bitch Love” will become the most circulated in Russia in 1999.

But in 2001-2002, Chef and Mikhey reconciled again and even made attempts to reunite and record a new album, Bad B. But the attempt was unsuccessful: in 2002, Mikhey was struck down by a stroke.

2002-today

The Bad B group began to disintegrate: Monya, LA, and Bad B left the group. The alliance did not receive its continuation. Within the framework of the alliance, only one album was released in 2001 - “New World”.

But the Bad B group resumed when the Chief met Al-Solo, Cooper and Mr. Bruce. This is how Bad B appeared in a new line-up.

The creativity of the Bad B group has not changed much, only the recitatives, replete with obscenities, have become tougher.

In addition to the group’s activities, Chef produced Decl (until 2005) and Yolka.

In 2004, Bad Balance released a music collection - “Memory of Micah”.

In 2009, the album “Seven Do Not Wait for One,” which was not released in 1989, was finally released. The album was remastered over this long period of time and is considered the band's "living nostalgia".

Members of the group

Master CHEF (Vlad Valov) - founder and leader of the group (1989 - present)

Cooper (Roman Alekseev) - current MC of the group (1999, 2001 - present)

Al Solo (Albert Krasnov) - current MC of the group (2002 - present)

Their album “Raiders” is usually called a classic, and “Jungle City” is generally a unique thing for Russian hip-hop. In general, Bad B are the founders of hip-hop in this country. Without exaggeration.

Bad Balance - the chronicle of hip-hop

Bad Balance is a legendary name in the history of Russian hip-hop. Then it was still Soviet. They were among the first to make rap in the underground, and the first, without stopping at the bottom, began to desperately storm the heights of the mainstream. And they became the first real rap team whose videos could be seen on television; who was talked about in the music news and written about in thick magazines. With unanimity impossible today, they were recognized as the best. Partly due to the lack of alternatives, but to a greater extent – due to the highest level for its time. Their album “Raiders” is usually called a classic, and “Jungle City” is generally a unique thing for Russian hip-hop. In general, Bad B are the founders of hip-hop in this country. Without exaggeration.

And it all started with dancing. In the mid-80s, two future members of Bad Balance, Vlad "Sheff" Valov and Sergey "Monya" Menyakin, were engaged in breakdancing in their native Donetsk. This is not surprising - the formation of hip-hop culture in the Soviet Union began with breakdancing. Breakdance festivals appeared in the country earlier than any rap events. It was there that the pioneers of this culture from different regions of the country met and became acquainted. A community of people involved in hip-hop culture naturally formed. During a visit to Leningrad, Valov and Monya met breakers from the northern capital. One of the new acquaintances was LA (real name - Gleb Matveev), in the future - DJ and musician of "Bad Balance". But then LA had not yet thought about anything like that.

In 1989, Valov moved to Leningrad for permanent residence. Getting to know LA led to the decision to create a breakdancing team. Then the name Bad Balance appeared. The official legend connects him with the iconic sports shoe brand of the time, New Balance, and the unsatisfactory quality of one particular pair that went to the team’s founders. In addition to Valov and LA, Bad Balance included Laga and Swan, later they were joined by Skalya (one of the creators of the Brothers Smile group). In general, a strong lineup was selected, which was called one of the best in the country. At the same time, experiments began with other elements of hip-hop. The first person to start scratching is most often called the Leningrad DJ Wolf from the “Name Protected” team. Showing remarkable ingenuity, he adapted Accord players for this purpose. At the same time, LA began to perform magic over the turntables.

In 1990, Sergei “Mikhei” Krutikov moved to the northern capital. He knew Vlad Valov from the Donetsk breakdancing scene and his move to Leningrad had long been expected, but was constantly postponed. When this finally happened, Micah joins the team and becomes an integral part of it. The beginning of Bad Balance's "retraining" into a rap team coincides with his arrival. The group records its first album, “Above the Law,” which has long been considered a real rarity. The fashion for breakdancing is gradually declining, but rap, on the contrary, is meeting with increasing interest among the public. Bad Balance is turning into a rap group. The core of Bad Balance, the creative core of the team, crystallizes. Vlad Valov, who in those days bore the pseudonym Chill Will, becomes the author of all the lyrics of Balance, Micah and LA write the music. The recording company Gala Records is showing interest in the work of Bad Balance, which becomes the publisher of their next album, “Raiders”.

This disc was a true distillation of the key ideas of hip-hop at that time. Old school, composed and recorded under the obvious influence of such pillars as the Beasty Boys, House Of Pain and Public Enemy, fast tempo, loud aggressive reading and no lyrics (the track “Jazz is not music” with a surprisingly calm refrain slightly fell out of this mood ). It was on “The Raiders” that the foundations of their style were laid, ideas were expressed that would appear more than once in their texts.

In the mid-90s, breakdancing became a passing phase for Bad Balance. At the same time, fame comes to them - for now in narrow circles of connoisseurs of Russian rap. But they are already recognized as the first rappers of this country. And the next album only strengthened this position. The disc was named "Purely PRO...", and for some reason the name of the group on the album was transformed into Bad B. PRO. And yet, the main evolution that occurred in the time period between these two discs was the abandonment of the rigid style and the appearance of a melodic branch in the work of Bad Balance. Micah began to sing, and this immediately transformed the appearance of the team. It was the melodic tracks that became the main things on this album: “Guardian Angel”, “Toads” and, of course, “City Melancholy” - the first real and unconditional hit in Russian rap.

Bad Balance becomes the country's leading rap team. In parallel with the creativity and promotion of his own group, Vlad Valov (at that time he already called himself Chief) began promoting other teams, organizing concerts and festivals. He takes an important part in organizing the first Rap Music festival and the DJ battle Grandmaster DJ. Hip-Hop Info appears - at first it was a series of rap collections, then the magazine about hip-hop began to be called the same. And in the future the label and store will have this name.

1998 was the culmination of creative success for Bad Balance. At the same Gala, the best album of their career, “Jungle City,” was released. It was really created on the principle of “hit after hit”. Disco "Light Music", electro "Moscow Old School", English-language "Fuck Off Da Politituons", super action "Are You Ready?", inspired "Like a Dream" and "Jungle City", ironic "We Don't Like When" and optimistic "Everything it will be good" - all this is the golden chronicle of Russian hip-hop culture. A "must have" album. The band's swan song. The last album with the classic line-up.

After “Jungle City,” Mikhey left the group and began a solo career, creating a project unique for Russia: reminiscent in spirit of the Western Jamiroquai, a collage of funk, soul and reggae. In storming the heights of show business, Mikhey was helped by his Bad Balance colleagues: bassist Bruce (Elbrus Cherkezov) and Monya, choreography director. The success that befell Mikhey significantly exceeded all the laurels of Bad B. - the tracks “Bitch-Love” and “There” became super hits on radio and television. Micah's parting with the Chief was not kind - they poured a lot of dirt against each other on the pages of magazines and newspapers.

At the same time, fate presented Valov with a gift in the person of Kirill Tolmatsky and his father Alexander, a famous producer involved in the promotion of pop performers. Their union, starting in 1999 and for three years, dominated the Russian rap scene and gave this culture a new impetus. The projects Legal Business, White Chocolate, Alkofunk and the solo performer Decl, who excited the public, are being launched on the market. Together they call themselves the Bad B Alliance. Valov formally heads this union, writes lyrics for some artists (Decl, White Chocolate), and is preparing a solo album under the name Sheff. A wave of XXIn4 collections (the highest quality at that time in terms of the selection of artists) appeared on sale, and Alliance artists replaced each other on TV channels. The Rap Music festival is reaching an all-time high level, becoming an all-Russian summit of hip-hop fans. The festival is phenomenally popular in the former USSR. Every year more than a thousand applications are received from groups from the farthest corners of the country. The event takes place at the largest venues in Moscow and receives active media attention. In a matter of years, the popularity of Russian rap has increased many times over, which leads to the emergence of new talented teams and gives a powerful impetus to the development of hip-hop in Russia.

In 2001, a new album, Bad Balance, was released. The vacancy vacated after Mikhey’s departure is being filled by Moscow rapper Legalize, frontman of the popular team Legal Business. Thanks to the video “Pack of Cigarettes” and the successful album “Rhythmomafia”, Legalize becomes widely known in the country and gains fame as one of the most technical and inventive MCs in the country. His debut as a member of Bad Balance took place on the album “Jungle City” in the track “Are You Ready?” And in those golden years, attracting guest MCs was not yet a general fashion, so such an appearance on the disc of the best group in Russia was worth a lot. But, starting with the album "Stone Forest", Bad Balance is no longer at the forefront of Russian rap. If each previous disc was a breakthrough, a step forward, then “Stone Forest” surprised with multiple self-repetitions and became, if not a step back, then marking time. Despite the obvious talent of Legalize, the loss of Mikhei turned out to be too significant for Bad B. The team lost its signature style. Perhaps, the album “Stone Forest” started conversations about the decline of Bad Balance.

After recording the album, League left the group and the Alliance. This became the first beacon, and six months later the Bad B Alliance became only part of history. The business cooperation between Valov and Tolmatsky Sr. ends, not without losses for Valov. In particular, Tolmatsky retained the trademarks Bad Balance and XXIn4, which he registered in his name (presumably, this happened by mutual agreement back when the Alliance began its activities), as well as the famous logo of two inverted letters “B”. Apparently, the rights to the pseudonym Sheff also remained with Tolmatsky, because after the breakdown of their relationship, Valov began to call himself Master Sheff, and his group - Bad B.

In 2002, Valov created a new label called 100%. It is impossible to compare the scope of the activities of this organization with what it was during the alliance with Tolmatsky. A typical indicator is that the Rap Music festival moved to St. Petersburg in 2002, and in 2003 it was generally reduced to the club level. However, under the label of this label, Valov releases a solo album, “Master of the Broken Syllable,” which was received ambiguously due to the participation of pop artists Nasyrov, Markin, and Shufutinsky on it.

The quarrel with Legalize was a strong blow to Vlad Valov’s street reputation. The biting diss "Doctor Bluff" and the subsequent "Reaction", recorded by the League after the Prague period of life, did not find a convincing response from Master Sheff. There were, perhaps, no clear right and wrong in this conflict, but the majority of hip-hop fans sided with the League - its arguments sounded much more convincing. On the Russian stage, Bad B fades into the background, crowded out by new youth idols. If anything could bring Bad Balance back to its former glory, it would be the return of Micah. And it could happen - despite the fact that during the breakup a lot of offensive things were said to each other.

After recording the first album, Mikhei did almost no studio work. The exception was a few collaborations and covers. And in September 2002 he had a big problem - he was struck by a stroke. Recovery was slow. The experience made Valov and Mikhei forget their grievances. Forgive like a man. The idea arose to recreate Bad Balance with its own golden lineup. Perhaps, this would be a great chance for both to give a new impetus to their careers, but on October 27, the irreparable happens. Micaiah dies due to a heart attack.

In 2003, Bad B's last album, Little by Little, was released. By that time, LA had already left the team. The veterans were replaced by former member of the St. Petersburg DA-108 Cooper, and former member of the Cheboksary White Brothers Al Who, aka Al Solo. So far, this replacement does not look equivalent. In the last couple of years, Bad B leader Vlad Valov has faced a lot of attacks. Whether they were justified or not is not for me to judge, but the fact remains that today he is not number one. However, Vlad remains an ambitious person with a difficult character. He is a leader in spirit, which means he will not give up. Many people, by inertia, consider him the face of Russian rap, although this is hardly true. Today's hip-hop fans have new heroes. And perhaps it would be right for Valov today to take the position of a wise patriarch, standing a little away from the battle.

The year 2004 ends for him with the anniversary concert of Rap Music, which will be held in the capital on December 11. It is possible that this particular festival will be his chance to demonstrate that he is still in the game. Although this will be another page in the chronicle of domestic hip-hop, having only an indirect relation to the history of Bad Balance.

Discography:

Above the Law / 1991

Raiders Bad B. / Gala / 1994

Purely PRO... / Gala / 1996

Jungle City / Gala / 1998

Stone Forest / Mixmedia / 2001

Little by little / 100% / 2003

Gangster Legends / 100% / 2007

Seven Don't Wait for One / 100% / 2009

Micah solo

Bitch-Love / Real Records / 1999

Sheff solo