Vlad Valov biography. Valov Vlad: Master Sheff in the world of music
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: This is the “Bla-Blandinki” program, we are starting. Olga Danilevich...
O. DANILEVICH: Ekaterina Zvyagintseva. And our guest is rapper, producer, leader of the group “Bad Balance” Vladislav Valov, known as SHEFF. Hello, Vladislav.
V. VALOV: Hello, blondes!
E.ZVYAGINTSEVA: Hello, CHEF! Friends, we are live. +7-925-88-88-948 - number for your SMS messages. Telegram “govoritmskbot” - you can write there.. Twitter “govoritmoskva”, and we traditionally do not accept calls.
O. DANILEVICH: Let's start with the current ones. Yesterday, the so-called debattle previously promised by A Just Russia appeared literally on the Internet. An opponent of Sergei Mironov, the party leader, who took the pseudonym “OxiMironov,” became a politician similar to the Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov. He performed - Zyuganov, in the sense, allegedly - under the pseudonym “ZuGGano”. A good nickname, by the way, or what is it called in rap?
O. DANILEVICH: What do you think?
V. VALOV: This is not our way. By world standards, every rap artist has his own nickname. And as this nickname, it has its own history in rap music.
O. DANILEVICH: We’ll talk about names later. Have you watched the video itself?
V. VALOV: Yes, in fits and starts.
O. DANILEVICH: Let’s listen to it now for a moment, especially for those who haven’t seen it.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Well, how do you like it? With a professional look?
V. VALOV: First of all, rap music is information about how we live, and every person, every MC must tell, reveal some secrets that concern him and his environment. In such battles, it is very important to have a business card, that is, to explain who I am, to tell the whole truth or untruth, that is, to create a super image for myself. And the second is to “run into” your opponent.
O. DANILEVICH: That is, everything, in general, is according to plan?
V. VALOV: Naturally.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: In the Communist Party of the Russian Federation they called it “vomit.”
V. VALOV: This still goes back to 1994, when we first held a rap music festival. He goes every year, 22 years. This whole story goes on from year to year, and now independent stories have joined in, where poets are already arguing with each other without rhythm.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Are political battles even necessary? Elections are coming soon. It’s clear that they want to attract attention by any means. Is it really possible to attract the attention of young people to this type of view?..
V. VALOV: Definitely. Whoever conceived this wanted to attract young people to his person.
O. DANILEVICH: Do you think the people who wrote these texts are people related to rap or are they just speechwriters?
V. VALOV: These are managers who hired rap poets either for pennies or for free. They were bullshit, and the managers received money and dosvidos from the party. This is all clearly clear.
O. DANILEVICH: Since these are debates after all, it is assumed that soon the opponent “OxiMironova"There will be someone else. Most likely, it will be Zhirinovsky.
V. VALOV: Naturally. And then we will see that Mironov becomes the champion and winner of these battles. Everything is clear here from the beginning. Paid story and flirting with youth. I understand that politicians want to stand out in every possible way, but this is not really a political goal. This is just flirting with young people, nothing more. I believe that this can happen, but only in the Internet space.
O. DANILEVICH: Did they turn to you or your friends in the rap sphere, so to speak, for help?
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Well, similar things, not necessarily this one specifically...
V. VALOV: Naturally, of course, a million times! Here, either you stand your ground, or you sell out and fall under someone else’s cap.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: What did they offer?
V. VALOV: Everyone remembers very well the story with “Bad B. Alliance”, when we had the composition “Hope for Tomorrow”. Do you remember or not?
O. DANILEVICH: Honestly speaking, no.
V. VALOV: Are you from Moscow, girls?
O. DANILEVICH: We came in large numbers...
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: But we’ve been living here for a long time.
V. VALOV: Okay, I understand. It was a number one hit throughout Moscow for a long time before the elections. Chief, Dezzle, Legalize - this is all “Bad B. Alliance”, “Hope for Tomorrow”.
O. DANILEVICH: I remembered!
V. VALOV: And there was a beat battle, a big beat battle between rock musicians and rap musicians. Our composition was the last. And who do you think was sitting in the hall, as if by chance? Yavlinsky.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: I came in by accident.
V. VALOV: He simply greeted him with his entire retinue and said: “Here I am!” Hope for tomorrow is me!” Now we have Mironov in approximately the same role.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: We said that they offered you something. What else did they offer?
V. VALOV: A lot of things. Each party offers something, but we are ready to work with everyone on our own terms, that is, we have our own party. The street is our party, and we speak only the truth, only what is said on the streets. That's it, sorry!
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: You need to go into politics. We have had a lot of politicians here, and they all say: “Only we tell the truth, only we can be trusted!”
V. VALOV: They seem to be telling the truth, but on all sides they owe someone for something. And we - since we don’t take money from anyone, from party members - we are on our own. We really only say what they say on the streets.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Vlad, tell me... A rapper came to us, and we have some strange sound. Did you bring your beat?
V. VALOV: I don’t know, maybe it’s some kind of bomb?
O. DANILEVICH: I hope not. Let's have one last question about rap debates. As for the choice of Mironov's pseudonym. Oxxxymiron is a fairly popular rapper now. What is this phenomenon in Russian rap culture? There is Timati, there is the group “Center”... Where did Oxxxymiron come from, what is it? He now gathers 25 thousand people.
V. VALOV: I don’t know. You can gather 100 thousand people for an unknown rap artist if people want. Now these are not the same rap stars that were in the early 2000s. Nowadays the Internet and promotion rule everything. This is the same corruption as in other places, like in football. Do you think Timati can really gather people? No, 150 people are working on it, who will fill this “Olympic” with grandmothers if necessary. Do you think there are 60 thousand people in Moscow who listen to rap, especially Timati? No, there are no such people.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: And Oxxxymiron?
V. VALOV: Oxxxymiron is the champion of some battles, which also attract no more than 5 thousand people. Everything else is the Internet, it's cheating. There is a very small, limited amount of hip-hop in our country now. Compared to 2000, it decreased by about 15 times.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Why did it decrease, what is this connected with?
V. VALOV: I once said that hip-hop is spreading... It’s not rising, but spreading, like a lazy octopus. Everyone raps...
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Everyone thinks they rap...
V. VALOV: Yes. The whole country, any listener who used to go to concerts, now listens only to himself, and this is cool for him. The most important thing is that there is a lot of low-quality rap in the country now, and people who could listen have stopped.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Is Oxxxymiron low-quality or high-quality?
V. VALOV: Oxxxymiron is a man who lived in Germany, in London. For a long time he was cut off from Russian hip-hop; he didn’t know what it was all about. He came to St. Petersburg and started doing something there, and got into a party. Naturally, Peter is very advanced in hip-hop, and I want to say that the guy is erudite and has worked on his style. But I know his flaws, and I know what he needs to become a superstar.
O. DANILEVICH: Does he need to be a superstar?
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: He almost doesn’t go to interviews, he says that he doesn’t need it. Is this some kind of PR stunt?
V. VALOV: Yes, this is a PR move.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Are they working on him, like on Timati?
V. VALOV: No, with this guy everything is completely different.
O. DANILEVICH: But somehow he gathers a crowd of people who listen to him?
V. VALOV: Let's say this: there are folk artists, there are accomplished artists. Crowds can gather in open areas for free. With the right situation, you can also gather a crowd...
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Let's do it! Let's gather a crowd for us, blondes! You have a talent for producing right in you!
O. DANILEVICH: You said that Oxxxymiron became popular thanks to battles, the same Versus. Chin-Chop asks: “Vlad, how do you feel about “Versus” and similar battles in general?”
V. VALOV: There is Russian pop, which contains rap. And there is poetry that has rap in it. That's the difference. Hip-hop is a culture, a way of life, everything is here: in addition to the fact that you rap, you must demonstrate your style.
O. DANILEVICH: In clothes?
V. VALOV: No, reading has its own style. There are different styles in reading, there are a lot of them. In addition to the lyrics, you must also lay down your own style, so that from the first notes everyone says: “Damn, this is that guy!” This is hip-hop. And rap poetry is poetry. The simpler they are, the better and the more understandable. I am for rap to remain in hip-hop, as it always has been. My answer: “Versus” is just an option when rap comes from poetry.
O. DANILEVICH: They read poems.
V. VALOV: Yes. And I, of course, am for rap, which is in hip-hop.
O. DANILEVICH: What if you are called to a battle?
V. VALOV: Who?
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Who dares!
V. VALOV: This should be a person at least my age, at least a person who went through the same thing as me.
O. DANILEVICH: Who, for example?
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Can Seryoga call?
V. VALOV: Seryoga came to my festival in 1999, five years after...
E.ZVYAGINTSEVA: Too young!
V. VALOV: Unfortunately, he cannot.
O. DANILEVICH: Is there anyone with such a long professional career?
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Anyone from abroad?
V. VALOV: In order to understand this, you need to know the entire history of hip-hop. There are names, there are people who are untouchable in hip-hop culture, in rap music. There are those who created all this.
O. DANILEVICH: Are you inviolable, excuse me?
V. VALOV: That’s not even the point. Imagine: people create something... So you create a product, create a culture, and 15 years later some person writes a disc on you. And he is 20 years younger. Does he have the right or not?
O. DANILEVICH: Why not? Why not try to compete? I do not understand what the problem is.
V. VALOV: Exactly. You can't do that in hip-hop.
O. DANILEVICH: Why?
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: That is, there should be respect for elders?
V. VALOV: Yes, yes, this is hip-hop, knowledge of hip-hop. The whole world laughed when in America, a young performer who was old enough to be his son “attacked” Ciara Swan and challenged him to rap.
O. DANILEVICH: Vlad, nevertheless: who is this person who could call you, and would you at least consider this possibility?
V. VALOV: The answer is: blondes!
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Only we need to be in this culture!
O. DANILEVICH: A question about the news that we dug up when we were preparing for you. At the end of July in Altai, during the All-Russian hip-hop congress, it was planned to set two world records: for the duration of a rap composition and for the number of participants. You also took part. There was some kind of snag with the design...
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: What about the record?
V. VALOV: I didn’t believe in this story at first. This was invented by a producer who has been organizing such festivals in Altai for the fifth year in a row. Cool idea, I liked it. We just held a press conference in Barnaul a week ago, and he said that topics about politics are impossible for setting a Guinness record.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: But you sing about what hurts.
O. DANILEVICH: I read on the forums that the problem was specifically with the Russian Book of Records. The Guinness Book of Records supposedly accepted your application after this, but the Russian Book of Records refused you because of the subject matter. And the theme is a manifesto against corruption. Right?
V. VALOV: Yes. Well, this option didn’t work out, I think that next year we can double this.
E.ZVYAGINTSEVA: Will it be about love?
V. VALOV: I don’t know. Why did this guy decide to do something against corruption - the fact is that he is holding this congress in Altai, there is a stage, a river, and the guys live in tents. Great, this is very beautiful...
O. DANILEVICH: This is already some kind of Grushinsky festival...
V. VALOV: It’s similar to “Invasion”, something like that, only in Altai. And just imagine: people come there from ten or even more cities, thousands of kilometers away, by car. They all come and live in this town. This is really cool. I think this festival should live, it unites all of Siberia. And write this track there - for an hour, for two... I think that if you install microphones there and ask everyone to read 16 bars of their own, there will be a composition on any topic, and it will break any Guinness record.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: On September 16, the group “Bad Balance” will release an album called “Politics”. One question: why not on the 18th, on election day?
V. VALOV: The fact is that we decided to give it a listen in two days.
O. DANILEVICH: So that they have time to understand and penetrate everything?
V. VALOV: Well, yes...
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Are you a political person yourself, will you go to vote, will you go to the elections?
V. VALOV: I once graduated from the University of Humanities, I am a sociologist of international political creativity.
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Creativity?
V. VALOV: This is a university of culture, there is a faculty of political creativity, creation in politics, not destruction, but creation. In general, I have never separated hip-hop from politics; for me it is one big whole. And when I listened to the American group “Public Enemy” back in the mid-1980s - early 1990s, I understood perfectly well that this was rap about politics. They are revolutionaries, one might say, and they were able to achieve that now all artists through one, world stars are black, through one all athletes are black, and blacks were given the opportunity to take the helm. Look, even the president in America has become black. They completed their mission. In our country, nothing has ever been said except for one composition, “Hope for Tomorrow.”
O. DANILEVICH: Stop it, no...
V. VALOV: And when, and where, and what? I'm talking about loud things.
O. DANILEVICH: It’s true that this doesn’t always get broadcast. But there is a lot of writing on this topic...
V. VALOV: I'm talking about a full-fledged conceptual work, not about one song, but a complete album. No one has ever written an album about politics. An album about politics was created by the Bad Balance group for the first time. We once made a themed album called “Gangster Legends.”
E. ZVYAGINTSEVA: In general, what can I say, let’s better listen.
O. DANILEVICH: You brought us the very album that will be released only in September...
V. VALOV: Not an album - a song.
O. DANILEVICH: Will we have a debut now? Premiere?
V. VALOV: Yes, the premiere on the radio.
O. DANILEVICH: The original title is “Politics”, let’s try it! We listened to a composition from your new album, which will officially be released only on September 16th. We have questions. Taras writes: “Do you know what double rhymes are? Where do you have them?
V. VALOV: I just came up with this term, when in one line there are two, and sometimes three, rhymed words that follow each other, and you emphasize them.
O. DANILEVICH: Alexander writes: “Cool music. Not expected". Alexey: “Live, Bad B.”
V. VALOV: Yes, alive! We are here, we are alive. And the album “Politics” by Bad Balance is the 12th album in a row. Will be released on September 16th.
V. VALOV: Definitely.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Who will you vote for?
V. VALOV: I’m still deciding now.
O. DANILEVICH: And in November, who will you root for in the American presidential elections?
V. VALOV: I like this Trump. He's crazy, sure, but better than Hilary.
O. DANILEVICH: Why is that better? He is a racist they say.
V. VALOV: For God's sake. It will be good for us.
O. DANILEVICH: For us, for Russia, this is good, but for Hilary it is bad.
V. VALOV: Probably yes. I just don’t want to, we will talk about this for a very long time now.
O. DANILEVICH: You will probably travel around cities and villages with your album.
V. VALOV: In any case, we already have Moscow and St. Petersburg, there are several cities that also want to receive a presentation. And I do not exclude the possibility that we will be in the Far East, and in Siberia, and in the Urals, and in the Western part of Russia, Könisberg.
O. DANILEVICH: The attentive listener thought, “Where is the politics here?” Will you perform in Ukraine? Do you go there often?
V. VALOV: We have been supporting the DPR, Donetsk and Lugansk regions for the last two years, because it so happens that the leaders of the Bad Balance group, Mikhei and Chef, are from Donetsk. When this mess started, I and the new team supported Donbass. We have repeatedly traveled with Agatha Christie, Yulia Chicherina, Yutta, Masha and the Bears to Lugansk and Donetsk and performed, helped people who remained in these cities, living under the bombings, helped them feel that everything is in order, that we are coming We are not abandoned to you either. When we perform and leave the stage, these crowds of thousands that came to the squares for our concerts, this is from 50 to 100 thousand people, imagine, people walk and cry and thank you for coming and performing with these songs. Then you truly feel that someone really needs you.
O. DANILEVICH: In 2014, you said that Ukraine needs a president who will reconcile the West and East of the country. Is Poroshenko the right president?
V. VALOV: Of course not. We need a president who would be more flexible and could negotiate with America, with Europe and would maintain a good relationship with Russia, and at the same time connect East and West.
O. DANILEVICH: Where can you find one like that?
V. VALOV: Yes, such a person should, in general, appear. I am sure that Ukraine has only temporarily moved away from Russia and wants to join the European Union, and for them we are no longer brothers.
O. DANILEVICH: Here is the latest news on the topic of bilateral relations. Mikhail Zurabov lost his post as ambassador to Ukraine. Vladimir Putin deprived him of this position by decree. Kyiv has not approved a new ambassador. The Kremlin assumes that Ukraine is trying in this way to lower the overall level of bilateral relations. If we are all going down this road, do you still believe that everything will be fine?
V. VALOV: People come to my office from different cities just to buy some baseball caps and T-shirts. From 5 to 20 people from different cities of the world per day. For example, last week there were people from Kiev, Kharkov, a guy from Odessa and a guy from Lugansk. They come and tell the real situation about what is happening there. Yes, they are under pressure from the media, but I would not say that they are very susceptible to this. They are all waiting for our relations to stabilize. I see that as soon as everything is in order between Russia and Ukraine, these people, like 10 years ago, will stand up and say “oh, everything is finally fine.”
O. DANILEVICH: Aren’t you afraid of troubles after the album’s release?
V. VALOV: Are you trying to say that we have found ourselves in a totalitarian system? No, I want to say more - as long as there is democracy in our country.
O. DANILEVICH: Do we have democracy?
V. VALOV: We have our own democracy, we have the voice of the people, and if they try to extinguish this voice, everyone will see it. If we have problems with bribes and corruption in the country, with deputies, we must speak loudly about it. Otherwise, rap turns into self-indulgence, into the fact that now Mironov is trying to do some kind of clownery. Tell us better about the problems that we have in our country and then follow your words.
O. DANILEVICH: If the text shows dislike and hatred towards the State Duma, tell us about your attitude. A petition for the removal of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev recently appeared on the website. There are more than 200 thousand signatures. Would you sign?
V. VALOV: I did my survey among people. Every single one of them says that they like foreign policy and everyone doesn’t like domestic policy.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: I started talking a little about doping, and today all of Russia did not sleep, watching the opening of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Will you be following the competition?
V. VALOV: Definitely! In general, I believe that sports and music do not need to be pinned to politics, as they tried to do. After all, they really wanted to remove us not because of doping, but they were under political pressure. I completely disagree here - ours must perform, otherwise the meaning of the Olympic Games is completely lost.
O. DANILEVICH: Isn’t the meaning lost when an athlete is caught doping?
V. VALOV: Yes, but those who were once under this doping suffered. Or someone wasn't there at all.
O. DANILEVICH: If you believe these investigations, the German television channel RT, then we supposedly have an established system, in which the special services also participate, that it is not only athletes. That is why the entire track and field team was suspended, and not just individual athletes.
V. VALOV: I don’t want to mess around with this. I want to say only one thing - I believe in our athletes. If doping control exists, then make sure that nothing is found on you, and win.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: In your biography there is the project “Word Play” and a super hit about Alina Kabaeva. Isn't it time for a new super hit? To dedicate to Isinbayeva, for example.
V. VALOV: Isinbayeva was my neighbor in Donetsk. She once trained there with a famous athlete whose last name was Bubka. And he was a neighbor. There is a whole courtyard of famous athletes, world champions. And we lived there.
O. DANILEVICH: Is this your childhood?
V. VALOV: This is not childhood. I lived there from 5th to 10th grade. From OSP studio Kabanov.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Did you bring salt and pies as a neighbor?
V. VALOV: Of course.
O. DANILEVICH: Since you say that the album “Politics” has not been completed and will be ready by September 16, there is just room to write a track about Isinbayeva.
V. VALOV: Maybe I’ll write a composition about her in my solo album. You know, when I release this album in September, I’ll immediately sit down and make my solo album “Chef”. I want to make a good mainstream that could be played on radio stations and make video clips.
O. DANILEVICH: You told me over the air that you would write this album for girls.
V. VALOV: I wouldn’t say... for those who have nothing to do with hip-hop.
O. DANILEVICH: For blondes.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: In general, what is the happiest moment of childhood? Remember?
V. VALOV: All childhood is happiness.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Surely there is a bright event that you remember with special warmth.
V. VALOV: I remember the 80 Olympics in Moscow with particular warmth.
O. DANILEVICH: Have you been here yet?
V. VALOV: Yes. Here I was and contemplated everything.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: How old were you?
V. VALOV: In my opinion, 8 or 9 years. And one day I go out in the courtyard, walk along Bolshaya Pirogovskaya and notice that there are no people. All the people were taken 100 km away: homeless people, prostitutes, non-party members. There is food in food and grocery stores. There are no queues. It was communism.
O. DANILEVICH: Since you were already interested in music then, in addition to the Olympics, a tragic event occurred - Vladimir Semenovich Vysotsky died. Do you remember this?
V. VALOV: I know that there is such a great poet and musician, and I have a good attitude towards him, but I have never been a fan. I remember that a year before the Olympics, troops were sent into Afghanistan. I remember it. And they started blocking us. The same thing is happening now with the Olympics. There is some kind of blockade going on.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: But we went anyway.
V. VALOV: So everything will be fine.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Why did you move to Donetsk in the first place?
V. VALOV: It happened.
O. DANILEVICH: Good answer.
V. VALOV: I was little, my parents went and my father was given a good position. I remember a great story when I was in a blue suit - in Moscow they were blue, and in Donetsk they were brown.
O. DANILEVICH: And you were like a black sheep.
V. VALOV: Yes. It was difficult for me at first. And then I got it, as befits me in Donetsk schools. Then I truly fell in love with this region and dedicated many songs after that.
O. DANILEVICH: Do you have children?
V. VALOV: Yes.
O. DANILEVICH: What class are they in?
V. VALOV: In different ones. Junior schoolchildren.
O. DANILEVICH: Are there any school problems that they share with you?
V. VALOV: Now in general the school system needs to be changed as quickly as possible. I know how to do it.
O. DANILEVICH: You are already the 10th person who comes and says “I know what needs to be done with Russian education.”
V. VALOV: Everyone knows, but does nothing. When teachers receive pennies, what can you ask of them?
O. DANILEVICH: Let's return to the petition.
V. VALOV: What can you demand from teachers who don’t want to answer for anything?
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: What advice do you give to your children? They probably don’t come with these problems.
V. VALOV: Now you need to choose in the 4th grade in which mode you will continue to work - either you are a linguist, or mathematics, or biology. You must choose which area you want to go into next. How is it possible in 4th grade? Naturally, his parents must decide for him. And here there is already the first conflict.
O. DANILEVICH: Who is yours - a boy, a girl?
V. VALOV: I have three children. Oldest boy, middle girl. Senior in fourth grade. He loves football. Do you know how much football costs in Luzhniki for the kids to play? Imagine 600-800 euros per month. We want to win championships! Why doesn’t our system come up with a system from the elementary grades so that these grounds... I trained in the same Luzhniki, but for free. Then our team won, there were good results. Now we have a complete ass, excuse the expression.
O. DANILEVICH: After the current euro, it’s understandable.
V. VALOV: Only those who have money go. These are not always the most competent football players.
O. DANILEVICH: Do rappers make good money?
V. VALOV: What does it mean “rappers earn money”? A rap artist lives for 1-3 years, after which he no longer earns money, but is forced to look for any other specialty and job. In order to make money, I have a whole label with a lot of rap artists. I am both a producer and a rap artist, and this allows me to live. And a rap artist lives 1, 3, maybe 4 years.
O. DANILEVICH: Just like Beigbeder’s “Love lives for 3 years.”
V. VALOV: That’s right. You can’t think that “I’ll be rappers for 20 years.” This is wrong.
O. DANILEVICH: How long have you been a rapper?
V. VALOV: Yes, a rap artist can’t always make money. Not every month. That's the whole story.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: How long do you think Oxxxymiron will last? What's your forecast?
V. VALOV: The guy is competent, he has his own style in reading, and I want him to succeed. I know what he's missing. Maybe someday I’ll tell him when we meet.
O. DANILEVICH: Tell us?
V. VALOV: You are not rap artists, you are blonde radio hosts.
O. DANILEVICH: How important is education for a rap artist?
V. VALOV: Very important, because it teaches you to read books, develop your vocabulary, and understand something. The fewer opportunities you have, the poorer your rap. The smaller your audience. There are people who can speak street language. On the streets, the way he talks to his peers is the way he raps. Who is it aimed at, of course, its audience. The most important thing is for everyone to find their own rap. I don’t think it’s important to be interested in any performer who won’t talk about your problems, but will talk about something that doesn’t interest you. Maybe once you listen to it, but don’t put it on your playlist. It's important to find your rap artist.
O. DANILEVICH: Section 5 questions and 5, if possible, quick answers. What did you once hide from your mother?
V. VALOV: How I stole the coins - it was just the 1980 Olympics, about a year later. We bought tickets on buses for coins and handed over 5 kopecks. I put them in my pocket. True, then we put them back on the first bus.
O. DANILEVICH: That’s why Valov is not allowed on minibuses.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: With which blonde could you cheat on your wife?
V. VALOV: This is a stupid question. With the one who personified the sun.
O. DANILEVICH: What is the biggest mistake in life?
V. VALOV: Any mistake is experience. The biggest mistake is the biggest experience. This is philosophy. Probably the fact that I broke my leg and did not become a football player. Otherwise, our team would not have made it through.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: Who would you ask for forgiveness from?
V. VALOV: From those whom he offended. Years pass, and I begin to understand my most hated enemies; I am ready to ask them for forgiveness and find peace.
O. DANILEVICH: Who is your best friend?
V. VALOV: My best friend is my rap, with whom I have been on first terms for more than 25 years.
K. ZVYAGINTSEVA: We went to look for our rap. We'll hear from you in a week.
The name of musician Vlad Valov is known to many rap fans. He was born on July 8, 1971. The guy has been studying music relatively recently, but has already achieved significant success and public recognition in this direction. He began his career around the end of the eighties, but the boy was interested in dancing and music from early childhood. Vlad Valov’s wife, by his own admission, must accept him as he is in life.
Vlad has already proven himself in a variety of musical fields. He is not only a performer, but also a producer, songwriter, artist and businessman. His career began with performing the well-known street dance breakdancing. At the age of fifteen, he became a member of the White Gloves musical group. It was with him that the talented young man took part in many competitions, won prizes, and received awards.
The idea of creating his own group came to Vlad in 1989. This team still exists today. The guys delight their fans with new tracks, the authorship of which belongs to Valov. His business talent and musical skills helped him achieve enormous success in the field of show business. The group became famous not only in their home country, but also abroad: they took part in competitions, gave concerts, and held performances.
In addition to how much effort Valov put into the group, he managed to pay attention to other areas of activity, such as production work, the development of hip-hop culture, and so on. It should be noted that Vlad tried to provide new musical talents who had not had time to prove themselves with the best conditions so that the latter could open up and show what they are capable of. Vlad Valov was the initiator of the creation of the International Rap Music Festival, which, in his opinion, should be held annually.
It is worth noting that the artist is doing very well as a producer. He helped many performers create amazing compositions, was the teacher of the well-known rapper Timati, produced Decl and won the MTV Russian Viewers Choice award with him. In addition, Valov collaborated with Elka and promises to present several new projects in the future.
The personal life of Vlad Valov is kept in the strictest confidence. The musician least likes to discuss this issue in interviews and does not answer personal questions. It is not even known for certain whether he has a soulmate or whether he is in an official relationship. This person devotes quite a lot of time to charity, and he himself holds concerts that raise funds. He actually changed the world of hip-hop, he became recognizable, people try to imitate him, he is set as an example. However, Vlad leads a rather secretive lifestyle.
The singer admitted that, in his opinion, a loving wife in any life situation should accept him as he is and not try to change his nature. While he does not admit whether he has met such a woman on his life’s path, this is his right. Fans can only guess what secrets lie in the personal life of Vlad Valov, whose work already has millions of fans.
Vlad Valov, CHEF, Master CHEF, Chill-Will (2012)
Biographical Data
Name: Vlad Valov
1971 birth
Stage name: CHEF, Master CHEF, Chill-Will
Master CHEF founder of the Russian hip-hop movement. He started his career in the late 80s, as a street dancer, he later became a successful performer, producer, and businessman.
Master CHEF worked with famous foreign rap artists and opened the way to Russia for many rap artists.
Music
Early years ('86-89)
Like the vast majority of the world's hip-hop artists, Master CHEF started his career with breakdancing.
Performance of the group White Gloves (Donetsk) in pop style at the Vitebsk Break Festival in 1988.
Master CHEF was part of the group "White gloves"(electric boogie style). From 1986 to 1989, the team won almost all the awards in the territory of the former THE USSR.
Bad Balance: A Legend Is Born (1989 to present)
In 1989, Master CHEF founded Bad Balance V St. Petersburg and is the constant leader of the group to this day. The team has released 9 studio albums and participated in many tours. Bad Balance are unique in that they were not only one of the first underground rap groups, but also the first to achieve real commercial success.
Bad Balance - Urban Longing (1996, director Vlad Razgulin, cameraman Sergei Blednov)
Bad Balance gave concerts in more than 120 cities in Europe, within “Stop the Violence” tour in 93-95. The tour took place with the participation of French, Dutch and German hip-hop teams. Bad Balance also performed on the same stages in Europe with legendary groups: Poor Righteous Teachers, MC Solar, Run DMC, Urban Species, London Posse, pop group 2 Unlimited and many others.
Ice-T and Ultramagnetic MC`s helped in recording the album "Stone Forest" in New York in 2000. Also featured on the album Barron Ricks of Cypress Hill and other rap artists New York.
Bad Balance popular among the Russian-speaking population around the world to this day. The group performed in more than 200 cities of Russia and neighboring countries. In 2005 Bad Balance went to tour with DJ Charm from Brooklyn, and Yolka (100PRO label artist) by city Ukraine. Performers' shows took place in all central squares of cities Ukraine. Concert in Kyiv gathered more people than were present during the so-called "Orange Revolution".
Bad Balance - Rules of the Game (2011, director Vlad Valov)
Over the history of the group, more than 30 videos were shot for various compositions.
Discography:
1990 - “Above the Law”
1993 - “Bad B Raiders.”
1996 - “Purely ABM...”
1998 - “Jungle City”
2000 - “Stone Forest”
2003 - “Little by Little”
2007 - “Legends of Gangsters”
2009 - “Seven do not wait for one” (1989) *
2012 - "WorldWide"
__________________________________________
* This album has a very interesting story. After recording the album in 1989 at home studio, Master CHEF buried it, and publicly promised to dig it up through 20 years. The band's fans knew this fact, and they eagerly awaited the album's release. In 2009 the album was dug up and re-recorded with all the aesthetics 80s.
Master CHEF – Solo career (’01-today)
Master CHEF successfully combined his work in Bad Balance with a solo career, periodically releasing albums. About 10 videos were also shot for various compositions from these albums.
Discography:
2001 - Name SHEFF
2003 - Master of the broken syllable
2005 - Grace
2011 - Premium
SheFF - Name sheFF (2000, director Vlad Valov)
Producer work Vlada Valova: Platinum success
In 1999, Vlad Valov helped the participant Bad Balance — Micah in the creation of his first solo album "Bitch-Love."
Micah and Jumanji - Bitch Love (1999)
In 2000 burst onto the hip-hop scene DeCl. Under production Vlada Valova he won the international MTV Russian Viewers Choice award in 2000 in New York. Both of his first albums went platinum.
Decl - Party (1999, director Vlad Valov)
Now famous rap artist Timati also started his career as an apprentice Vlad Valova. He studied breakdancing and worked as a backing MC for DeZla, and later became a promoter and singer. Timati known for recording collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and P. Diddy.
In 2001 Master CHEF produced the group Legal Business$$- it was the first international popular group in Russia, in which a black and white MC performed rap together. In those years in Russia racism flourished, and the idea Legal Business$$a was directed against this. His other project, a female trio White chocolate become the first R`N`B group in Russia.
Legal Business$$ - Pack of Cigarettes (1999, director Vlad Valov)
In 2004, Vlad Valov began production work with the singer Christmas tree. Her albums have received platinum certification, in 2008 Christmas tree opened the concert Rihanna at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex. The project is now officially sold.
Yolka - City of Deception (2004, director Vlad Valov)
Vlad Valov since 2005 produces rap artist Kapu, who has the lowest voice timbre among rap artists.
In 2006, Vlad Valov produced a pop rap project Game of Words and received numerous awards as a producer for the group's three albums. Hit "Alina Kabaeva" broke all radio records.
Game of Words - Alina Kabaeva (2006, director Vlad Valov)
Given the huge volumes of music piracy in the territory Russia and neighboring republics, platinum achievements Vlada Valova look even more impressive**
Other projects
Vlad Valov made a great contribution to the development of hip-hop culture not only through his music. He created excellent conditions for the promotion of young talents, acting as the creator and main ideologist Annual International Rap Music Festival. Almost all famous rap artists Russia started their careers from this festival.
Bad Balance - Call 02 (DJ LA, Master SheFF, Cooper, Legalize) - LIVE / Moscow, International Festival “Rap Music 2000” / December 12, 2000
Rap Music ('94-present)
Significant festival events:
1994: The first Festival was held at the Moscow Youth Palace.
2000: The festival took place at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex and brought together more than 10,000 people.
2003: Master CHEF brought the legendary rap artist Guru from the group GangStarr to Moscow.
2004: Was invited to the tenth anniversary of the festival Raekwon from Wu Tang Clan.
Business ('94-'97)
Vlad Valov was the official distributor British Knights (BK), Kappa, Gemini, and B-52, selling their products to St. Petersburg and northwestern region.
Products BK and Kappa sold in 20 specialized stores in St. Petersburg, and also had numerous dealers in the northwestern region. A year after things started, Vlad Valov became the official distributor of audio equipment Gemini, and later the B-52.
MASTER CHEF - Pretty Cars (2005, director Vlad Valov)
Vlad Valov opened the country's first vinyl DJ schools(Moscow, St. Petersburg) and thematic radio programs about hip-hop(“M-Radio”, “Record”, “Echo of Moscow”, “On Seven Hills”, “Energy”, etc.).
Vlad Valov actively fought against piracy, selling licensed discs in the northwestern region. He was the official representative Soyuz company (Russian music major). The performers received their share of the sales, a rarity in a country where counterfeit products are sold on every corner. Vlad Valov achieved significant success, and soon rap artists began to earn their first money.
After few years Vlad Valov I came to the point that business had become a boring routine, which at the same time absorbed a lot of time and energy. In this regard, he sold his business and moved to Moscow for permanent residence.
Hip-Hop Info Magazine / 100% (’98-04)
Vlad Valov created the first in Russia hip hop magazine. Hip-Hop Info Magazine covered events on the Russian and foreign hip-hop scene. For fans of hip-hop culture, he was the only source of information about the genre at that time. In 2002, Hip-Hop Info magazine changed its name to 100PRO.
Adidas Streetball ('98-'99)
Vlad Valov began working with the Dutch management of the company Adidas, who wanted to develop in accordance with world politics Adidas. Thus, the company decided to sponsor Russian hip-hop. The senior manager of the company suggested Vlad Valov become producer of Adidas Streetball on Red Square, which included a basketball tournament and a two-day hip-hop concert program.
Run DMC and Coolio were invited to Red Square in 1998 within first Adidas Streetball festival, and next year, Vlad Valov brought Ice-T.
Ice-T - Live / Moscow, Adidas Streetball Challenge / 09/03/1999
After the crisis at the end of 99 and changes in leadership, Adidas Streetball changed the music format.
Hip-Hop Boutique (’02-’05)
Vlad Valov signed a contract with by Roca Wear and sold their products through his three-story store, located one hundred meters from Red Square. Other hip-hop brands were also sold there. In 2005, three years later, Vlad Valov successfully sold his store and concentrated on running a music label.
Label 100PRO (’02-today)
In 2002 Master CHEF opened his own label. To date, the label's catalog includes more than one hundred releases.
Studio 100PRO in Beijing! (2012)
Bad B. Wear ('02-present day)
Shedding clothes Vlada Valova, is popular among fans of the group's creativity Bad Balance.
Film business in Moscow (1996-1999)
American businessmen were exploring the new Russian market. Among them were friends Vlada Valova, who created the first cinemas in Moscow. Through time Vlad Valov became a cinema manager "Radisson-Slavyanskaya" where he assembled excellent staff who later worked with American businessmen on other projects. He also actively helped with the opening of cinemas Penta Olympic and Kodak Kinomir.
KinoStar Multiplex (2005)
By joining forces with Sherry Redstone of Viacom to open the first multiplex in Russia, Vlad Valov created an anthem KinoStar, which she performed singer Yolka. Vlad Valov directed the video, which was actively rotated on European and Asian music channels.
Yolka feat. SIMON - “Movie Star” (2005, director Yuri Guselshchikov, Vlad Valov)
Football (2007-present)
Vlad Valov plays in a team of artists and politicians "Starko." The team travels to different cities for games with the local administration. After football, the artists of the Starko team perform at concert venues, part of the money is transferred to help children.
Charity
Master CHEF at first 2000s held charity concerts (more than 15 concerts) in Volga region to raise funds for those in need of heart surgery. Currently Master CHEF participates in charity games and concerts "Starko."
Sponsors
At different times creativity CHEF Masters sponsored by:
Adidas, Puma, Roca Wear, Anglege Jewelers, McDonalds, Jim Beam, Absolut, Coca Cola, Pepsi Co., Snickers, QuickSilver, Gemini, Sarmat, British Knights, Stanton, Cangol, Converse, Klinskoe, Technics and others.
MASTER CHEF feat. AL SOLO - Masters (2011, director Yuri Guselshchikov)
Vlad Valov
Biographical Data
Name: Vlad Valov
Born 1971
Stage name: SHEFF, Master SHEFF, Chill-Will
Master CHEF is the founder of the Russian hip-hop movement. He began his career in the late 80s as a street dancer and later became a successful performer, producer, and businessman.
Master CHEF worked with famous foreign rap artists and opened the way in Russia for many rap artists.
Music
early years("86-89)
Like the vast majority of world hip-hop artists, Master CHEF began his career with breakdancing.
Master CHEF was part of the group "White Gloves" (electric boogie style). From 1986 to 1989, the team won almost all awards in the territory of the former USSR.
Bad Balance: A Legend Is Born(From 1989 topresent day)
In 1989, Master SHEF founded Bad Balance in St. Petersburg and is the constant leader of the group to this day. The team has released 8 studio albums and participated in many tours. Bad Balance are unique in that they were not only one of the first underground rap groups, but also the first to achieve true commercial success.
Bad Balance played concerts in more than 120 cities in Europe as part of the "Stop the Violence" tour in 93-95. The tour took place with the participation of French, Dutch and German hip-hop teams. Bad Balance also performed on the same stages in Europe with legendary groups: Poor Righteous Teachers, MC Solar, Run DMC, Urban Species, London Posse, pop group 2 Unlimited and many others.
Ice-T and Ultramagnetic MC's helped record the Stone Forest album in New York in 2000. The album also features Cypress Hill's Barron Ricks and other New York rap artists.
Bad Balance is popular among the Russian-speaking population around the world to this day. The group performed in more than 200 cities in Russia and neighboring countries. In 2005, Bad Balance went on tour with DJ Charm from Brooklyn, and Yolka (an artist on the 100PRO label) around the cities of Ukraine. The performers' shows took place in all central squares of Ukrainian cities. The concert in Kyiv brought together more people than were present during the so-called “Orange Revolution”.
Over the history of the group, more than 30 videos were shot for various compositions.
Bad Balance's new album, "WorldWide", is currently in development. The first video for the song “Rules of the Game” was shot (www.badb.ru).
Discography :
1990 — “Above the Law”
1993 - “Bad B Raiders.”
1996 - “Purely ABM...”
1998 — “Jungle City”
2000 — “Stone Forest”
2003 — “Little by Little”
2007 — “Legends of Gangsters”
2009 - “Seven do not wait for one” (1989) *
2011 — “WorldWide”
__________________________________________
* This album has a very interesting story. After recording the album in 1989 at his home studio, Master CHEF buried it and publicly promised to unearth it in 20 years. The band's fans knew this fact, and they eagerly awaited the album's release. In 2009, the album was dug up and re-recorded with a full '80s aesthetic.
Master SHEFF - Solo career ("01- present day)
Master CHEF successfully combined his work in Bad Balance with a solo career, periodically releasing albums. About 10 videos were also shot for various compositions from these albums.
A new solo project called "Premium" is already ready. The album explores the obstacles and difficulties that a real man overcomes while remaining true to his principles and ideals.
Discography :
2001 - Name SHEFF
2003 - Master of the broken syllable
2005 - Grace
2011 - Premium
Producer work of Vlad Valov: Platinum success
In 1999, Vlad Valov helped Bad Balance member Mikhei create his first solo album, “Bitch-Love”.
In 2000, DeCl burst onto the hip-hop scene. Produced by Vlad Valov, it won the international MTV Russian Viewers Choice award in 2000 in New York. Both of his first albums went platinum.
The now famous rap artist Timati also began his career as a student of Vlad Valov. He studied breakdancing, worked as a backing MC for DeCl, and later became a promoter and singer. Timati is known for recording collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and P. Diddy.
In 2001, Master SHEF produced the group Legal Business$$ - this was the first international popular group in Russia in which a black and white MC performed rap together. In those years, racism flourished in Russia, and the idea of Legal Business was directed against this. His other project, the female trio White Chocolate, became the first R`N`B group in Russia.
In 2004, Vlad Valov began producing work with singer Elka. Her albums received platinum certification; in 2008, Elka opened Rihanna’s concert at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex. The singer is currently touring and preparing for the release of her next album.
Since 2005, Vlad Valov has been producing rap artist Kapu, who has the lowest voice timbre among rap artists. He's gearing up to take over the streets with his new third album, Asian.
In 2006, Vlad Valov produced the pop rap project Game of Words and received many awards as a producer for the group's three albums. The hit “Alina Kabaeva” broke all radio records.
Nowadays. Vlad Valov plans to present several new projects.
Considering the huge volumes of music piracy in Russia and neighboring republics, Vlad Valov’s platinum achievements look even more impressive**
Other projects
Vlad Valov made a great contribution to the development of hip-hop culture not only through his music. He created excellent conditions for the promotion of young talents, serving as the creator and main ideologist of the Annual International Rap Music Festival. Almost all famous rap artists in Russia began their careers from this festival.
Rap Music ("94- present day)
Significant festival events:
1994: The first Festival was held at the Moscow Youth Palace.
2000: The festival was held at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex and attracted more than 10,000 people.
2003: Master CHEF brought the legendary rap artist Guru from the group GangStarr to Moscow.
2004: Wu Tang Clan's Raekwon was invited to the tenth anniversary of the festival.
Vlad Valov was the official distributor of British Knights (BK), Kappa, Gemini, and B-52, selling their products in St. Petersburg and the northwestern region.
BK and Kappa products were sold in 20 specialized stores in St. Petersburg, and also had numerous dealers in the northwestern region. A year after business began, Vlad Valov became the official distributor of Gemini audio equipment, and later B-52.
Vlad Valov opened the country’s first vinyl DJ schools (Moscow, St. Petersburg) and thematic radio programs about hip-hop (“M-Radio”, “Record”, “Echo of Moscow”, “On Seven Hills”, “Energy” and etc.).
Vlad Valov actively fought against piracy, selling licensed discs in the northwestern region. He was the official representative of the Soyuz company (Russian music major). The performers received their share of the sales, a rarity in a country where counterfeit products are sold on every corner. Vlad Valov achieved significant success, and soon rap artists began to earn their first money.
After a few years, Vlad Valov came to the conclusion that business had become a boring routine, which at the same time absorbed a lot of time and energy. In this regard, he sold his business and moved to Moscow for permanent residence.
Magazine Hip-Hop Info / 100% ("98-04)
Vlad Valov created the first hip-hop magazine in Russia . Hip-Hop Info magazine covered events on the Russian and foreign hip-hop scene. For fans of hip-hop culture, he was the only source of information about the genre at that time. In 2002, Hip-Hop Info magazine changed its name to 100PRO.
Adidas Streetball ("98-"99)
Vlad Valov began working with the Dutch management of Adidas, who wanted to develop in accordance with the global policy of Adidas. Thus, the company decided to sponsor Russian hip-hop. A senior manager of the company invited Vlad Valov to become the producer of Adidas Streetball on Red Square, which included a basketball tournament and a two-day hip-hop concert program.
Run DMC and Coolio were invited to Red Square in 1998 as part of the first Adidas Streetball festival, and the following year, Vlad Valov brought Ice-T.
After the crisis at the end of 99 and a change in management, Adidas Streetball changed its music format.
Hip-HopBoutique ("02-"05)
Vlad Valov signed a contract with the Roca Wear company and sold their products through his three-story store, located one hundred meters from Red Square. Other hip-hop brands were also sold there. In 2005, three years later, Vlad Valov successfully sold his store and concentrated on operating a music label.
Label100 PRO ("02- present day)
In 2002, Master CHEF opened his own label. To date, the label's catalog includes more than one hundred releases.
Bad B. Wear ("02- today)
Vlad Valov's line of clothes is popular among fans of the Bad Balance group.
Film business in Moscow (1996-1999)
American businessmen were exploring the new Russian market. Among them were friends of Vlad Valov, who created the first cinemas in Moscow. After a while, Vlad Valov became the manager of the Radisson-Slavyanskaya cinema, where he assembled an excellent staff who later worked with American businessmen in other projects. He also actively helped with the opening of the Penta Olympic and Kodak Kinomir cinemas.
KinoStar Multiplex (2005)
Joining forces with Sherry Redstone of Viacom to open the first multiplex in Russia, Vlad Valov created the KinoStar anthem, which was performed by singer Yolka. Vlad Valov directed the video, which was actively rotated on European and Asian music channels.
Football (2007-present)
Vlad Valov plays in the team of artists and politicians “Starko”. The team travels to different cities for games with the local administration. After football, the artists of the Starko team perform at concert venues, part of the money is transferred to help children.
Charity
In the early 2000s, Master CHEF held charity concerts (more than 15 concerts) in the Volga region to raise funds for those in need of heart surgery. Currently, Master CHEF participates in Starko charity games and concerts.
Sponsors
At different times, the work of Master CHEF was sponsored by:
Adidas, Puma, Roca Wear, Anglege Jewelers, McDonalds, Jim Beam, Absolut, Coca Cola, Pepsi Co., Snickers, QuickSilver, Gemini,Sarmat, British Knights, Stanton, Cangol, Converse,Klinskoe, TechnicsAnd other.
There is more and more Internet in the life of a modern city dweller, but there is less and less hip-hop on television screens. Is it any wonder that the domestic hip-hop community “lives” online?
I'm not just talking about fans who receive the lion's share of information about their idols from the Internet and discuss it on forums. The artists themselves are more than active online and communicate and interact with fans.
This is not just about “spontaneous” communication on forums – they won’t surprise us anymore. Let us dwell on more systemic phenomena. For example, Dime, a member of Nonamerz and head of Rap Recordz, started an interesting blog http://pravdorap.livejournal.com/ where it pleases “readers of letters” with interesting analytics and interesting thoughts about domestic rap.
There is another feedback option: answers to fan questions. Less creative, but still very, very interesting. On the site www.ligalize.ru there is a FAQ section with answers to your questions - however, activity is not high yet. On the site www.badb.ru Elka communicates with fans. However, the main heavyweight of this industry and, with your permission, a trendsetter, is Vlad Valov, on the same forum www.badb.ru very regularly answering questions from readers. This section is the highlight of the site, has its own charisma and attracts a wide variety of readers – including us. We present to you a selection of the most interesting answers - for the second time.
Andrey Nikitin
THE MASTER'S CASE IS AFRAID: VLAD VALOV IN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS-2
BAD B, 100PRO AND OTHERS
Vlad, club dance (sometimes pseudo-glamorous) rap is in demand now. Will 100pro have such projects? And what do you think of Seryoga’s PR move when his album was released in limited edition on vinyl and distributed to DJs? Would you like to do the same with some collections and albums?
This is a tribute to fashion... We will show something and close this topic...
Vlad! What releases from Sotka can we expect in the fall? Will there be bombs?
I’m not telling you yet, but something will really surprise everyone...
Who will produce the new Bad Balance album? I can suggest some good candidates: 1) Dj Premier 2) Pete Rock 3) Eric Sermon
There are other names and no weaker...
Will the Al Solo album be released this year?
He writes slowly and at night. You won't hear his album this year.
What is Cooper's relationship with 108 now? And do they communicate at all?
108 makes money from R&B. Cooper never cared about that kind of money. They are different in this.
Vlad, if you are a master, then you are also a teacher. Who is your best student?
Since I am the first and only one who has not given up what I am doing, I am confident in my followers. This phrase has it all. One day I will announce the winner and hand over the crown of domestic hip-hop to him...
I recently noticed this topic on TV, Yolka and the Game of Words against the DJs of Next radio on MTV in Mobile Robots. Your people won with a crushing score. This apparently indicates not only that you chose the right people, but apparently also some kind of duel between you and Tolmatsky, as the two “main” ones... A rough comparison with chess: the one who has more pawns wins. Yours remained, his was blown away...
Congratulations to them and you...
I don't know any of their DJs. Only Infinity knows their names. And the whole country knows the Christmas tree and the Game of Words. Here's the real answer.
Vlad! Is it possible to register for free on Sotka???
OTHER ARTISTS
Could you single out anyone from Russian female rap?
Tommy is the first. Sexy Liya developed a good style at one time. Miss T is fast and hot. Lady DiO is the most technical. Elka is brilliant.
SheFF, Legalize at the Factory, Legalize reads under plus and releases a very mediocre album. Not to mention some of his rash words and setups. Question: do you think he understands that he is in shit, but cannot/doesn’t want to leave Tolmatsky, or does he really think that THIS is right?
League has always been a fashionista. Today the club movement is fashionable, he is there. It's a pity. He's killing his talent as a rhyme maker.
If you were an ordinary listener and you heard the League dissing you and their response, who would you believe?
There is truth and confirmation in life in CHEF's answer. The League has phrases. The League would have been lost in my rap dictionary.
In one of his interviews, Gosha Kutsenko said that he likes your music. Do you know him personally?
Yes, he wanted to try rapping. But it never made it to our studio.
Are Sheff, Bachinsky and Stilavin the same “scumbags” in real life as they are on the screen?
No. They are completely normal people...
Why wasn’t Vladi from Casta on the jury of the 2000 Rap Music, although he was originally announced there?
I called him on the phone, but a conversation took place, at the end of which I decided to remove him from the jury. The guy at that moment, in my opinion, was not yet ready to judge others.
Vlad, have you heard about the opening of the Opera club? Will any of you go there?
I haven't heard and don't know anything about it. Usually the owners of respectable clubs invite us personally.
RUSSIA AND AMERICA
You have no competitors in Russia. And America?
We don't understand their lyrics, they don't understand ours. There can be no competition...
Will you go to the concert at the Expocentre?
With great pleasure, but we have an emergency. Submission of music for a feature film. I really want to, but my creativity comes first. I hope that Basta will not ask you, “Where is this Russia?” I disliked him for this in 1995...
SheFF, do you know Snoop Dogg? Have you ever talked to him?
I talked to its director, but they couldn’t agree on a price, so he wasn’t in Russia. Snoop, Too Pac and CHEF were born the same year.
In hip-hop music, the sampled segments of some music are often the same among different artists. Vlad, tell me, how do you feel about this and how do you think repetitions should be avoided?
I'm a pioneer. My initial samples (which I creatively stole myself) ranged from Jay Z to Snoop Dogg. But this is hip-hop. I'm okay with this...
In the West, there is a trend for pop artists to record together with rappers (pop-hoppers). Why is this rarely practiced in Russia?
The time will come for us too. Hip-hop will become completely commercial...
What is respect worth in Russian show business?
Money decides everything there...
Vlad, why don’t you drive a Rolls-Royce or Bentley? You're a cool rapper. For a cool rapper - a cool car, a cool gun and a cool joint...
Are you talking about Russian rappers? Do you know the difference between our fees and American ones, for example? Do you know how much the average salary is here and in European hip-hop countries? If necessary, I can take all this from my friends who have not reached my level in hip-hop, but have become professional raiders...
I am a creative person and do not seek to show off. That's funny! Everything I have was earned by myself and by doing what I love...
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF
Vlad, what brand of slippers do you wear and how much did you buy them for?
I buy about 20 pairs a year. I bought the last Nikes for 5,850 rubles...
Vlad! What sneakers do you like?
Converse and Puma. I love Nike and New Balance. Adidas and all the companies that sponsored my work.
Vlad, how tall are you?
1 meter 75 cm...
Chief, have you always earned money honestly in your life?
From my point of view, always...
Childhood, summer holidays - how did you spend them? Where?
In the pioneer camp "Volna", on the Sea of Azov.
Sheff, have you ever stood on a skateboard at least once in your life, if so, how many seconds?
In 1988 I rode a crocodile down a hill. Monya and I had identical crocodiles, sat opposite each other, clasped our hands and rolled down without brakes. It was called good luck. Crocodile is the most dangerous skate of Italian origin...
You were clearly a tough guy when you were a kid. Tell me honestly, did you make fun of your classmates?
I was still joking. I played football well, was the best break dancer, traded with the company (I was cool) and did not like crams, suckers and roosters.
How about buying some land in Melekino and making a real resort?
Why should I buy land there if it’s all mine anyway...
Vlad, do you sometimes play basketball?
This is not my game...
What about "Moscow old-school"? “there’s a street court two minutes walk from McDonald’s/ we still play three on three for money.”
Once I hurt my back. I haven't played since 2000. But I play football. Micah loved basketball more.
Vlad, when you play football, in what position? Right half? Or left forward?
I move on offense. I like to play accurate passes...
Vlad, is there that one, beloved and priceless one in your life?
I have everything in my life. But this is personal life...
Vlad, happy 35th birthday to you! Don't you think about Valov Jr.? After all, there must be a successor. And who else but a son, huh?
I don't like to cover my personal life. Believe me, I'm doing very well.
Can you give a formula for happiness in family life?
My dear friend... This is faith, hope, love.
LITTLE NOTHINGS OF LIFE
Vlad, have you ever had such a thing: you just went on stage to read, and you were attacked by hiccups?
When you read the hiccups disappear...
Hello, Vlad... I found it by chance on the Internet:
And there from heaven look at us
Lead with an invisible hand
Let the earth be your atlas
Shine on us as a bright star!
You are in our hearts forever
Forever in our sinful souls
Years later, centuries later
At the core of an unthinkable universe.
Forgive us everything, sleep well
Your words are dear to us
They are diamonds in the palms
We have lost something dear...
Vlad Valov
was it written by you? and to whom is it dedicated, if by you?
Once I lost a thick folder with dozens of poems... It’s impossible to remember them, especially since there were a lot of works there... These could be my poems... I won’t be able to remember...
This cannot be learned immediately. People spend years on this. Also, I don’t want my enemies to use my advice. And they read all my answers...
Vlad, do you have so many of them (enemies)?
They exist and are often hidden under friendly people from the forum...
What is your attitude towards the hip-hop.ru forum and the people inhabiting it? After all, most of the regulars there openly show hostility towards you and the BB forum. What caused this and what is it connected with?
I don’t know this forum, but according to your words... I would like to see people from there and have a heart-to-heart talk somewhere on the street.
SheFF, rap.ru always treats you and your words with respect, they are called nothing less than a cult figure in Rusrap... Why is there such a negative attitude towards them?
Because I am not a cult figure, but the creator of domestic rap music. Different levels...
Hello Chief, please tell me how to rap with pleasure, write everywhere and always? I have all sorts of ideas and all that, but if I write anything, it’s through force. I just can’t do this with desire. Maybe you can advise something? Thank you very much in advance!
Stop doing this...
