TNMK

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TNMK or Tanok na Maydani Kongo (Ukrainian: Танок на майдані Конґо; literally Dance at The Congo Square) is the most successful Ukrainian hip-hop group [1]. They are notable for clever, yet often tongue-in-cheek lyrics; mixing hip-hop with rock, funk and jazz music and playing real instruments on their albums and live shows, rather than using mere samples and drum machines. The group was formed in Kharkiv, Ukraine in the early 1990s and released its debut album Zroby meni hip-hop in 1998. The title track became an underground hit in Ukraine, but it wasn't until the release of Neformat in 2001 that they rose to mainstream popularity. 2004's Pozhezhi mista Vavilon had a harder sound, while Jazzy, released in the same year, was a live album recorded with a Ukrainian jazz band Skhid-Side and featured TNMK songs re-arranged in a jazz and funk manner. In the same years the group toured France and recorded French versions of some of their songs. Their latest album Syla was released in 2005 and was voted the best album of 2005 by the most popular Ukrainian music portal music.com.ua.