Ukrainian hip hop

Ukrainian hip hop, also known as Ukra-hop or Ukr-hop is a major part of the Ukrainian music scene.

In Ukraine some bands, like Tartak, Tanok na Maydani Kongo ("Dance on the Congo Square"), or Grafit rap in Ukrainian language and mix hip hop with indigenous Ukrainian elements, while many others do not, preferring instead to rap in Russian. Some of the artists who rap in Ukrainian include DLF Squad, Вхід у змінному взутті (В.У.З.В.) [V.U.Z.V.], Na Vidminu Vid (На відміну від), МіСТо 44, Hochu Shche! (Хочу ЩЕ!), Highway, RCLAN & Fozzey. Much of Ukrainian hip hop (especially with Ukrainian lyrics) is still in its developing stage and is thus "underground." Popular Russian-language hip hop acts from Ukraine include Lion (Лион), U.R.Asquad, Yuzhny Tsentral, Tuman,Tipsi Tip. Some other Ukrainian rappers who rap in Russian are SVO, Protest, Fame, and N.P. Gerik Gorilla.

Musically, Ukrainian hip hop is heavily influenced by Jamaican reggae, French hip hop, German hip hop and Ukrainian folk music, resulting a very tuneful and mellow sound, which makes it quite different from both Russian and American counterparts.

In 2005, Ukraine's entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest, GreenJolly's "Together We Are Many", was also the unofficial anthem of the Orange Revolution. Eurovision demanded the lyrics to be changed for the contest (because it did not correspond to contests rules due to political content). Also this song was remade by Polish hip hop artists.

Newer Ukrainophone artists are emerging from Western and Central Ukraine such as VovaZIL’Vova (Volodymyr Parfeniuk, host of a hip hop show on the TV channel M1), МіСТо 44, El Paso and DLF Squad.

Rappers

External links