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| Bulgarian hip hop | |
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| Stylistic origins | Hip hop |
| Cultural origins | Mid 1980s, Bulgaria |
Hip hop is one of the most popular music styles in Bulgaria , especially among young people.
The Bulgarian hip hop culture development and influence is divided into two main periods.
"The First Wave" ran from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. This period is known with its underground rap, breakdancing crews, graffiti artist and unknown DJs. At that time some of the active rappers like Ivo-Trombona, Vasko Teslata and Alexander recorded and created the first official Bulgarian rap band with the song "Problems" recorded in the studio of "New Generation" in Sofia. Ivo-Trombona (later on renamed as Mc Guinness) is considered the first Bulgarian Rapper and founder of the Bulgarian rap and hip hop culture. In 1991 an eclectic group of musicians, Dobo Rap Plamen Sound, recorded an experimental live rap album in the Black Sea city of Bourgas. Another follow ups at that time era were: Dynamic (DJ Stancho and Peter), Gumeni Glavi, Amnistea (some members participate in Dope Reach Squad), Teslata and Bulldogz.
"The Second Wave" from 1999 to nowadays was a big time success in comparison to the first one, mainly due to the arrival of R'n'B and hip hop sensation, Henry Orhan Sami Beggin, otherwise known as Big Talk to his fans. Other prominent artists from this time are Misho Shamara (renamed as Big Sha) with his Frontline Hustle label, DJ Stancho, Spens and Slim and their label Sniper Records. Those two labels were quite controversial in terms of "real hip-hop", sampling and mostly which is "the better one". This east-west conflict was mimicking the US hip-hop scene only for commercial reasons and began with rap battles.
In 2020, Trap music , also known as "New wave" era, became the most listened music genre everywhere around the world. Bulgaria is known with its modern artists as V:RGO, MurdaBoyz, MBT and others.
There are two main trends in Bulgarian hip-hop: mainstream and underground. The first one set by Gumeni Glavi and their label R'n'b Records mirrored the American rap scene as depicted on MTV, complete with grillz, heavy jewelry, scantly clad women, Dirty South/East Coast/West Coast variations.
Notable acts of hip-hop positive development are the several clubs specialized in R'n'B and hip-hop music, established by Misho Shamara and his clothing line. On the other side - Sniper Records - the quite successful hip-hop magazine "Knockout", the "NGP" video shooting studio, and the several hip-hop events powered by Sniper Records such as the Cilvaringz and RZA concert in Bulgaria and the "No borders" Balkan festivals placed in Sofia. No doubt this was big progress for Bulgarian hip-hop.
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The most distinct commercial Bulgarian rappers to date are Misho Shamara, Consa, 100 Kila, and Upsurt.
In 2007, Misho Shamara changed his name to Big Sha, signed to Universal Records and created a new label - Frontline Hustle, which is also signed to Virginia Records/Universal Records.
In 2008, Big Sha released his fifth studio album - Hliab & Amfeti (Bread and Amphetamines), which has guest appearances from Drag-On and Crucial Conflict, Frontline Hustle labelmates. The album was a major success in Bulgaria.
Big Sha was featured on LiLana's song "Dime Piece" together with American rapper Snoop Dogg. The song and the video were released in Bulgaria on April 24, 2009. As announced, this collaboration was probably the most unexpected by the Bulgarian rap fans, but it was made possible by the producer of the song Ariel Rodriguez. Also, this is the first collaboration between a Bulgarian rapper and an American worldwide known rap star.
There are also some Bulgarian mainstream hip-hop artists who collaborate with folk-stars (e.g. Ustata).
The hip-hop scene in Bulgaria consists of numerous performers, including Spens, XA, Wosh & Yoko, X-Team, FARS (Funatic Adventures of Rhyme Sapiens), E.C.C.C - East Coast Cash Crew, Horata na Izgreva DRS+ (Dope Reach Squad working alongside Nokaut since 2002) and even have a representative of the crunk/dirty south movement, in the face of Jentaro and his group Nad Zakona (also known as Above Da Law Clique or just Above Da Law). He is notoriously known not only for his raw lyrics and gimmicks to turn a pending club crowd into a riot, but also for his rough flows and deliveries, often bordering with screaming. On March 31-st, 2010, he alongside other popular Bulgarian hip-hop artists was a supporting act for Lil Jon at his concert in Zala "Universiada" in Sofia, Bulgaria. He is the founder and developer of the crunk style in Bulgaria since 2005, being the first ever to bring it to Europe. Udarnata Grupa (The Striking Team) is the most prominent underground formation in Bulgaria, with no media appearance, a few events in Plovdiv, but with own distinctive style of rapping which is appreciated form those who are familiar with what is to be called "real hip-hop".
Upsurt is also a famous hip-hop group, which has gone from underground to mainstream. Their first album, Bozdugan, was released in 1999 and was based on rude and vulgar rhymes as well as original pop references. [1]
After 2010 the Bulgarian hip hop scene was flooded with new innovative artist including - F.O., Keranov, Qvkata DLG, Dim4ou, Jluch and many others, who became popular with uploading their songs online and later making videoclips for the songs. They became notorious mostly with their lyrics concerning the everyday lifestyle of the Bulgarian youth.
The Egasi Festa festival in Burgas in May 2023 bought together several hip hop artists. [2] [3]
8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee. They met at Ridgeway Middle School in 1984. In 1993, the duo released their debut album Comin' Out Hard. They went on to release On the Outside Looking In (1994), On Top of the World (1995), In Our Lifetime (1999), Space Age 4 Eva (2000), Living Legends (2004), Ridin High (2007) and Ten Toes Down (2010).
Azerbaijani hip hop is the musical genre which became popular in Azerbaijan in mid-1990s. It's a mix of native meykhana genre of Azerbaijani music with Western hip hop.
Indian hip hop is a genre of popular music developed in India. Desi hip hop is a term given by Bohemia for music and culture which combines the influences of hip hop and the Indian subcontinent; the term desi referring to the South Asian diaspora. The term has also come to be used as an alternative for rap music and even pop music which involves rappers of South Asian origins.
Spens, is a Bulgarian hip hop artist. He was born in Pleven on October 13, 1975.
Grand Hustle Records, also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an American hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. The label was distributed by Atlantic Records until December 2012, and has since operated as an independent record label. Its roster has included acts such as 8Ball & MJG, B.o.B, Killer Mike, Young Dro, DJ Drama, Meek Mill, Chip, Travis Scott, and Trae tha Truth, the latter of whom also served as the label's vice president. The label also houses a roster of record producers, which has included Lil' C, Mars and Nard & B.
Grand Hustle Presents: In da Streetz Volume 4 is a hip hop compilation album by recording artists of American record label Grand Hustle, founded by rapper T.I. The album was released on December 19, 2006, under Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records.
European hip hop is hip hop music created by European musicians. Hip hop is a Great style of music developed by African American and Caribbean communities in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. Due to this success, it has gained worldwide popularity, especially in Europe where many diverse and unique styles of hip hop have been created. This diversity is especially apparent in the forms of hip hop music and culture emanating from settler communities from Europe's former colonies and peripheries.
Jerome Foster, better known as Knobody, is an American music producer and A&R. Knobody has produced records across different genres including soul, R&B, hip hop and rock for several multi-platinum artists including Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Akon, The Game, Big Pun, Mýa and R.E.M. Knobody worked as an A&R at SRC Records/Universal. Due to the enormous success Akon experienced following the release of his debut album, Knobody was recognized as a World Top 10 A&R. He is not to be confused with Bay Area rapper/producer and Hieroglyphics crew affiliate who also goes by the name Knobody.
Mihail Stanislavov Mihaylov born on December 27, 1972, better known as Big Sha or by his previous name, Misho The Slap, is a Bulgarian rapper from Varna, Bulgaria. He is known for his socialist leanings and disapproval of Bulgaria's prime minister Boiko Borisov. One of the country's top rap artists in the 1990s and the early 2000s, his career has been waning ever since his partner, Ivan Glavchev, was sentenced in 2003 to 12 years in prison for running an organization that exported Bulgarian prostitutes, including minors, to France, Spain, Belgium and Italy. He openly supported Bulgaria's last socialist-led government, whose decision to appoint a media tycoon known for his links to organized crime as head of the national security agency sparked nationwide protests against the Oresharski cabinet. He also provoked indignation by calling Bulgaria's former Finance Minister, Simeon Dyankov, "Jewish scum" in 2013. The following day he published an apology to the Jewish community in Bulgaria, on his official Facebook page.
Spirit of Burgas was a summer music festival in the city of Burgas, on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. The first edition of the festival took place on 15–17 August 2008 and since then has significantly grown in popularity, becoming one of the most prominent summer festivals in Europe. Among its partners and sponsors are MTV Europe, who aired two specials about the festival in September 2008, as well as Tuborg, Mobiltel, Jack Daniel's, Jacobs, and DSK Bank.
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with producer Jim Jonsin through his Rebel Rock Entertainment label in 2006. Two years later, he and Jonsin signed a joint venture recording contract with fellow Georgia rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records. Following his major-label deal, Simmons quickly achieved commercial success when his 2009 debut single, "Nothin' on You", peaked the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and received Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
Justin Lewis Scott, better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T., is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he began his musical career in 2005. He was signed to Def Jam Recordings by Sha Money XL in 2010, and first gained recognition following the release of his single "Country Shit". The following year, he guest appeared on T.I.'s promotional single "I'm Flexin'", which became his sole entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Toni Petkovski, also known as Toni Zen, is a Macedonian rapper and producer. The former member of music band Urbana Dimenzija has been a pop artist for more than 8 years.
G.D.O.D. is a series of compilation mixtapes released by American hip hop and R&B record label Grand Hustle Records, under the namesake Hustle Gang. The first installment in the series was released on May 7, 2013.
VIP Brother 5, also referred to as VIP Brother 2013 was the fifth season of the reality show VIP Brother in Bulgaria and the eleventh season of the Big Brother format overall. It was confirmed by Nova Television on June 26, 2013 and commenced on September 15, 2013 and lasted for 63 Days, ended on November 16, 2013, holding the record for longest VIP season of the Big Brother format in Bulgaria together with the fourth season from 2012. Niki Kanchev and Aleksandra Sarchadjieva returned as main presenters. Stanka Zlateva won with Marian Kyurpanov as the runner-up.
Yavor Dimitrov Yanakiev, better known by his stage name 100 Kila, is a Bulgarian rapper, actor, songwriter and entrepreneur from Varna. His stage name is a short form of the phrase "100 kilograms" in Bulgarian.
Hustle Gang Presents We Want Smoke, commonly referred to as We Want Smoke, is a compilation album by recording artists of American record label Grand Hustle Records, released under the namesake Hustle Gang. The compilation was issued on October 13, 2017, by the label, under exclusive license to Roc Nation. American rapper T.I., head of the label, first revealed plans for a label collaborative album in 2013. The compilation produced three singles—"Game 7", "Do No Wrong" and "Friends".
DA-108 rap band from Saint Petersburg (Russia) was formed in 1994 by DJ-108 and Cooper. Distinctive feature of band is strong emphasis for flow with frivolous attitude to the content of lyrics.
"F.N.F. " is a song by American record producer Hitkidd and American rapper GloRilla. It was released on April 29, 2022 as the first single from her debut EP, Anyways, Life's Great (2022). The song went viral through the video-sharing app TikTok and is considered the breakout hit for both artists.
Maksim Evgenievich Gololobov, better known as Jeeep (Jeep), is a Russian rapper, a former member of the K.T.L. D.L.L., Slaves of the Lamp, D.O.B. Community, "Empire", "Fury Inc.". He is the founder and participant of the T.I.R. project.
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