Malchishnik


Malchishnik is a Russian hip hop group from who were the first Russian rap artists to gain mainstream popularity during earlier 1990s.

History

Formation

Initially producer and manager Alexey Adamov aimed to form a commercially successful boy band. The group was planned as a Soviet counterpart of then-popular New Kids on The Block. Adamov recruited five young guys for the band from Arbat breakdancers.
Adamov then asked Dolphin, a breakdancer, apprentice song-writer and a friend of Dan to write some lyrics for the group. Dolphin was satisfied with his fee, so when Mutabor couldn't practice in group's first tour because of his wedding ceremony, Dolphin agreed to substitute him. He effectively joined Malchishnik in the summer of 1991.

Reunion

In 2000 DJ Dan and Mutabor reunited to record new Malchishnik songs. They cite nostalgia and fun as motivational factors.
They have since recorded and released four studio albums and one live record. None gained any mainstream success or media coverage, as they appealed neither to newer generations of hip hop fans nor to pop audience.
Their current record company is Classic Company, a record label which specializes in publishing shanson music, with Malchishnik as their only rap artists.

Discography

Style

Malchishnik was one of the first artists to openly use explicit lyrics on Russian music scene. Frequent use of obscene language and explicit descriptions of sexual acts provided shock value and attracted listeners raised within conservative and asexual Soviet culture. The lack of modern music equipment in post-Soviet Russia was reflected in the quality of these records. Their post-hiatus albums showcased more professional production.

Reception

Most Russian hip hop fans have always viewed Malchishnik as a pop group. This caused some controversy as to whether Malchishnik should be considered the first Russian rappers or not. With techno and later, house music gaining mainstream popularity in mid-1990s, Russian youth lost interest to hip hop. While 2000s saw the rise of a vivid Russian rap fandom, reunited Malchishnik maintains very limited popularity.