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 VovaZIL’Vova, MC N.E.D, 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 U.R.Asquad, Yuzhny Tsentral, Tuman, Schnell Sprechen and Don Drew. Some other Ukrainian rappers who rap in Russian are Lion, 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.
A rising new star of Ukrainian origin self proclaimed "Nazaren tha Prophet" has been rewriting Ukrainian rap history in the United States. Writing and rapping since 1997 the artist performs and records in four different languages mixing them together. With 4 albums do to be out in 2012, this artist is thought to make a real buzz the rap critics say "in the up coming years he will put Ukrainian hip-hop on the level of its predecessors and in the public view of the world".
Ukrainian Lyrics
MC N.E.D aka boomahma
DLF Squad a.k.a. Da Lutsk Flava а.б.о. Луцький Аромат (rap group):
Альф (mc, beatmaker, sound)
DJ Roma (scratch)
Ель а.б.о. Дельта (mc)
LEZO (rap group):
Рокстеді а.б.о. Рокс (mc, beatmaker)
ЛОМ а.б.о. Сторож (mc)
Тарік а.б.о. Гиря (mc)
Ель а.б.о. Дельта (mc)
МіСТо 44 (rap group):
Chipset
Птах
Nixon
El Paso
CAMO3AXUCT (rap group):
Malysh
Інженер
Театр-НО
Lemberg Family
Snake G
VovaZIL’Vova
Brooky
DaHok (S.I.R.K.)
Максі Кренк a.k.a Crank
Zахідна Коаліція (Zakhidna Koalitsija)
Happy Face
Enji
Flash
GGS D.Domani
Гаплик (Haplyk)
Kozaky Podilja
Нестандарт Систем (Nestandart System)
NTFreeze
RCLAN
DJ Shon
DUV@k!
Гаврик (Guff Rick)
Fozzey
Вхід у змінному взутті (В.У.З.В.)
Інквізиція
Ha Відміну Від (Na Vidminu Vid)
Хай Йому Грець - X.Y.G
СимВоліка
Хочу ЩЕ! (Hochu Shche!)
Russian Lyrics
U.R.Asquad
Yuzhny Tsentral
Tuman
Schnell Sprechen
Don Drew
Lion
SVO
Protest
Fame
N.P. Gerik Gorilla
K9 (Радіо Підземка)
TYHEB
Lyon
Drago
SVO
Sheksta
English Lyrics
Nazaren tha Prophet .
