a (Matvey Melnikov). And this summer (August 5), the lovers finally got married. About how Masha and Mot met, how the fans of the popular rapper treat her, and what she does, read in our interview!
I was born in Ukraine, in Lvov. All my childhood passed there, and I moved to Kyiv to study. In general, initially my father had an idea to send me to Canada, but since my mother was afraid to let me go so far, Canada was replaced with Kyiv.
Dress, boots, Christian Dior; top, Alisa Kuzembaeva; ring, Roomchik
I moved to Moscow at the beginning of this summer, in June, and moved directly to Matvey, who, like a real man, simply abducted me from Kyiv. (Laughs.)
The first time in Moscow was difficult for me, most likely out of habit. It was difficult to get used to the climate, because in Ukraine there is much more sun than here. Moscow is cold, mostly gray, but there is a downside to everything. I like the scale of Moscow, it motivates, and I think it is a suitable city for young people. This is where I want to move forward.
I was a very calm child. From an early age she went to ballroom dancing and was always busy with something: school - dancing - ballet hall. On weekends I went to competitions or seminars. Since my mother is a philologist, special attention was paid to my studies, so I graduated from school with two fours.
My mother and I have a very close relationship. Even when I went to live in Kyiv, I tried to visit her as often as possible. Despite the fact that my parents are divorced, I have never felt deprived of love and care. I have always had the attention of my mother and father. Therefore, I can say with confidence that my childhood was bright and happy.
My mother is Ukrainian, and from my father's side, Jewish blood flows in me. By the way, we celebrated our first joint New Year with Matvey in Israel. It was a very unexpected trip for me. Matvey is an artist, and he has a very busy concert schedule, so I didn't make any plans. But at the end of November, he wrote to me: “Well, have you already figured out what dress you will wear to celebrate the New Year in Israel?” (Smiling.)
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Our history of acquaintance with Matvey is not what many want to see it. I wasn't one of those fans who wrote to their idol. (Laughs.) Matvey found me himself through photos on a social network, through our mutual friend. I remember that I received a notification that he added me to Instagram, but, to be honest, at that time I did not know anything about him. When I went to his page in response, I saw that the guy was handsome and, as it turned out, a member of the Black Star Inc. label. I added it to the answer, and commenting on the photos began. (Laughs.) Then we began to correspond, and after some time we met in Moscow. I went on a date with a friend. We were sitting with her, and suddenly Matvey flies in with the phrase: “I’m just on tour!” At first I didn't like it, but after 10 minutes everything changed. It's hard to convey those feelings. His insanely burning eyes and meter-long eyelashes conquered me instantly. I really love Matvey's eyes, they are kind, clean, and, probably, I immediately fell in love with them.
A spiritual relationship was immediately established between us, and there was a feeling that we had known each other for 100 years. After this meeting, he again invited me on a date, on which our first kiss took place. From that moment on, Matthew and I are always together. Everything spun, spun, and now I'm already with a ring on my finger. (Smiling.)
The proposal from Matthew was very unexpected for me. Although, I will not hide it, I was waiting for this, and it seems to me that he suspected this. We flew to Thailand, we wanted to take a break from the bustle of Moscow and just enjoy communicating with each other. We had such a wonderful hotel room that I did not want to leave it, but Matvey insisted that we go on an excursion. We went to the island, according to the locals, one of the most beautiful in Thailand. When there were 30 minutes left before the return trip, Matvey for some reason decided that he needed to dive into the water. At first I didn’t want to, but he insisted so much that I decided not to argue and dived, and when I surfaced, I saw Matvey in front of me with burning eyes, who began to confess his love and handed me a ring. It was the very moment when I, a person who can always give an answer to everything, could not find words. At first, I just looked at him, and then, of course, screams and squeals of happiness began. (Laughs) Of course, I said yes.
Now I can say that I am ready for a family. If earlier I found it difficult to answer this question, now I do not doubt for a second. It seems to me that a woman can give such a decisive answer when she is 100% sure of her man.
When you love a person, it is difficult to say for what, because even his shortcomings become loved. Probably, most of all I love Matvey for how I feel next to him. Every day my eyes glow, and I have found harmony, peace. Next to him, I become kinder, more patient. For me, these feelings are new, because before I considered myself a tough person. Next to him, I become better, I feel full, whole. I used to see my shortcomings, but I could not correct them, and then suddenly you meet a person who, with his love, simply changes you for the better.
Now my main work is Matthew. I want to give him my care, warmth, family comfort, so that he always returns home to a clean apartment, and delicious food is waiting for him in the kitchen. He is very tired and wastes a lot of energy, so he needs a woman next to him who will give strength and warmth. Therefore, the idea that I can work from morning to evening goes away by itself. But at the same time, I still find the opportunity to implement my ideas. Now I am organizing a charity ball to help two orphanages. In general, I have a lot of ideas and plans that I will definitely implement in the near future.
When communicating with a person, I always look into the eyes and I think that you can tell a lot from them. It is important for me to feel a person energetically and catch a spiritual connection. If this happens, then I will continue the communication. I also like people with a sense of humor, open and sincere.
I'm not one of those girls who devote all their time to appearance. I absolutely calmly go without makeup, do not do any cosmetic procedures, and my only beauty secret is ice cubes with chamomile, which I moisturize my face daily.
I don't see any point in paying attention to the opinions of people who barely know me. The words of the people I love are important to me.
Now happiness for me is when Matvey returns after the tour and is happy to meet me when I see how he smiles. Happiness is to see mom's eyes and understand that she is near and healthy. For me, happiness lies in the happiness of my loved ones.
The most important thing in my life is love. It is with her that I go through life.
In mid-March, Mota's new album "Inside Out" was released, which has not left the iTunes top 3 since then. Clip "Kapkan" is in a leading position on TV channels. Last year, he released only two videos, but each of them became a hit. The presentation of the album will take place in spacious clubs of the two capitals, and Mota's tour schedule is scheduled for a long time ahead. It is unlikely that anyone, including himself, thought about such a result at least three years ago. About this and more - in a new interview for The Flow.
I have not read it myself, but I heard that in one interview you claim that The Flow website cuts mentions of your name from news and materials. Where do you get these thoughts from?
I got the impression that there is a prejudiced opinion, and it has developed according to objective points. Let's say we interview Zloi Negr, which I'm on a mixtape. He lists all the participants there, I was not there. I asked him if he mentioned me, he said yes. Another example: recently there was a "GTO" tour, they took a video interview there. Timati says that albums by Nathan, Kristina Si, Mota are planned. The news contains a link to this interview, but it says "albums of Nathan, Kristina Si are being prepared". Mota is not. And the third fact: I wrote the song "Great", dedicated to the Russian language, my managers asked me to post the news on your website. Lyosha Gorbash ( editor of The Flow - approx. editions) replied that not in this case. Then we shot a video for this track, which was created on my initiative. I invested in it morally, emotionally, and financially - they bought out the large Sickle and Hammer plant. I set the release date for the day of the Russian language and contacted Lyosha on the same day. I say: “Well, the track was not shown, but now the video is here and today is the birthday of the Russian language, a song about the Russian language.” He told me that it was irrelevant. If it's not relevant, then what is? And an hour later, an article dedicated to this day appears on the site. Why did she enter, but the video did not enter? It was embarrassing and incomprehensible. I am not speaking from empty words, but based on real events. Or a clip with VIA Groy was published, but not with Bianca. Okay, this is R&B, not rap.
The clip "Great" was not posted on the day of release, we are posting it today.
Accepted. After all, you are an artist of the hip-hop pop direction, most likely, not the main readers of the site, not the Internet audience, are listening to you. Why is it so important to be on venues like The Flow when other people go to your concerts?
Definitely important to me. I even once wrote on Twitter that some clip was published there and there, but The Flow was not. To which Yanix answered me: "Dude, you are on the channels, what for you?" I answered him briefly there and here I can fully: it is not fundamental for me, but much of what I do, for example, the last album "Inside Out", is an absolutely non-commercial project. Even the guys from our office hesitated to show the clip "Kapkan" to the channels, because it is one hundred percent off-format. And they didn't want to send the song to the radio. But, in my opinion, "Kapkan" is the most formatted song from the album, because the rest is there: soul, rnb, chants. Non-commercial, off-format album. And I really wanted these things to be heard and accepted not on blue screens, but by the hip-hop community. Just yesterday I went to Ru-TV, I go downstairs, I see Bird with the boys. We have known him for a long time, it turned out that he respected my album on Instagram. He says he liked the album. Slim respected a week ago. I will live without attention and without respect, but if the product is worthwhile, why not express respect? When "Absolutely Everything" with Bianca came out, Guf wrote: "Cool track, I didn't know what you were singing." I want creativity to reach both the masses and the underground public.
I am very surprised by this opinion, and I was surprised by your lines on the album "I didn't care about formats, I didn't care about templates". I met the same with L’One - you, popular artists, really think that your songs do not fit the format? This is the most accessible and radio music.
So that you understand, when we came to the radio, we were directly told: "We don't like rap in verses. Try to make the tracks more melodic, then we'll see."
So in "Inside Out" it is.
It's different there. In general, I have a long history with rotations. Previously, for example, my clips and tracks were not taken in rotation, only “Oxygen” with VIA Gra. But then "Day and Night" came out, made literally "on the knee". I was surfing the Internet at four in the morning, unable to sleep, and a letter arrives from DJs from Las Vegas. I still haven't asked them where the mail came from. They wrote that they want to work with me, but not rap, but do something electronic. I never wrote about this, but for any experiment, so I agreed. When I brought this track to the office, no one liked it at all. It wasn't even about his release. Then I began to show them videos from concerts, where two thousand people as one jump under it. And it was my second track, which was taken into rotation. And now I came with another atypical work, "Trap", and it was taken on TV. Now I have all the cards in my hands - I can create any track: R&B, dance, rap, and it will most likely be taken on TV and radio. Only now I can say that the ice is flooded.
Everything was already good for you even before the rotations with concerts?
Well, yes. But I can’t say that I didn’t like going to the huge Astana Arena for a plate of MUZ-TV, that I wasn’t overwhelmed with emotions and pride. Especially considering how difficult the track “Oxygen” was given, how many pitfalls there were. I suffered through it, tortured him, and getting a plate for him was my pride.
I heard that you didn't want to write this song.
No, there was supposed to be another performer. But in the key in which she sang, I could not sing, and vice versa. And soon the shooting of the video was already planned. I didn’t touch the track for about a month and a half, I was looking for someone who could sing there. And Tim at that time was on the jury of the contest "I want to Meladze", and I got the idea to work with one of his artists. In VIA Gra, the composition was just updated, it was interesting to make a joint project: “young blood” Black Star inc. and "young blood" of the production center Meladze Velvet. Then, on the set, he came up to me and said: "Keep in mind that you are the only person to whom I gave my girls." Before that, they sang only tracks written by Konstantin Meladze himself.
I can understand Bianca, but the new VIA Gra - they cannot be identified either externally or by voices.
Everyone has their own opinion, but at that time I was counting on the “hype”. The “hype” around the new composition, around our union, because then I was not familiar to the general public. It was interesting to me, including from a commercial point of view, but I also like the way the girls sang. There are no complaints about them in this regard.
Is it impossible to reach the general public now without such a fit?
Disagree. Take my good friend, a man whose work I love and respect - Jah Khalib.
But he is not yet radio. I'm talking about the widest layer of listeners.
Well then, probably yes. It’s hard to shoot yourself now, at least I can’t remember such artists.
Well, with Olya and Dima ( Dmitry Tarasov, husband of Olga Buzova, Lokomotiv football player - approx. editions) I met while not at Black Star. I was invited to their corporate party to perform with Ilya Kireev, with whom I had the track "Cat and Mouse". They liked this song, but they liked the work of Ilya more. They were on Connect five years ago, when there was no smell of any label. Olya and Dima asked him and me to take. Recently, by the way, Dima showed me a video from that performance, I was young and green there, I didn’t know how to hold a microphone. Since then, we have been in a relationship, this is not a new acquaintance because of new connections and a new party.
But did these new connections take you to places you haven't been before?
Of course, when you speak at some corporate parties, you meet quite influential people. Perhaps from the government, perhaps from the elite of the musical environment. For example, when they performed at one of the major concerts, he met Iosif Kobzon. My grandmother was ill at that time, and I asked him to record on video: "Valentina Grigoryevna, get well soon!" He did it without any problems, I sent it to her, she immediately recovered. The incentive appeared to live long. And there are many such examples - such connections facilitate a lot. You can help your loved ones. But I never turned my back on my party. The roots that helped me get where I am are still with me. It was my birthday on March 2 - yes, there were Black Star artists there, but there were much more friends from the Soul Kitchen party. In general, I was lucky that I immediately met them when I moved to Moscow from Krasnodar. I recognized Nela, Kireev, Levan, Chek, Nanik, of course, MS Sounday, Gayana - those who walk with me through life even now. Here in "Day and Night" Gayana sings, and now I am preparing new tracks with her. This party just developed my qualities, which I most clearly showed in "Inside Out". Before that, I listened to Detroit underground dirt, Madlib, Gilty Simpson. But I got into such a party, where soul and R&B rule the ball, it influenced.
The album came out very lyrical, for girls.
As a musician and songwriter, I write about what I feel. I wrote it throughout 2015, which I passed under the “flag of love”, I moved the girl from Kyiv to Moscow, our relationship reached a new level. All the warm feelings that were inside me overwhelmed me - perhaps I would not have been able to write about something else during this period.
The girl Mota, Maria, starred in the clip "Kapkan".
Are you that impressionable?
No, but at that moment I wanted to write about it. Literally in a month I recorded about ten tracks. Something was eliminated, something remained, but I did not want to stop. These are living emotions. The album is based on real events. In the future, of course, other topics will appear, but love will not go anywhere. I will say more, this album is probably made for listening at home, alone. That's why I specifically planned it for the spring. But it would be difficult to perform at open-airs with such material in the summer. So just the other day I finished recording a seven-track summer EP. Some of the songs are aimed at large venues, electronic - as a reference, my song "Day and Night". The rest are also danceable, but more “deep”, not for large venues.
You have such a degree of creative freedom on the label that you can say: "Guys, I'm in love, I'm writing only such an album!" No one will try to convince you to record a second "Day and Night"?
I've been with the label for 3 years now, and all this time I feel a huge support from the team. They know that my taste can be trusted and give me creative freedom. And I know that I have a whole team work behind me and the absence of routine paper problems. For which we bow to them and many artistic thanks. Of course, when a hit appears, the artist will be offered to make another one. But it is impossible to repeat it. And there was no such thing that I was told to remove the lyrics. Thank God, there is a head on the shoulders, and I myself understand that it is not an option to dance to "Inside Out" in the summer. Therefore, such a dance EP will appear. It has already been completed, there are technical matters left. Already in May, the first swallows will fly, and the release itself will be in early June. For the fall, I am preparing another format track, like with VIA Groy, but, most likely, a solo one. Direct hit in rotation.
What are the main disadvantages of being an artist?
Jealousy of a beloved girl. Constant lack of sleep, and malnutrition - with preparation for the album, for the EP, for the concert, which will be on April 17, I sleep for three hours and eat twice a day. And more touring! This is not always the case, of course, but it happens.
How do you like the new Black Star artists?
I'm not at all into the material that girls do, Klava Koka and Dana Sokolova. But I know well what Scroogie does. It is not at all like those who are already on the label. Such a cocky guy, a little criminal. He comes from Lviv or from the region, then he moved, but the places where he lived are not sugar. Recently, we chatted with him, after filming the video for "Sliver", he said that he had changed four schools. I understand that not from a good character, he is rather quick-tempered, emotional. And on stage like this. But at the same time quite modest. I really hope that everything works out for him and he will go on tour soon. I think "Sliver" will give him a good start, he has a catchy verse there. At one time, the song "Tusa" gave me the same impetus, when literally a month later I already had 8 or 10 tours, only because of one verse. Recently I sent him some “evil” minuses, impudent, he has already sent demos. For him, I am sure, I know that soon he will have something to show the public.
Encouraging comments from other artists immediately appear under any video of your artists. Do you manage your own social media?
As for YouTube, I have never written anything to anyone myself, and on Instagram we all support each other ourselves. There is some corporate spirit. Let us not be super close friends who see each other every day, but we often cross paths at the office, on tour, sometimes we go to smoke a hookah or go to the movies together. Nobody cares to support each other once again.
Who is your closest friend from the label?
We communicate the longest with Kristina, with whom Soul Kitchen connects us, even before Black Star we recorded joint tracks. There is a guy who writes music for most of the Black Star artists, Yegor Gleb, he is from Kyiv. And we are very good friends with him. He did the mixing and mastering for "Inside Out", finished playing the instrumentals, and now we are finishing the dance EP with him. He also pulled Misha Marvin from Kyiv, who is now also an artist of the label. They have the most creative hut - we create there, hang out, generate ideas. Because of the work, we began to communicate with them most of all. And with Creed, too, because he was always there, Yegor also made all the music for the album for him.
The album "Inside Out" really sounds retro R&B and is quite suitable for the direction of Soul Kitchen. What do you think is missing from Ilya Kireev, Gayana, Ms Sounday and other soul, R&B artists to have the same tours and venues as you do?
The presentation of the album "Inside Out" will take place on April 16 in St. Petersburg ("A2") and on April 17 in Moscow (Ray Just Arena).
Daring on stage and cute in communication: what is he really like ?!
- Do you often get recognized on the streets and do you feel like a star?
- I feel like an ordinary Kuban lad ( laughs). Probably only six months since I moved to a taxi, before that I rode the subway all the time. He never got tired of signing autographs and taking selfies. It's certainly hard after university or a hard day, but at the same time you put yourself in the place of the guys who want to be photographed. And you understand that it would be unpleasant for yourself if the person whose songs I listen to would say with a sour face: “No, I don’t take pictures.”
Therefore, despite my condition, I try not to refuse. With the release of each release and album, there are more and more people who want to. Already a security guard in my house a week ago turned to me and asked: "Are you Mot?" I nodded and thought, why did he not notice me for six months, and then he suddenly noticed. He continues: "A friend from Bryansk asked me to take a picture with you, to take an autograph." I say: "Come on, you will not come from afar." He smiled and said: "Yes, you can take a picture for yourself."
What are the weirdest questions your fans ask you on Instagram?
- The strangest questions are asked personally by the organizers of concerts in various cities. They want to make a good impression and be remembered, but not knowing what to ask, they are bombarded with strange questions. For example, you are driving in a car, tired, yesterday there was a concert from which you rush to the plane without getting enough sleep, you go from the airport to the hotel and you are suddenly asked: “How is Timati? Is it true that his daughter always wears black? Why don't I get a tattoo? Is it true that I wear glasses because of poor eyesight or is it just an image? And this is the most decent, the rest does not pass through censorship. Recently, people often ask when the wedding is.
- In general, your Instagram is solid girls, chic hotels and beautiful countries. Is it really like that or is Instagram just pictures for you?
- Let's start with the fact that in my Instagram there is one beloved girl, many hotels, tours and countries. In real life, this is exactly how it is: a huge number of concerts take us to different cities and corners of the world, which I am extremely happy about. Before signing with the Black Star label, my passport was pristine, and by the age of 23 I was only in Turkey and Egypt. In the summer there were tours in Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain, now there are tours in Germany.
What is the most expensive item in your wardrobe?
The most expensive item in my wardrobe is a chain. Golden chain around the rapper's neck laughs) should be the most expensive. He can wear an H&M T-shirt and Zara pants, but he must be wearing real jewelry of the highest standard.
- What car do you drive? Do you like to drive alone or with a driver?
“By the age of 25, I don’t have a driver’s license because I never needed one. I didn't have the passion to drive. Probably, this is because at a turning point, at the age of 13-14, when the guys want to drive and buy their own car, I moved from Krasnodar to Moscow. I ended up in a huge metropolis with four-lane roads in one direction and six-lane roads in the other. I was shocked by such a busy traffic, I didn’t even know the city.
What car could it be? Now I have no time for a car, for a long time I was satisfied with the subway, but now I get by with taxi services. Feel free to fall into the back seat, check social media or write a song, instead of bothering yourself in the side mirrors.
- Tell me, what does it take to become a star?
- Probably, this is karma, who is destined to become, he will become. A lot of work and diligence is required from the person himself, because, no matter how talented you are, you will not achieve anything if you sit back. As my mother says, you need to make in your thoughts on the new moon an image of what you dream about. We all know that thoughts are material, the main thing is to believe and strive. In many ways, success comes to those who have a reliable rear in the face of parents, friends, soulmate. Career growth is never smooth, and in those moments when you want to give up, loved ones can help you with advice and support. You can leave on your own will and faith, but not far.
- And what stars, whose work do you watch? Besides Black Star, of course.
– I don’t watch Black Star at all.
- I don’t even know what Timati’s daughter wears, right?
– (Laughs.) Exactly! Over the past couple of years, television and the stage have significantly rejuvenated, music is becoming more stylish, progressive, sometimes even radical, conservative channel editors are retiring, who did not want to put anyone on the air except the artists of their youth. I am very impressed with the work of the IOWA group. Quest Pistols for me is a successful mixture of style and creativity with format and mass character. As a rule, a commercial product is too sugary, and these guys skillfully find a balance between the first and second. If we talk about those with whom I would record a song, Quest Pistols are on the first or second line.
Since childhood, when I was still dancing in "Todes" (and there was such a page in my life), I met Soso Pavliashvili. We went to Anapa and performed there with him. I was about 10 years old, and even then I copied it and sang in front of him "Georgian is waiting for you", falling to my knees. He appreciated it, took a joint photo. To this day, I remain a fan of the creativity and personality of Soso Pavliashvili, and the song "Please" for me is the most masculine song dedicated to the opposite sex.
From foreign countries (we all willy-nilly turn to the West), I love Jay Cole, Drake, Big Sean. Music does not stand still, young blood appears, and God forbid that this trend continues on our stage.
- Since we are talking about creativity, tell us about the track that you recently released.
- This week I released a joint track with Bianca, I have long wanted to do a joint track with her. She is an excellent vocalist. I like to post sketches on Instagram where I sing along to some instrumental a melody I just wrote. It so happened that when I once again made a similar post, Bianca saw it, wrote to me, asked what it was. I said that I just wrote it, offered to do a track together.
The next day we went to the studio and recorded a song that was released recently, the video will be released next week. The composition turned out to be very soulful and lyrical, I wanted to release it either in the fall, during a period of good sadness and melancholy, or in the spring, when the mood is right. On such cold days as now, one wants to listen to something warm and inspiring hope, a new song, like a battery, is designed to warm the hearts and souls of people.
- Do you think stars, as creative people, can afford to behave more than others?
- Well, yes, of course, they can, to be honest! For example, they do not stand with everyone at the check-in counter, but go through the VIP entrance, they do not spend hours in stores trying to buy new Kanye West sneakers, they are brought to their homes. There are many such aspects, but it is important not to go too far and remember that you are first of all a person, and not a star hovering in the clouds. After all, today you are at the top, and tomorrow you have already fallen.
- Are there any commandments, for example, "I will never..."?
- I will never support Barcelona football club, because since the age of 10 I have been an ardent fan of the Real Madrid club. I have a great relationship with the Barcelona players, but when I see the garnet blue colors, it suddenly becomes difficult for me.
- Is it to be different from other artists of the Black Star label?
– No, it’s just that for me a tattoo is something very personal and eternal. Now I can not name a single thing that is so significant for me to stuff on the body. Of course, I can get Spiderman on my right arm, because I love this hero, Real Madrid, the name of the mother or the photo of the son, when he is, I mean. But the last two things are not public, and stuffing a superhero is a little childish. Ideas what to fill, no, this is unlikely to change, so tattoos are not for me.
- We all know that Black Star artists promote a healthy lifestyle: no grass, cigarettes, alcohol. But nevertheless, have you ever performed at a concert in a state of intoxication?
- I don't drink alcohol at all. Purely symbolically I drink a glass of champagne for the New Year and for my birthday.
- In general, the Amy Winehouse-style line of conduct and examples of "Club 27" are not about you?
Yes, not my story.
- There is no negative information about you on the Internet ...
- Yes, considering that I was recently invited to an interview in a magazine, where there was a section with malicious comments and tweets. They collected everything they could from all sites, gave it to me and asked me to comment on each hate entry.
- You probably had an empty list?
– No, there were about 50 phrases. Therefore, if desired, apparently, you can find something negative ( laughs). But in principle, my biography is clean.
- Have you decided to create a new image for a fashionable rapper? Or is it just your human nature?
- If a person plays, sooner or later his deceit becomes obvious anyway. The roots of my behavior go back to childhood and adolescence, the upbringing that my parents gave me does not allow me to run around naked, swear, spend my free time in brothels and strip clubs. I am not an image, but a real person, for which I want to say thank you to mom and dad.
– Can you describe what your songs are about in one word?
The songs cannot be summed up in one word. If we talk about creativity, then it will be the word "potpourri". I have tracks for the body that you want to dance to, and tracks for the soul that evoke a romantic mood. It is impossible to fit under any one comb. The artist, like the listener, has a different mood, depending on which this or that composition is born.
– Tell me about a case in your life that you are very ashamed of? For example, I ran on a date through the balcony.
- Not bad, I have a lot of similar cases, but they, too, I'm afraid, will not pass the censorship. I don't want to hurt readers.
- How can you injure if we have already found out that you are an exemplary guy?
- Well, I grew up in Krasnodar, and my childhood and youth were very rich and active. Not without sin, so to speak. From childhood tricks, I remember how we collected scrap metal in Krasnodar during the day, handed it over in the evening and received money. They came at night, stole it, and brought it back during the day. Or another funny one. We watched the movie "Yamakashi" for the first time and decided to conquer the Olympus of one of the houses. However, it was very simple, and we decided to conquer the Olympus of one of the police stations. On the third floor, the window opened, we were received, and we spent the night at the police, explaining that this was not a terrorist attack, that we were simply impressed by the film and wanted to feel like teenage ninjas. And there were similar things with the construction site, and a lot with something else ...
- You often said that you like to relax in Greece and enjoy Greek cuisine. Nevertheless, you shoot videos in Dubai and even dedicate songs to him. How do you feel about this city?
– I have only one song about Dubai. I have been preparing for a trip to this city for a long time, looking at photographs of the Burj Khalifa, the island, skyscrapers. I understood that I would soon see it all live, so there was some excitement. Many people asked me what the first thing I would do in Dubai would be to rent a cool Lamborghini, pull some sheikh's gundora. I told everyone that I would just call my mother and say: "Mom, I'm in Dubai." It was in connection with these impressions that the famous line was born.
I write a lot on planes, because there is often not enough time for creativity, so on the way back from Dubai to Moscow, I wrote a song. I did not think that this track would blow up the clubs in due time. For me, it was like an Instagram photo that describes my experience and says: "Look, I was here!"
That year I visited Greece for the first time, unfortunately, not with a concert, but for now as a tourist. I was very inspired and impressed, because Greek blood boils and flows in me, my grandfather was from there.
I was wondering when I get to Greece, my genetic homeland, will I feel in my place. All this happened. At the hotel at breakfast and at the reception, they spoke to me exclusively in Greek until I explained in English that I was from Russia - they were madly surprised.
Are you familiar with the term "golddiggers"?
“Honestly, no, I don't know. There is a song by Kanye West, it's probably connected somehow, but I don't know how.
“A golddigger is a girl who goes after a guy with a fat wallet. Have you met such people in your life? Tried to divorce?
“Honestly, stories like this are all over the place. Stars and artists, including me, are constantly harassed by some maniacs who want to post a photo with you. There are those who want to get fame and promotion in social networks at the expense of you, or fly with you on vacation, receive every day new collections of "Agent Provocateur". In my opinion, these can be seen a mile away. The girls are ready to do anything to get a rich man hooked: operations, deceit, extortion.
- Do you subscribe to Instagram of your fans?
- After each concert, I go to the geolocation and look at the photos of the people who were there. I go to the pages of users, like, comment, expose myself. Thus, I salute the author of the picture for his work. I often answer substantive questions in my profile, recently I wrote, for example, that a new album will be released in the spring. Naturally, I ignore comments from the category "I was fired from BurgerKing" and "Mutual subscriptions and likes". - The best manicure, weight loss ... - Yes, this is also rarely of interest, like the proposed trauma ( laughs).
- How do you feel about silicone breasts? Indeed, in recent years there has been a trend towards naturalness.
For a long time, the standard of female beauty for me was Kim Kardashian. Then they opened my eyes to the cheekbones, nose, lips and ass ...
– Or did you see a video that was circulating on the Internet?
- Everyone saw this video, many thanks to it just became fans of Kim Kardashian. No, I just realized that everything in it is artificial, and was disappointed. Often my girlfriend breaks after some secular party to make herself plastic surgery. She sees the cheekbones made and says that she wants to too, asks why I don’t allow her. I am giving a lecture on the fact that the natural is much more beautiful. Fortunately, now there is a trend towards naturalness and many girls who have not yet spoiled themselves with plastic surgery have begun to think.
I can not say that I am an ardent opponent. Many Instagirls with millions of followers were once far from pretty. You go to the "Naked Truth on Instagram" group and look at what was "before", and you understand: in this case, plastic surgery has changed a person's life for the better. No one would ever know about her, would not look, and so she from the gray Cinderella became the queen desired by all.
If the girl is already so beautiful, sweet, charismatic, then, in my opinion, you should not engage in this nonsense.
Who is your dream woman?
- For a long time, I already said, it was Kim Kardashian, and now, probably, this is my girlfriend. First of all, it is not so much the aspect of appearance that is important here, but the soul. Artists are such complex, capricious, ungrateful people that next to them should be a caring, patient girl, ready, as they said in our military department, to endure all the hardships and hardships. There was a military service, here an artistic one. My significant other often has to turn a blind eye to tours, photos with fans, a video with Bianca and take it philosophically.
- Not jealous of you?
- Inside, I think, she is jealous, but she does not show it, for which I am very grateful to her.
- I saw photos of Maria, she looks a lot like Kim Kardashian, by the way.
- Still, this image did not let me go to the end and, apparently, it will never let me go.
– Two last questions from our Instagram subscribers. First: what event in your life do you consider significant?
- It is difficult to single out one thing, probably a gold medal at school. I went to her for a very long time and gladly brought this moment closer.
- And the second question: what subjects at school did you like, and which did not?
- I loved literature, my mother is a philologist, from childhood she instilled in me a love for the word. Loved physical education. I couldn’t bear the natural sciences, I was still a humanist, physics and chemistry were hard, I swam in these subjects. I really liked my teachers in physics and chemistry, but I couldn't stand the laboratory work they did. I always tried to sit down at such moments with some classmate. There was a joint work, she did everything, and I said: "Well, we worked great together! That's all it turned out!"
Moscow, weekday. Barbershop 13 by Black Star on Bolshaya Dmitrovka is in turmoil. Two black Gelendvagens and an outlandish blue Mega Track sports car are parked on the side of the road. People are bustling around with cameras, wires and microphones - two skaters doing tricks are maneuvering between them. Passing cars slow down, business lunches freeze on the verandas, a crowd of onlookers surrounds the barbershop. On Bolshaya Dmitrovka, they are shooting a video for the title track from Timati's new album Generation.
It is not immediately possible to find the artist himself in the midst of people: he, accompanied by bearded giant guards, is in constant motion. Timur Yunusov, who in 17 years has gone from a backup MC, insuring Decl, to a pop star, producer and co-owner of the Black Star group of companies with a revenue of a billion rubles, knows how to effectively organize his time. Right on the set, he managed to get a haircut, sign autographs for fans, take photos for social networks, meet with a chip manufacturer who posted product placement in the video, talk on the phone with his three-year-old daughter Alice and give an interview to GQ magazine.
Cotton shirt and trousers, all Louis Vuitton; socks, Nike; rubber sandals, Supreme; leather bag, Supreme × Louis Vuitton.
GQ: When did you start listening to hip-hop?
TIMATI: I have always been a music lover because I have a musical family. I graduated from high school with a degree in violin and piano. My father loved The Beatles, Deep Purple and AC / DC, my mother preferred jazz. The first time I went to a rap concert was by accident. I was 14. I was living in Los Angeles at the time and happened to be at a Snoop Dogg concert at the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard. I paid $15 for a ticket and was shocked: I saw something that I had never seen anywhere before, I felt the atmosphere of freedom. During the three years that I lived in America, I studied all the details of this culture. By the way, my first big featuring (involving an outside artist in my project. – Note. GQ) with the American rap star was with Snoop.
How much did you pay him for this?
Not so much. He was interested in entering the Russian corporate market, so the amount was symbolic in comparison with his usual fees. But as part of our deal, we organized five or six concerts for him in Moscow, so he got his benefits.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give to a rapper who is releasing a debut album?
It is very important to shoot with the first single. I managed. The first single from my debut album Black Star was the song "In the Club". Now we have a mega-professional team in our company, a lot of resources for promotion that were not there before, but it is still difficult to shoot the first time. And when I released "In the Club", there was really no Internet. Word of mouth, nightclubs and music channels played their role, which wiped the clip to holes.
Did you pay for the rotations of "In the Club"?
Never. If you pay once, they will constantly pull money from you. It is important to gain such a critical mass of reputation that channels and media are interested in putting you on.
Wool jacket, cotton shirt, silk tie, all Boss.
What will be your new album "Generation"?
This is all that I have accumulated over the years on stage. This is me at the age of 34 - an adult man with experience, status, business, a clearly defined social and civic position. Over the years, a whole generation has grown up with me. Almost all the guys my age now have families. On this album, I want to take my listener for a ride in an imaginary time machine - from the Star Factory to the present day. At the presentation of the "Generation" in the "Olympic" on November 4, we will show the maximum attraction - a world-class show.
What artists are you interested in as a producer?
My task is not to pounce on what is ready, but to find a person without a name, unravel his talent and make him a superstar from scratch. This is the most interesting. All the artists in Black Star were like that. With the possible exception of L'One, who had experience in the Marseille group and club promotion work.
Did the Black Star label have no failures?
Of course there were. Not everything shoots. We canceled several projects because they didn't work. I would not like to name names so as not to offend people. We have adjusted our work so that over the past two years we have not had a single such precedent. Today, all our projects are self-sustaining, and 70% of our assets are over-marginal, that is, they are at the peak of profitability. Top artists of Black Star: Mot, Yegor Creed, L'One, and Scrooge is very quickly pulling up to them.
Do you have veto power as a founder? For example, you can say to Mot: you will not release this song for anything?
Legally, I have the right to everything: I can remove the song or freeze all the activities of the musician. But if you talk to our artists, you will understand that we do not do stupid things. Everyone can prove their point of view and the right to exist of any idea. Each has its own independent team, which presents its development strategy and new material at general councils. We discuss them, correct them, and most often accept them. Sometimes we help improve.
How do you allocate time between your duties - artist, producer, head of Black Star and father of a little daughter?
I work seven days a week and sleep little. The distribution of duties depends on the week. Sometimes I don't go to the studio and don't give concerts, I'm only doing meetings, strategic planning and designing clothes. It happens the other way around. Of course, a large number of areas of the Black Star company interfere with real creative work. I would love to lock myself up in a country house for a couple of months with a company of good musicians and start writing a great album there, but I can’t afford it anymore. Nevertheless, every year I manage to release strong hits that the whole country listens to.
Do you consider yourself a good father?
Yes. I can give my daughter everything she needs. But he could not give half, but spend more time with her. I have another six or seven years to work hard and build the system so that it continues to work autonomously and I can devote more time to the family. The most precious resource we have is freedom. It costs a lot of money. You need to work now so that later you can do what you want: travel, ride a board, collect contemporary art, communicate with interesting people.
Denim jacket, Levi's; cotton T-shirt, Supreme; cotton trousers, Iceberg; textile sneakers, adidas Yeezy; leather gloves, Louis Vuitton; wool headband, Fendi.
What do you collect?
I have my own directions: vinyl toys, Japanese prints of certain brands, vintage chests and Hermès luggage bags.
What's the latest purchase?
There is such a New York artist Brian Donnelly, nicknamed KAWS. He made giant mice with crosses on their eyes - they are called Companion. I managed to find one such Companion, four feet tall. There are six of them in total - it remains to find the rest. In 2005, they cost $3,000, now the price reaches $100,000. Perhaps in ten years they will cost even more.
How much do you spend on clothes?
I'm not a dressmaker, as it may seem. I buy very little and very selectively. I have a very specific taste, so I ask you never to give me clothes or shoes. I'm looking for iconic things. For example, I wanted a long Vêtements parka made with Gray Goose - I found it, bought it and calmed down. I couldn’t miss the Louis Vuitton and Supreme collaboration: I knew that I wanted everything, and I collected everything. I have a lot of things from Kanye West.
Have you met him?
Yes, in Miami. Fast, even without photos. It was inconvenient - the guys told me that he really did not like to be photographed. I didn't ask.
Cotton T-shirt, H leather trousers, Balmain.
Wool jumper, Pal Zileri; cotton sweatpants, Nike.
Black Star label artist Matvey Melnikov, aka Mot, is rapidly gaining popularity, his songs top the charts of radio stations and music channels. However, he is not a typical representative of hip-hop culture.
Photo: Dmitry Zhuravlev
OK! talked to Matvey about his big solo concert, dreams, plans for the future and about the upcoming wedding.
M atvey, you recently had a solo concert at the Crocus City Hall. What does he mean to you?
If an artist can assemble the Crocus concert hall, then this already speaks of his certain status. A month before my concert, by "pigeon mail" from the main office, I received the good news that all tickets were sold out. I was very pleased and flattered to hear about it. Probably, people appreciate my work, so I dream next year to perform at this site for two days in a row. Now, as before, I do not want to linger in one particular segment and style. I want to experiment all the time. So I think this trend will continue. I will try myself in new genres, new roles. Let's see where it all leads.
It is noticeable that you like to experiment with musical styles and duets. Are you ever afraid to run out of creativity?
No! I feed and look for inspiration in literally everything. This includes traveling, touring, reading books and scientific articles, and communicating with people, and my personal relationships with my wife and family. Fortunately, I am surrounded by quite interesting and creative people who do not allow my brain and my feelings to cool down, constantly throwing firewood into the firebox. In addition, I continue my postgraduate studies at Moscow State University. For me, education is an integral part of creativity, allowing my fountain of ideas not to dry up and to beat in full swing. If there is no this food for thought, then with a high degree of probability we can say that I will probably stop writing. Constant nourishment of the brain allows me to move on.
Where does this passion for learning come from?
This craving since childhood. My mother is a philologist by education. I was never forced to sit down for textbooks and cram something. Nevertheless, I graduated from school with a gold medal and, having received a diploma from Moscow State University, I still did not stop pursuing my education. The craving for new knowledge does not leave me, so I went to graduate school at Moscow State University. My grandfather was an honored cultural worker, director of the House of Culture of Krymsk, my hometown. Most of his life was connected with the stage. But he did not want me to follow in his footsteps, telling me what a hard job it was, and tried his best to dissuade me. He dreamed of me becoming a minister... of something.
I graduated from the Faculty of Public Administration. But, as they say, you can't run away from fate. Just at the moment when I received my diploma, I got a call from the Black Star label. I already wrote songs, released releases, but it was all at an amateur level, just a hobby. When I received an offer from such a reputable label, I thought for a long time whether to agree or not. In the end, I decided to take a chance, agreed, and now I don’t regret at all that I made such a choice.
What do you think, thanks to which you managed to attract the attention of the Black Star label?
Many say that I have a certain accent, the Kuban dialect. And this dialect is manifested not only in conversation, but also in thoughts, in style and way of life. I do not hide this originality, I show it in songs. She must have bribed. And along with it, my openness and, as many people tell me, the image of such a guy who speaks about understandable things in an understandable language.
Besides studying, what else inspires you? What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
It's hard to get inspired in the morning. ( Laughs.) As a rule, I write all my songs either at night or on the road, on airplanes, when you can put your phone in airplane mode and be sure that no one will disturb you for several hours of the flight, and immerse yourself in work. If you open my notes on your phone, there will be a lot of pulled out words, quotes, or ready-made quatrains that I write down in the process of communicating with people when I hear something interesting or uncharacteristic, or some rarely used word. These words and phrases I then develop into full-fledged lyrics.
That is, song ideas are born in the process of communication. What qualities do you value in people?
It’s easier to name the qualities that I don’t appreciate. ( Laughs.) I am always bribed by open and disinterested people. My life has become public, and my activities are directly related to communication with a large number of people, so I'm already used to the fact that many people want to please me and somehow get into trust, find a common language. This is often done in an overly flattering manner. I never liked flattery and self-interest. I don’t like envy, which has recently become very much even from acquaintances and friends.
Do you also have flaws yourself?
If you could stick a card with a few terabytes of RAM in your head, that would be great. I can not boast of a good memory, often something flies out of my head. In addition, I am too soft and kind. As you know, many people mistake kindness for weakness. I often suffer from this too. So I try to be tougher, but it doesn't always work out.
You moved to Moscow from Krymsk. When it was?
First, from Krymsk, I moved with my family to Krasnodar. I was then five years old. The parents had a job there, so they decided to take such a serious step and changed the city. In Krasnodar, I went to kindergarten, and then to school, where I finished nine classes. Mom always dreamed that I graduated from Moscow State University. I also had such a dream, so at the family council a strong-willed decision was made to take a chance and move us all to Moscow. I am the only child in the family, and my parents never spared anything for me, often giving up their own desires. When we moved to Moscow, I had doubts whether I would be able to enter the most prestigious university in the country, or maybe I should try to apply somewhere else. And we lived in Kuzminki, the apartment was on a fairly high floor. I remember how my father led me to the window, from which I could see the main building of Moscow State University, and said: “Do you see this building? That's where you need to be." I had no choice, and then I firmly decided that I would study there. There were, of course, certain difficulties on the way to the goal. At school in Moscow, I felt that my classmates and teachers treated me with some contempt, because I was a newcomer.
I graduated from nine classes in Krasnodar with excellent marks, but here many teachers immediately told me that the level of education in Moscow is higher, so I can not even hope to get a gold medal. To be honest, I worked with tutors and teachers, spent a lot of evenings and nights with textbooks and notebooks in order to achieve my goals, namely a gold medal at school and independent admission to Moscow State University.
That is, you are a natural leader.
It seems to me that any creative person, and especially an artist, is a leader. Another thing is whether it manifests itself only on stage or still finds echoes in everyday life. I really liked to study, and I did not want to stop at that level of education. In addition, I also really wanted to teach. But, having entered graduate school, I immediately signed a contract with the label, and free time was sorely lacking. So the dream of teaching remains unfulfilled, at least not yet...
In April, besides the solo concert, you have another important event - your wedding. Next to us is your beloved girl. Shall I ask her some questions?
Maria, how did your relationship begin?
We met on Instagram. Matvey found my page through one of our mutual friends and liked all my photos. At that time I was at my mother's house, in Lviv. I saw that some boy was added, even left a comment. I went to his page and saw that this is an artist of the Black Star label. But at that time I did not know about such a performer. The first impression of him was bad. I thought that he must have a lot of girls and not the best behavior. Then my very close friend who lives in Moscow invited me to visit. And since I ended up with Matvey in the same city, we decided to meet, and I went on a date with that very friend ...
Matthew: ( Interrupts.) ... Cool date - the three of us. ( laughing.)
Maria: It's all because the boy is from Black Star. Who would have thought that this person is an excellent student, studying in graduate school. And then a few minutes passed, and I had already forgotten about my girlfriend and had a sincere conversation with Matvey. I fell in love with his eyes almost immediately. And so our relationship began. On April 8, when he had a big solo concert at Crocus, our relationship turned three years old.
Matvey: I just wanted to celebrate our three years on such a large scale, that's why I assembled Crocus. ( laughing.)
Maria: We talked at a distance for a year, it was very difficult emotionally. It seems to me that it was against the background of these relations that Matvey was born his album “Inside Out”, since we really experienced a very large palette of emotions. But then he plucked up courage and moved me to Moscow.
Matvey: Before that, I could not transport you, because you studied at the university.
Maria: Yes, it is. While he was filming the video, I defended my diploma. He sent me to the defense and said that the code for entering the apartment would be the word "five". And I realized at that moment that there were no options, I had to return with a five, otherwise I would not be a part of this family. ( Smiling.) As a result, I defended my diploma in the specialty "manager of organizations" with excellent marks and returned home with the right password.
In general, after meeting with Matvey, I became kinder, more sincere, more joyful, or something. He made me happy. It was always interesting for me to communicate with him, he knows how to listen and hear. I realized that this person is perfect for me. He also reminded me of my father.
Matvey: And you give me my mother. In general, we are always told that we are like brother and sister, and when they see our mothers, they say that they are surprisingly similar.
Maria: Yes, they have the same characters, the same signs of the zodiac, even the figures are the same. I look at Matvey's mother and see mine. Everything intertwined with us very well. Matvey conquered me with his devotion and respect. And that is the key to a strong relationship. All my thoughts about jealousy themselves sunk into oblivion. I am often asked how I feel about his female fans. Do you want to ask me this too?
Didn't intend to.
But I will answer anyway. It always seemed to me that I would hate all the women who communicate with Matvey. Beautiful, ugly, it doesn't matter. And now I have respect and gratitude for them.
It is very important to be able to separate personal life and work.
Certainly! And this is a big merit of my husband.
Matvey, were there any difficulties in your relationship with Maria?
If everything went smoothly, it would be something from a fairy tale, from the category of fantasy. If you listen to my song "Kapkan", which is my musical essay on the formation of our relationship, you can hear the whole spectrum of emotions. This is not only love and pink snot, it is also misunderstanding, quarrels, nerves. All this also happened, because before my relationship with Masha, I had never met a girl seriously. When you have no experience in a serious relationship, you learn and in the process of learning you often take the wrong steps. And only if you are ready to compromise, are ready to discuss these mistakes and try to correct them, only then you can come to harmony, understanding and trust.
And how has overcoming these difficulties and experiencing mistakes changed you?
If you ask those who know me about this, they will answer that I have changed dramatically. I became more courageous, calmer, more mature. These changes are both internal and external. It’s hard for me to judge this myself, it’s much clearer from the outside.
As far as I know, you are going to get married in Greece.
Matvey: We wanted it that way, because I have Greek roots on my mother's side. I really wanted to somehow connect this event historically. Santorini island in Greece is a very romantic place, it is incredibly beautiful there. We have been negotiating for six months, trying to organize a wedding there. But in the process of negotiations, we learned some nuances. For example, according to their rules, after eleven o'clock in the evening, any fun stops, because you can not make noise. And there are enough such nuances. Therefore, we decided not to take risks and moved this action to the Moscow region in order to do everything the way we want.
Matvey, I know that you made Masha an offer in some unusual way. Tell me about it.
We flew to Thailand, it was before Masha's birthday. I wanted her to approach her holiday in a different status. We were on a tour of the islands. When we were alone on a wild beach of indescribable beauty...
Maria: ...Let me tell you. We went into the water, everything really was indescribably beautiful. And then he says: "We dive." Husband said, wife did. I dived, then emerge and see that he is standing, and I dived alone. And I understand that a person wants to do something very responsible. I see that he is very nervous, but I just emerged from the water and could not understand what was happening. And then there was a marriage proposal. It was very exciting.
In general, I am a person who can always find the right words. But for me it was such a surprise that I was simply speechless and for the first twenty seconds I looked at him and tried to understand what had happened. But then a terrible joy came over me. It was on the Old New Year, which is very symbolic, since this holiday is something between the old and the new, a kind of infinity.
Matvey: To be honest, we have already signed, and we decided to play the wedding on April 23. We immediately chose this date, not even knowing what day of the week it was. They just wanted the 23rd, since I am from the Krasnodar Territory, the 23rd region, I played football at number 23, and at the age of 23 I met Masha. April is a good month. Spring, everything is blooming, a beautiful time. In May they toil - it is no longer suitable, but in March it is too early. Then we already learned that April 23 is Krasnaya Gorka, the first Sunday after Easter, which means that the best and most suitable Sunday for a wedding of the year.
And what about the honeymoon? I've seen your busy tour schedule.
Yes, it's not possible right now. We decided that we would postpone our honeymoon. Somewhere at the end of the summer I will have a vacation, then we will celebrate. So far, we don't even know where we will spend it. There are many more unexplored places. We really want to Mauritius. Maybe this summer we will be able to fulfill our dream.
Text: Alexey Logvinchenko. Photo: Dmitry Zhuravlev
Style: Ksenia Dorkina, Margarita Kanunnikova
Makeup: Adeline Kusova/Privé7. Hairstyles: Marina Gaeva/Privé7
