December 16 saw the release of the long-awaited album by Ivan Alekseev and Noize MC - King of the Hill. Without unnecessary annotations, useless exaggerations, I would like to state in the very first sentence: "King of the Hill" is one of the best albums in Russian-language music of recent years.

For a long time our music did not have such an expected album, and in general a very interesting and atypical story happened to it. The fact is that the Noize MC group was already actively touring, adding to their repertoire about a third (if not more) of the tracks from the new, then unreleased album. Even before the release, the band's fans knew by heart such songs as "King of the Hill", "Stanley will record a hit", " Green color"and" Childfree ", having listened to their concert recordings to the holes and watching numerous videos on YouTube. Already in this form, they all sounded very powerful and encouraged to wait for the release of the studio album. And even if these tracks turned out to be the best on the record, it would still turn out great. But in fact, it turned out that the Noize MC team had the sweetest thing in store for us on December 16th.

By the release of the album Noize MC - King of the Hill, many have already heard a good half of it. In addition to the above-mentioned compositions, "Make Some Noize", "Peterskie Roofs", and "!Live!" in a video invitation to the presentation of the album in the capitals, and it might have seemed to many that because of this the album would not be perceived as the musicians would like. In the end, everything turned out to be completely different. Most people have already fallen in love with this record in advance, did not have long expectations about this or that sound and content - at least they roughly understood what they would hear. This was also facilitated by a video about the album, in which Ivan talked about the background of many compositions, the recording process and the general mood of the disc. This is the rare case when, if desired, you can write a separate article about each of the fourteen tracks, without even taking into account the words of Alekseev. After all, even despite the directness of the presentation and presentation of the material, each composition has its own rich history, which is more and more revealed with each new listening.

There is no single outline of actions here, there is no powerful semantic link between all the tracks, but there is a strong feeling that each new composition is a big story. The cinematography of many of the songs is truly amazing. Here, willy-nilly, a clear picture of what is happening is drawn in front of you, which is why listening brings completely new sensations. Of course, this is not new, and to talk about it so enthusiastically would be too strong an expression of emotion. But since this idea was implemented so qualitatively, there are simply no other words to describe it.

Modern trends in the music industry set the fashion for “relaxed” and “relaxed” music. Music is becoming increasingly attached to the entertainment industry in a rather vulgar way. The recent incredible success of the debut disc of the Mushrooms group is a confirmation and example of this (though it’s worth saying that this good example). You won’t have to go far for the bad ones, but now it’s not about that. Such trends towards simplicity seemed to have no effect on habitually demanding listeners, but all this is similar to lulling. From all sides, such music is now heard, and somehow it lulls our perception. In contrast to all this, Noize MC - King of the Hill keeps your perception in suspense from the beginning to the very end. The stories of these compositions captivate from the first seconds, from the first words that sound in your ears. And in order to find out and understand the ending of this story in three minutes, you should be distracted from all background affairs, strain your convolutions and delve into every word that penetrates your eardrums. If you do this, you will be pleasantly surprised and love this album with all your heart for the incredible sincerity, warmth and all those new emotions that listening to it will give you.

Ivan Alekseev is true to himself in self-irony. Calling the fresh longplay pretentiously enough, King of the Hill, on the album cover he demonstrates what kind of mountains. Cassettes, a boombox, a wad of money, a cap and other paraphernalia that make up the image of a “hip-hop star” (yes, there is an asterisk in the corner) are casually thrown into a stinking pile, over which a fly is already hovering. Promisingly, we are waiting for a lot of allegories and self-jokes inside the album.

Make Some Noise, going first in the tracklist, does not carry a deep meaning, but only helps to warm up the listener. However, it seems that the phrase: “Penguins, go ahead! We're storming the escalator!" in form it is very memetic, and therefore risks becoming very popular in everyday life.

The sounds of a police siren, whistling bullets - these are already hints from the first seconds that Stanley Records a Hit will be a parody of a typical "gangsta rap" song. So it is: then comes a recitative about the fate of that same Stanley, but terribly distorted by auto-tuning, which sometimes makes it impossible to make out the words. In the second verse, Noise explains why Stanley will not conquer the world with his talent, and what kind of thug life she is.

title track of the album, king of the hill- exactly what we love in the work of Alekseev. Satire, multiplied by intelligent lyrics about the changeability of "gears" in the mechanism and the momentary stay at the peak.

Empire State— a rather evil satire, accompanied by a “kachevy” bass guitar part and a modified scratch, however, in my opinion, the composition is a passing one.

Following is a long-announced track in collaboration with the St. Petersburg group Atlantida Project, with which Noize MC managed to collaborate, giving out a powerful composition in terms of energy Jordan, which became the last lifetime work for Sasha Sokolova, the vocalist of Atlantis. The interweaving of ethnic motifs and recitative enchants, captivating somewhere deeper. The contrast between the clearly outlined story from Noise's part and the ephemeral part woven from associative images performed by Sasha does not cause dissonance. Complementing each other, couplets form a single whole, like Yin and Yang. This is the harmonic scale...

For some reason, personal experiences reflected in the songs always turn out to be the most successful. Rake— just that case. A confession superimposed on a pleasant minor sample will not leave you indifferent, forcing what is reflected in the lyrics to project onto yourself. And it will probably get stuck on repeat for a long time.

Further announced feat. with a young Internet star - Monetochka. A girl with a deliberately childish voice and provocative texts about Gosha Rubchinsky and anarcho-communism quickly gained popularity among the Internet audience in early 2016. And now, less than a year later, she appears childfree- a thing potentially trendy, sticky, but completely empty. Yes, yes, we understood the message to burn in hell. In 2016, this will surprise no one. Next!

face a la mer, based on a sample of the French rap song of the same name performed by Calogero and Passi, is completely different in content from the original. The story told by Noise is allegorical, and the lines succinctly reflect the general meaning: He drank the sea and shattered the glass / Today's desert, yesterday's ocean.
Duet with Miss Baas Everything OK is a jazzy (to hell with genre limits!) story of modern Bonnie and Clyde in the scenery of typical Russia, which begs for a video version in the form of a clip.

Mangled, written in Russian name of Irish whiskey Jameson gives back Singer and actress from the “Last Album”: the same story about “unearthly love”, which will appeal to vulnerable young ladies with a fine mental organization, while the rest will surely seem sickly sweet. The next track, which managed to win the hearts of listeners, Petersburg roofs, is also responsible for the lyrical component of the album. Romantic, sweet, but My sea was before, and what we hear in rooftops- variations on a theme.

Acid rain and Favorite color as a field for experimentation. And if in the first case it is flirting with drum and bass, then in the second it is almost reggae with an acoustic guitar with a direct quotation of a line from the song of the Nogu Svelo group, Bob Marley, himself. Perhaps, Favorite color, recorded without unnecessary husks in the form of effects - the most honest and beautiful confession of feelings. Climax and catharsis. Neither subtract nor add.

And now we finally got to the conclusion. !L!VE! this is such a healthy slap in the face to all those who twisted their faces and are always dissatisfied, declaring that "Noize MC is not a cake." The final track is like a punch that puts an end to the issue of evaluating a heterogeneous, in my opinion, album.

I rate the album only 6 points out of 10 for the fact that this time Ivan did not have enough drive early work, but the desire to "ride the wave" prevailed, having left on a duet with Liza Moneta and a couple of sentimental songs. It is human nature to change, but personally I will remember Noyz as a dude who gives out: “I [fucked - ed.] your Channel One in my mouth. Apparently I'm getting old.

There are still possible inaccuracies in this song lyrics.
Do you see the error? Write in the comments!

Chorus:

“Come on, quickly fucked up!” - Woe needs a new king!

[Verse 1, Noize MC]:
Listen old man, damn you could be great
You just need to have a normal hairdresser cut your hair.
Or maybe a wig? And I also need a stylist, you're skinny as a worm,
Either a bum, or a gopnik, or a freak, well, okay - don't be angry.

And then I see, my eyes are already filled with blood, fuck everything.
You will be in the crown on the throne, the dough is full.
The world is seen from a favorable angle when looking down, from behind the scenes.
I saw how people fought squealing for the right to see like that.

So hurry up!
Fill out the application: date of birth, full name,
Well, doodles, like a chicken paw, the language of dolphins.
Fill in printed and more accurate, thank you.
Your Majesty, you write incredibly beautifully!

The handwriting in you betrays the conqueror, the leader!
Surely you were born to be a master!
And we wholeheartedly swear to fulfill your every command
Throughout the entire term!

Chorus:
They will put you on the throne. They will give you a crown, a scepter and an orb.
That's luck, wow! You've been at this for so long.
Rumor will lick you from all sides with its rough tongue.
Let them gossip - this is an integral part of the show.

And you, having heard plenty of flattery, will believe that you are not so pathetic.
Well, yes, you were just embarrassed about your role as a regal slegan.
Only a cheap series about the struggle for power is a short genre.

[Verse 2, Noize MC]:
The head of the royal guard in a cardboard helmet and armor,
Coughing into his fist, at first he will say in a guilty tone:
Excuse me, your highness, are you a bit tall?
Not tough? Are you sitting comfortably? Let's give you some cotton wool.

Get up for a minute, move closer to the edge.
You ruled us cool, but we found someone who rules later.
Later, he, too, will lick the gravel at the foot,
But now, he's fresh, climbing out of his skin, an impossibly agile guy.

And you were out of breath somehow, you lost something,
No flight, the aircraft went into a tailspin,
And whatever you say from the stands, your mouth seems to be mended.
Therefore, enough to pizdit and on the way out, without delay and clothes.

Yeah, we're serious, no kidding, get your ass up
That you are like a stuck cartridge case, if you need to eat a ramrod,
Here the boss will look back at his shobla and add:
"Come on, quickly fucked up," - switching to an angry whisper.

Chorus:
They will put you on the throne. They will give you a crown, a scepter and an orb.
That's luck, wow! You've been at this for so long.
Rumor will lick you from all sides with its rough tongue.
Let them gossip - this is an integral part of the show.

And you, having heard plenty of flattery, will believe that you are not so pathetic.
Well, yes, you were just embarrassed about your role as a regal slegan.
Only a cheap series about the struggle for power is a short genre.
Well, quickly fucked up! Woe needs a new king!

Noize MC lyrics - King of the Hill.
Album "King of the Hill".
The author of music and words is Noize MC.
December, 2016.

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It is worth recognizing that there is an interesting performer in the Rap department of the Russian stage. His name is Noize MC. To be honest, I often wonder, “what the hell did he forget in Turnip at all?”. This guy would have been great in Rock next to "Aria" or "Loomen", but he decided that recitative was closer to his heart than beautiful vocal parts. And on December 16, 2016, the great freestyler released King of the Hill.

Well, even though his music seems to be Rap, but the design gives me hope that he will someday break and go to Hard-rock or something like that, but for now we have to be content with Vanya's poems, sometimes overflowing with meaning, and sometimes being just a collection of words. "King of the Hill" meets us with the song "Make Some Noize". A beautiful beat, sometimes the ringing of guitar strings breaking through in the background, a lot of cymbal strikes and, of course, a wonderful flow of speech set the bar for the entire subsequent musical list. In addition, the verse is written in such a way that a picture of the night city, about which he reads several times in a song, can suddenly arise in our mind.

No less attention is worthy of "Stanley will record a hit." Great composition with interesting history, which, thanks to the talent of the vocalist, appears in all colors before our eyes and settles somewhere on the cortex of the brain ...

Well, I think it's not worth saying that all the other entries in this list are no worse than the two presented above, and some can even be put higher. One of these is Petersburg Roofs. A deep heartbreak with an echo effect makes the soul scream. The voice, lowering the mood even lower to the “one hundred” position on the “sadness” scale, makes the heart cry, but the scale changes its emotional coloring as soon as it lies under the blanket of pictures taken with a good camera and processed good hands, clearly masterful.

So what has Shum given us with the new album? A cloud of emotions, a lot of interesting poems and beautiful melodies and, of course, a festive mood from the Noize MC gift!

Almost 10 years ago, having successfully drawn a lucky ticket to the mainstream after winning a rap battle, long before it became a standard hype scheme, Noize MC gained a huge audience of diverse listeners by mixing popular but difficult to combine genres. From his love for Nirvana, he began to play grunge, from Prodigy appeared recitative and scratch, in his tracks there was a place for both pop and alternative, because of which the audience grew, and critics noted an unprecedented mix of genres for a domestic artist. The musician paved his own unique path in show business, in which his unusual guise of "either a rapper", "or a rocker" and not falling under the usual formats only made the way upstairs more difficult.

On the new album "King of the Hill" Noize MC appears as an already established personality and creator; he is at the top, and before him involuntarily looms the thought of a possible slide down, which many, with their heads up, are waiting for. It is noticeable that his rebellion has largely passed, and disses and evil texts have long given way, first to socio-political themes, then to reflection. But all this remained within the framework of a mass-oriented product that needs to be freely absorbed by a potential listener.

When listening, the red line is the theme of the "rules of the game" of modern show business and hip-hop in particular. As a representative of the old school, Noyz rightly opposes himself to the guys of the new, fashionable gangsta and cloud rappers. The track "Stanley will record a hit" criticizes the lifestyle of modern rap artists, although it uses just techniques new school– autotune and reading to a light beat. The song ends with a stereotyped gunshot sound, just like on Oxxxymiron's last album, and this is not the last comparison with him. Noize admitted that he liked "Gorgorod" and the influence of this disc is noticeable on "King of the Hill": the next track of the same name uses the technique of direct speech and frequent changes of intonation, as in "Where We Are Not", only coming from one person. This composition is the semantic center of the album, criticizing the deceitful essence of show business, and the theatrical sound of the keyboards only enhances the atmosphere of masquerade and pretense.

The material is habitually full of various solutions: there is a place for both dance samples and noise effects, the musician has never been afraid to use the full variety of musical elements and create his own sound puzzle from inappropriate particles. “Face A La Mer” stands out in this regard, the soft rhythm section of which suddenly changes into a rhythmic electronic melody and the subsequent epic riff chorus in French.

In addition to standard songs, there are entirely narrative compositions in which Ivan is quite good at working with the mechanics of history, he was especially good at pumping up tension in the track “Everything is OK”, referring in feel to the work of composers in Hollywood thrillers of the golden age. There will also be a couple of hits for the general public: the dance-like "Childfree" with a hype-feature with Monetochka, in the chorus of which you can hear a beat worthy of Russian pop music, the opener "Make Some Noize" with signature chips and hooks from early works, and the drum and bass "Acid rain". In the second part of the album, much more space is given to lyrical songs, an acoustic guitar is used and it feels like it is closer to Noise of the 2016 sample. experiences and dilemmas of the artist, in the end without causing any emotions, not that catharsis.

Spreading across many genres, Noise does not reach the heights of any of his musical roles individually: as a rapper, he is far from the best lyricist and techie, whose frail flow is rhymed with squares, and from the rocker in Noise's music there are only separate riffs - nothing instrumentally outstanding or technical . But here it is worth recalling that the Noize MC project is the most popular music, the audience of which is predominantly teenagers, which means that this guarantees some concessions.

It seems that with age, Ivan has already fallen off the crazy hype train, having turned the game in the past enough to have only an indirect relation to it, but at the same time remain a significant figure. Noize MC is becoming more and more formatted, continuing to make easily accessible material without the slightest threshold of entry. The artist has been full for a long time, his creative experiences do not hurt at all, the aggression in the "action films" looks forced, and the growth of quality as such is not noticeable - only diversity, which is far from the same thing.

“King of the Hill” will appeal to many, the release will win new fans and replenish the treasury with fresh hits, but it has nothing to hook a serious listener with and it does not stand up to the slightest thorough criticism. The album can offer nothing but everyday entertainment, but, however, it does not require anything from the listener in return.

The king of the hill is still at the top, but it is unlikely that many will want to claim such a peak.

Tracklist:

01. Make Some Noise
02. Stanley will record a hit
03. King of the Hill
04. Empire State
05. Nails (feat. atlantida project)
06. Rake
07. childfree (feat. coin)
08. Face A La Mer
09. It's OK (feat. Miss Baas)
10. Jameson
11. Petersburg roofs
12. Acid rain
13. Favorite color
14. !L!VE!