Master Sheff is the pioneer of rap in the Soviet Union. Music critics call him simply - the pioneer of hip-hop in the USSR. Vlad Valov (the real name of the celebrity) began to conquer the music industry at the end of 1980. It is interesting that he is still of great importance in Russian show business.
Childhood and youth Master Sheff
Vlad Valov is from Ukraine. He was born on July 8, 1971 in Donetsk. Having become famous, the man noted that in childhood he was formed as a Soviet person. There were many limitations in his head.
Any deviation from generally accepted norms was equated to a crime. Despite this, Vlad Valov was interested in watching the trade. When foreigners came to the Soviet Union, the locals adopted the style of dress, behavior and hobbies of the "strangers".
During this period of time, foreign speculators began to appear in the country, which caused a storm of negativity among local officials. The same cannot be said about the Soviet youth, who admired the freedom from imposed stereotypes. During these years, there was the birth of domestic hip-hop.
In the mid-1980s, Valov and his longtime friend Monya (Sergei Menyakin) saw breakdancing for the first time. The dance made a huge impression on the guys.
The dark-skinned guys who looked into Donetsk with their choreographic number forever changed the minds of Valov and Monya. The guys wanted to learn how to breakdance.
Breakdancing is a so-called "street dance", which was created in New York in the 1960s of the XX century. The choreographic direction combines complex acrobatic movements and demonstrates the excellent physical shape of the dancer.
Valov got acquainted with the break in Moscow. There Vlad made friends with Canadians, Americans and Germans. He tried to learn English and imitated his foreign friends in everything. Then he met Alexander Nuzhdin, who became famous for his excellent choreographic base.
The first attempts to conquer the scene Master Sheff
Vlad Valov gained dancing experience during his stay in Moscow. Upon returning to Donetsk, he, together with Monya and two other school friends, created the Crew-Synchron team. The guys prepared a number, thanks to which they received the first “portion” of popularity in their native lands. Soon the group became so successful that the locals took autographs from the guys. Inspired, Vlad Valov plucked up courage and, together with his team, went to Moscow for the Riga Festival.
"Ekipazh-Synchron" was not limited to the conquest of the capital of the Russian Federation. The guys went to Leningrad, where they met LA (Gleb Matveev), Swan (Dmitry Swan), Scaley (Alexey Skalinov). A week after they met, the guys became real friends, who were also united by creative interests.
This period is marked by the fact that Vlad Valov had a fight with Monya due to creative differences. The artist decided to temporarily suspend the activity of the team. Meanwhile, Valov created a new project, which was called "Freestyle". Together with the new group, Valov traveled around the country, including visiting large cities of Ukraine.
Valov tried to realize himself as a solo artist. He attended various competitions. One day, Vlad met with the Crew-Synchron team, which was managed by Monya. On stage, former bandmates were forced to reconcile. The guys decided to give their offspring a second chance, but now they performed under the creative pseudonym "White Gloves".
After graduating from school, Valov was confused. He didn't know what he wanted to do next. The only thing Vlad definitely did not want was to join the army. Soon he entered the Higher Trade Union School of Culture in Leningrad. There, Valov and LA became the "fathers" of the famous Bad Balance group, which later included Mikhey (Sergey Krutikov). After that, the dance group mastered a new direction - rap songs.
Creative path Master Sheff
In 1994, a real historical event took place in the music industry. Vlad Valov created the first rap music festival in the Russian Federation. At the same time, he continued to work on the Bad Balance discography. By that time, there were several more musicians in it - Micah and LA.
In addition to filling the musical piggy bank of his project, Vlad Valov worked on solo albums. The debut solo LP of the rapper was called "The Name of SHEF". The talented singer gradually expanded the field of activity. He helped Micah record his own compositions and gradually began to produce other stars.
Producer activity of Vlad Valov
Once Vlad Valov was lucky enough to meet Russian producer Alexander Tolmatsky, Decl's father. Then he just worked for Muz-TV. Vlad Valov and Tolmatsky created the Bad B. Alliance holding, to which modern performers owe their popularity even today.
Interestingly, Decl is the first significant person with whom Vlad Valov managed to cooperate. Then the backing vocalist of the young rapper was Timati. Decl has become a real phenomenon. For young people, Tolmatsky Jr. was something exotic. A guy in wide pants and dreadlocks on his head sang about loneliness, parties and the problems of teenagers. Together with Decl, Vlad received the MTV Awards in New York.
Soon Vlad Valov became interested in another project. We are talking about the group "Legal Business$$". The team became famous throughout the country thanks to the performance of the track "Pack of Cigarettes" by Viktor Tsoi. The list of Vlad Valov's projects also includes the group "White Chocolate", the performer Yolka, as well as the team "Game of Words".
Activity of the artist Master Sheff
Vlad Valov tried himself in different roles during his creative career. He was never against experiments. For example, he created the country's first Hip-Hop Info magazine (since 2002 100PRO) in 1998. The musician covered various musical news for those who "breathed" hip-hop culture.
Valov's activities went far beyond the borders of his native country. He became a significant person abroad. He was offered to produce Adidas Streetball. And this is a two-day concert on Red Square and a basketball tournament.
Valov tested his strength in business. In 2002, he opened a hip-hop boutique with related products. He later sold the small shop because he wanted to invest his time and energy into creating his own label, 100PRO.
The label still exists today. The company is focused on "promotion" of alternative musical directions. In 2012, on the basis of the Valov label, he created the Raiders football club. Following this, radio 100PRO appeared on the Internet.
Valov has repeatedly recorded interesting compositions with other representatives of the Russian music industry. One of the most striking works is the track "Women are the last thing", in the recording of which Mikhail Shufutinsky participated.
The artist has been on stage for over 30 years. Of course, during this time there were loud conflicts with colleagues. What is the scandalous story with Basta worth. It all started with Vlad's proposal to the Gazgolder label to play football. The story ended with joint insults and claims to each other.
Personal life of Vlad Valov
Vlad Valov, despite his creative openness with fans, did not tell information about his personal life for a long time. It is interesting that the fact that the artist has a wife and a child, the journalists together with the "fans" found out only in 2017. After the exposure, the spouse and son began to appear on Valov's social networks much more often.
The singer and producer have repeatedly mentioned that the support of his wife is important to him. He does not ignore the opinion and advice of his woman. Valov believes that the partnership that he and his wife have created over the years of living together will allow them to meet old age together.
Interesting facts about Vlad Valov
- The celebrity's favorite sports game is football. He is not only a football "fan", but also an active player.
- Valov is a gambler. The musician's favorite game is poker.
- Vlad loves vintage cars.
- The artist has created excellent conditions for the "promotion" of young talents, acting as the creator and main ideologist of the annual international Rap Music festival.
Vlad Valov today
2020 began for fans of the rapper's work with good news. The fact is that the performer presented a single from the new LP "New School" - "Beat the order ...". A little later, music lovers were able to enjoy another composition of the solo album “I draw!” (featuring Indigo). At the end of May, Valov pampered his fans with his third new single. We are talking about the composition "Bombing".
In the summer, Valov celebrated his birthday, which he celebrated by recording the video clip “My Style”, trying on the role of a bank robber.
