Kyivstoner: "In four years I will fill the Olympic Stadium"

Interview with Kyivstoner, a rapper also known as correspondent Rainbow and Unknown.

Rapper and blogger Kyivstoner began his creative career by making short, funny videos that he posted on social media. He gained huge popularity with the group Gribi, of which he was a member until 2017. Today Kyivstoner has 1.5 million followers on Instagram, three albums under the name Unknown and more than a dozen released tracks.

On February 14, Kyivstoner is giving a "Solo concert for all the f...ed up" in Kyiv, and on the eve of his performance he returned from the USA.

TK Media met with Albert Vasiliev, known as Kyivstoner, at one of the venues in Kyiv and talked about the Valentine's Day concert, the incident with Jerry Heil, plans to fill the Olympic Stadium and the role of his girlfriend Lilia Bagirova in the artist's life.

— You only returned from the USA on February 12. But you were supposed to come back earlier, weren't you?

— Yes, yes, we were in Miami, we flew through New York. We were supposed to come back earlier, but we decided to stay longer, because we didn't really have any business to attend to, and we thought, why not hang out in Miami for another week. So we hung out in Miami for a week.

— Tell us what you did over the past year, apart from performing and writing tracks? 2019 is behind you. 

— Oh, a lot of things. At the beginning of 2019 I starred in a short film called "Kingdoom". It's a dark fantasy comedy. It has thriller elements, drama, everything under the sun. Then I appeared in another film. I had a cameo there (a minor role — ed.). The film hasn't come out yet, so I can't name it yet.

— Is it coming out soon?

— Most likely it will come out in 2021. It's a worthy production, a very good team.

— Were there any shoots here, in Ukraine?

— No, the shoots were abroad. I had only 4 shooting days in total. No, I'm lying, two. And they filmed everything really well too. There were supposed to be shoots here as well, but it didn't work out. Then, at the end of 2019, Nastya Ivleeva offered me to appear in their "Train New Year". I sort of looked at it — such a lineup, you can't turn down the chance to gain experience with people like that.

— That was funny, Galkin was there, if I remember correctly.

— Yes, Galkin was there... Well, everyone was there. I also brought a couple of people along, so it was really cool.

— Today you have the performance "Kyivstoner. Solo concert for all the f...ed up", and as I understand it, your program will include tracks from three different albums.

— No-no-no, tracks from my three albums were performed on December 22, I had a farewell concert. For those who don't know: I have Kyivstoner — more of a pop music project, and there is, or rather was, Unknown. We closed Unknown, because at this point I've said everything I could say through that persona. If I ever have something new to say, I can always make a comeback, as they say, and tell everything I need to.

There will be Kyivstoner songs. We have a lot of songs. Both mine and not mine, and some that were never released.

— Will anyone from your family be at your concert?

— Yes, my sister will be there. Because so far she's the only one from my family who will be. My beloved girlfriend will be there, and the dog. It's not such a big concert that, as they say, I should invite all my relatives from abroad.

Besides, God willing, next year we'll be filling the Palace of Sports, then already... Well, not next year, but in a year or two at the latest.

— And which year for the Olympic Stadium?

— If everything goes well, I think in four years. Lilia says three. We'll see.

— The main theme of your second album Unknown, "Hypoholic" — is that you make music not for hype. So what inspires you to create music?

— I don't even know how to explain it: everything around me, friends, situations, reasons — all of it inspires me. The people around me, most likely. 

— In early February you released your single "I Keep Going", and the theme of this single — is long-distance relationships. Can you explain what led to choosing this theme?

— It has always been relevant to me, because I lived in America for 6 years, since 2011, and I always had long-distance relationships with someone. Not romantic ones, but in general, I had long-distance relationships with friends. And it was the same with girls too, you know, in the sense of "babe, I'll come, you wait for me".

— That's interesting, because you say you don't meet people online, yet your relationship with Lilia started thanks to it.

— No, look, "I don't meet people online" — that's not how it is, I don't approach people, most likely online. That's not what I meant. I don't slide into DMs and say "hey, you're cute, how are you, let's go over there". It's just that with Lilia it's something incredible, because it was a sign that couldn't be ignored.

— Do you write the lyrics and dialogues for your songs yourself?

— So, look, the music and lyrics for Unknown — I produce and make everything myself. Specifically the beats — there are people I come to and say "bro, I want it like this". We make it happen. I can't say I'm a composer, but I contribute my part.

As for the lyrics, I write everything. As for Kyivstoner, I grew up in an environment where you can't really talk about such pleasant, kind and tender things, so it's hard for me to write about them, which is why my friend always helps me. I have a friend who always helps me and says "bro, here it's better like this".

— You once said that, while you were still in Gribi, your favorite project from that group was the track "Love". What is your favorite track now among those you've already released?

— I think it's "Myau-Myau", because it's meat.

— Or is it because it has a cool story — about how you got it?

— No-no-no, I got "Leto" in a very funny way.

— What's interesting about the story of "Myau-Myau" is that it was originally supposed to be a song by Yuri Bardash (producer of Quest Pistols Show — ed.), and you managed to buy it first, so to speak.

— Ahh, listen, yes, it was even like that, can you believe it, I snatched it up, we had a really incredible story with "Leto". I had even forgotten about it, thanks for reminding me. I want to tell you — my repertoire includes several songs that I took from Yuri Bardash. They were all meant for Quest Pistols. You see, it always goes like this — Quest Pistols can't, so someone else sings it, and it becomes a hit (laughs).

— Do you record your tracks in the USA or in Ukraine?

— In Ukraine, I work with a DJ in his studio here. All of Kyivstoner's tracks I make only in Ukraine.

— Why is that?

— It's better that way. We just made "Gubi Bazuki" with another person, because the DJ didn't have time, and we decided to experiment, so that's how it turned out.

— Is your first track "Zazhigalki moya strast"?

— No, that's not my first track. It's a track by Kirill Shlem. I just appeared in the video. My first track is "Ya ne protiv" in 2017.

— Is that track purely your production?

— Yes, yes, before that I only had demos, I was making them back in 2012, 2013, if you search VKontakte — there's a demo.

— In 2012–2013, could you have imagined that you would connect your life with rap, with this, so to speak, pop-stage career?

— Yes, I could. Because I always set out to make music, and I understood it was hard to attract attention, and I thought, "okay, let's put this on the back burner for now and start doing something else." What do we want to do? I was like "dammit, only vines (very short humorous videos — ed.) had come out then, listen, and I like making vines." I started making vines, I made them for a very long time, without thinking at all about how to become famous quickly. I just kept filming, and two and a half years later I was noticed and things more or less started rolling.

— What projects are you working on now?

— I have a lot of ideas, but there's still no suitable moment to take them up. You sit there thinking "it's too early." And some tracks are already too late. We live in a world now where if you've come up with something, you have to do it, because otherwise... everything will be very sad. First come, first served.

— Today, February 14, is your concert. Did you specifically decide to perform on this holiday?

— Yes.

— What gift will you give your girlfriend?

— Oh, I'll give her my concert (laughs). But in general it'll be a surprise.

— Are you planning to record more tracks with Basta? (In 2017 you released your first joint track, Unknown feat. Noggano — Smile — ed.)

— Well, yes, as it works out. It was like a dream, and it came true. If we somehow get stuck in the studio together and he says "let's do it," then yes.

— What is your dream now, who would you like to record with?

— No one in particular. But in general, I want to make a fun track with some unique pop singer.

— Ukrainian or foreign?

— Foreign, or Ukrainian — it doesn't matter, just to make a little hit in the style of Bruno Mars would be cool.

— And what do you say about Jerry Heil?

— As for my beloved Jerry Heil. Listen, at my concert there will be famous people, and some of them will even perform, because it's going to be a karaoke-style program after all. We invited a lot of recognizable and famous people, who said that if it works out, they'll come.

When I'm invited to a concert and I have a free date, I don't even hesitate. Lilia took the initiative and invited her, because up until then I didn't even know who this girl was. 

Lilia called, they said: "Yes, fine." And then the next day they said: "Listen, we'll consider it, but send us the full list of artists," even though other artists hadn't been asked for that. After that they said: "Pay for our manager, sound engineer, DJ."

Well, the money doesn't matter to us anyway. The question is who is doing whom a favor. 

— I understand you invited Jerry Heil, and for her to take part, it was necessary to...

— Lilia Bagirova (hereinafter LB): Pay for everything. Although it would have been just one track. Just to go on stage and gain additional audience. I just don't understand why a sound engineer and a DJ, when even the other performers at this level don't have them. How low it was to even add a manager.

— K: Roughly speaking, it was necessary to cover some kind of rider. 

— LB: Well, that's not a rider. A manager doesn't exist in a rider. And there's no such thing as covering a DJ and sound engineer in a rider. That goes automatically into the fee. 

— K: But I wanted to! I just wanted to look this person in the eye on principle. I'll add this detail: I was invited by people who have 4 thousand followers. I've never dared to say... We travel to other cities at our own expense. 

— LB: Because it's mutual help, it's creativity.

— K: It can cut both ways. Either she knows that her management did this, or she doesn't know. But if she happens to read this article, she'll know how her management behaves.

— Did you close the show with Basta, "GazLive"?

"GazLive" we've closed, now we're filming "Vopros rebrom". We already have two seasons of "Vopros rebrom", and now we're going to film the third. 

— Are you going to Moscow right after this concert?

— Yes, I'm going to Moscow, we're filming "Vopros rebrom". And then home. I might not even go if my friend Basta were here (laughs).

— You used to describe yourself as a guy from the neighborhood, that you grew up in an ordinary family…

— And I still am. 

— You weren't financially well-off as a child. At what point in your creative development did you realize the situation had changed, that you had money?

— I got money when Lilia came into my life, because I stopped spending it on pointless junk, you know. I'm like this, I got it from my mom — as soon as I have money, that's it. I think I'm a born spendthrift.

— Does Lilia balance you out in that sense?

— Yes. 

— You once said you wouldn't advertise for less than 7 thousand dollars. Why that position?

— I came up with that price for myself at the time. Well, yes, if I do something, it becomes quite expensive for people. 

But you know, I had a couple of fails that I didn't want to advertise, but I had no choice, because I needed to be able to fulfill my dreams in the future, let's call it that.

— Do you have a contract with Nike?

— No, I don't have a contract with Nike, but first of all, I can't have one a priori, because I'm not an athlete. They give contracts if you're a skateboarder, because that's also considered athleticism, or an athlete. I have people who work at Nike, they get me gear, or there are discounts — here or abroad.

I just really like this brand, since childhood. I have a big love for it, because they make cool gear.

— So you advertise them and in return get certain perks — discounts?

— No, I don't want discounts. I don't advertise. I just wear gear I like, and if I'm at a concert or taking photos somewhere, then yes, it becomes advertising for them.

Now the Street Beat store has offered to shoot for their stand. I did a photo session. How many do they have? Eight stores. And I hang out at their stand. The advertising is already there.

— Your goal is to buy a house for your mom. Are you close to achieving that?

— Almost. Well, not entirely. Let's say I'm definitely halfway there. No, I could buy a house in Brovary now, I could buy one in Boyarka (laughs).

— You once commented on Instagram about legalizing marijuana in Ukraine. I won't ask you about your position, since you stated it clearly in the post. But have you ever thought about going into politics?

— Politics? Never. Lilek, I'm sure that in the next four years she'll definitely become a politician, 100%.

If she could only do PR, but she also knows about politics. She's a ruling woman. I'm not. I'm extremely indifferent, there are many things I'm not interested in. If I've already decided something is not interesting, I won't even get into it.

— After the performance on the 14th, do you have any other concerts planned somewhere?

— In Ivano-Frankivsk on the 21st. And that's it. I don't particularly want to perform anywhere before the album.

— When will the new album come out?

— We're sitting down to write in March. God willing, we'll release it in May. In early May.

— Rapper, blogger, artist — how do you describe yourself?

— Artist. A person who knows how to perform.

— The worst interview you've ever had?

— Oh, that was probably Ramina. The saddest one.

— A thing you can't bear to part with?

— A console, the PS4.

— Which city in Ukraine do you like most?

— Kyiv. The best city on Earth.

— And Kharkiv?

— Kharkiv is cool, but small.

— Kyivstoner's biggest misconception?

— I don't have misconceptions (laughs). That you can eat whatever you want and it won't harm you.

Polina Brazhnikova, TK Media