Morgenshtern: The Russian Rapper Who Became a Foreign Agent


    Morgenshtern: The Russian Rapper Who Became a Foreign Agent

    Morgenshtern is a Russian rapper, record producer, and songwriter who first gained fame in 2018 as the author of parodies of popular music artists of that time, publishing these videos on his YouTube channel. He has since released several albums and collaborated with other famous artists such as Eldzhey, Magic Man, and Kizaru. However, his controversial lyrics and statements have also attracted criticism and legal troubles, especially after he was put on the list of foreign agents by the Russian Ministry of Justice in May 2022.

    Early life and career

    Morgenshtern was born as Alisher Tagirovich Valeyev on February 17, 1998, in Ufa, Bashkortostan. His mother is of Russian-Jewish descent, while his father was of Bashkir descent. His father died of liver cirrhosis due to severe alcoholism when Alisher was 11 years old. He changed his last name to Morgenshtern as a teenager. He has been interested in music since his childhood and released his first music video in 2010. He attended university for some time, but was expelled due to his “frank activities on YouTube”, as the rector of the university stated. He was also a street musician and the head singer of the rock band MMD Crew.

    Rise to fame


    Early life and career

    Morgenshtern became famous for his YouTube show “#EasyRap”, where he made parodies of popular music artists such as Eminem, Drake, Lil Pump, and others. He also created original songs with humorous and provocative lyrics, often using vulgar language and slang. His style was influenced by rap, trap, and rock genres. He gained millions of views and subscribers on his channel and became one of the most popular Russian rappers on the internet.

    On January 17, 2020, he released his album “Legendary Dust”, which was recorded in a week on his live stream. The album became the most successful of Morgenshtern’s career, gaining a million streams on VK in the first half hour of release and five million streams in eleven hours. The album featured songs such as “Eeee”, “Sheikh”, “Guf Diss”, and “Location”. He also collaborated with other famous rappers such as Eldzhey, LSP, The Limba, and Kizaru.

    Controversies and legal issues


    Rise to fame

    Morgenshtern’s music and personality have also sparked controversies and legal issues. He has been accused of plagiarism, sexism, racism, homophobia, drug promotion, and disrespect for veterans and religious symbols. He has also been involved in several feuds with other rappers such as Guf, Oxxxymiron, Markul, and Face. He has faced lawsuits, fines, bans, protests, and threats from various groups and individuals who were offended by his songs or statements.

    In May 2022, the Russian Ministry of Justice put Morgenshtern on the list of foreign agents after receiving funding by the Israeli media company Yoola Labs and for his remarks about Victory Day. According to the law, foreign agents are individuals or organizations that receive foreign funding and engage in political activities in Russia. They are required to register with the authorities and disclose their sources of income and expenses. Morgenshtern later apologized on his Telegram channel and tried to appeal against the decision to put him on the foreign agents list, but still continues to be on the list as of March 10, 2023.

    Personal life


    Controversies and legal issues

    Morgenshtern married Dilara Zinatullina, a model and influencer from Ufa, in January 2021. However, they divorced after six months of marriage due to irreconcilable differences. Morgenshtern currently lives in Moscow and has a net worth of about $10 million.

    References


    Personal life

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