Many times have heard the name Legalize from rap fans, but only those who have been passionate about this genre of music know what it hides beneath themselves. The question "Legalization - what is it?" excites many parents and people far from rap. In fact, almost everyone met the artist’s compositions, which hides under this nickname, we’ll tell you more about him.
The origin of the nickname
First of all, to answer the question: "Legalization - what is it?", You need to turn to the English language. This nickname is quite provocative, because it comes from the English word legalise, which translates as legalization, and is usually used in relation to soft drugs, namely marijuana. In many countries, they are legally permitted, and in some US states this substance is used to reduce intraocular pressure for glaucoma or is prescribed by doctors for depression.
Andrey Menshikov is now better known as Legalize, since that was the name of his first group. No one knows why he called the band that way, but many believe that the subtext was in the legalization of rap in our country. At the moment when the performer began his career, there were practically no artists who chose this genre, except for the bachelor party group, which was forbidden for rotation.
A bit about this artist
You can not talk about: who is Legalize, what is his work and how he became famous, without a brief curriculum vitae. Like many modern rappers, this performer was born in an
intelligent family. His father is a professor of chemistry of world magnitude. Andrei received a basic musical education, which helped him a lot when writing compositions, although it was not finished.
Later he engaged in karate and gave him 7 years of his life, and then rap came into his life. He tried to follow in his father's footsteps and entered the University of Chemical Technology. However, he did not complete the training in it either. Since he joined the DOB together with his group Slingshot
Immediately after the recording of the first English-language album, Legalize leaves for the Congo, which means his act is still unknown. There he continued to engage in hip hop with the band AERO. This allowed him to expand his knowledge of this area and gain invaluable experience, which he used already in Moscow.
Creative way
A year later, Legalization continued to work under the DOB brand. He recorded an already Russian-language album, which quickly made him recognizable and popular among fans of this direction. Later, Jam Style & Da Boogi team included his recitations in the clip “You Wanted to Party”. He earned great popularity on MTV, which attracted the attention of producer
Legal Tolmatsky, better known as the father of rapper Decl, to Legalization. He included him in the famous group "Legal Business $$", which soared to the top of the charts due to the hit, using Victor Tsoi's song “A pack of cigarettes”.
From that moment, he composed Legalization songs for Decl, participated in two groups at once (the second Bad Balance), and actively developed in terms of creativity. He was loved by the public because he absolutely did not repeat. Each composition was unique and loved. It was his lines sung by Decl fans.
But then Legalize again made an unusual act, at the peak of popularity he was leaving for Prague. In a farewell note, he deprived himself of the right to vote in Russian hip-hop and renounced his previous work. After a short time, the Bad Balance alliance fell apart, which created a conflict between the League and Sheff.
Participation in the creation of soundtracks
Upon his return to Russia, he creates his own label "Intelligent Hooligan Productions". Under it, he was finally able to release his first solo album, as well as several sensational hits. Until that time, Legalization released albums only in association with other artists, although he had been working on stage for more than ten years.
In 2005, his solo track from this album immediately received a nomination from MTV, and then a series of successes followed. His track “No Love, No Longing, No Pity” became the title track in the movie “Bastards” and was loved not only by hip-hop lovers. Almost with this box office tape on one of the Russian channels, the series “Club” was released, the soundtrack of which was also written by the League.
Also, the track “Future Moms” was included in the debut album, which confirmed that it’s worth watching the Legalization videos. Actors from the series “Club” starred in it, and the audience liked the production. This clip was in rotation of all music channels, and on MTV it occupied the top lines of the summary charts. Later, work on the soundtrack for the film "Black Lightning", which he wrote with the group "Bi-2", was added to the piggy bank of achievements.
Creativity today
In 2015, a new clip of Legalize feat. ONYX, which conquers the charts. He is close to all modern people, so not only hip-hop lovers loved the track. The clip talks about people who are stressed. Everyone needs a way out for accumulating energy, the League and his associate suggest using creativity for this. They identify rap with a kind of “Boxing Club”.
On Cosmonautics Day 2015, Legalization again surprises the public and releases a joint video with Trubetskoy called “Gagarin”. For the rapper, this was a step into the territory of Russian rock and underground.
Rappers often make joint tracks with rockers, one of the most famous was the duet Jay-Z & Linkin Park, so it cannot be said that the technique used by the League is new. The clip for this track was shot in Kiev.
Album
In December 2016, a new album, "Live", was released, which became the long-awaited continuation of the debut album. It is not yet known how successful it will be, but there is a tendency to this. When recording, various techniques were used, a mixture of genres and the support of famous singers and groups.