Russian hip-hop first emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Former breakdancers Malchishnik kicked the scene into gear with their old-school sound, while Bad Balance further popularised the genre with their 1994 album Naletchiki Bad B, as Kasta raised a glass to NY's Wu-Tang Clan. But it was Kirpichi who served up a different dish entirely—an alternative rock band fronted by a rapper.