Slim Essentials

Fired up by early-'90s U.S. hip-hop sounds, prolific Muscovite producer and rapper Vadim Motylev, best known as Slim, put his mind to making beats and writing rhymes. Influenced by the likes of Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube, he cemented his hardcore sound with the groups Smokescreen and Centr—but it wasn't until 2009 that he released a debut solo album, It's Cold. Classic boom-bap beats and sumptuous instrumentation support his laid-back, deep and gritty vocals. This showcase of the Russian gangsta-rap guru's tracks is packed with critical cuts and smoking collaborations.