Alexander Zhvakin penned his first poems at 15 and made his way to Moscow two years later to pursue music. After features on mixtapes, he dropped his solo debut in 2010 and it became a cult hit, blending the art of rhymed verse with the effervescent energy of EDM. His early work paints the rush of letting go in psychedelic swirls of sound—but Loc-Dog has since tailored his style to reflect his personal growth. The wrench of label disputes and the transience of fame reveal themselves in the rapper’s visceral delivery, backed by haunting beats shot through with moments of wonder.