Biography
Lesha Swick is a performer who has gained some fame among fans of rap music, working closely with such representatives of the trend as Homie, Vnuk, Dramma, 4atty aka Tilla from “Mushrooms”. At the beginning of his career, the musician himself described his own creativity as having no specific direction and free from boundaries, coming from the heart and soul.
About the Puzzle group
Lesha Svik and Marie Crimebreri (Photo by @alex_svik)
Lesha Svik (Photo by @alex_svik)
Anna Sedokova and Lesha Svik (Photo @alex_svik)
Lesha Svik (Photo by @alex_svik)
Lesha Svik (Photo by @alex_svik)
Lesha Svik (Photo by @alex_svik)
And boom - we met Vitya Appledream and created the Puzzle group with him and another guy. I was already really singing, as it seemed to me at that time, quite well. But it didn’t go far, there seemed to be listeners, and we even gathered a concert in Yekaterinburg for 300 people. After it, we realized that we had to split up on solo projects.
Childhood and youth
Lesha Svik according to his passport is Alexey Igorevich Norkitovich. The rapper was born in November 1990 into a family with Jewish and Polish roots. The singer’s small homeland is Yekaterinburg, a city considered the capital of informal music.
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A post shared by Lesha Svik (@alex_svik) on Feb 25, 2020 at 11:09am PST
Lesha Svik and his mother
There are no details about the early years of the musician; meticulous fans only find meager details of his biography from thematic sites on the Internet. But judging by the posts on his pages on social networks, not all was well in the family - instead of bedtime stories, the boy heard swearing and screaming. Alexey's education was limited to nine grades. Then the guy worked for about 5 years as a cook and sushi chef.
Alexey became interested in rap as a child. Idols included Eminem and Jared Leto. Over time, the guy became acquainted with the work of other representatives of this direction and took something for himself from each. When choosing a stage name, Alexey decided not to limit the flight of fantasy. The nickname Swick is a modification of “crazy.” This is how a friend from the yard approached Alexey as a child when he voiced his dream of becoming a rapper. The word sounded like “squeaked” - the neighbor could not pronounce the letter “x”.
Childhood
The biography of Lesha Svik is closely connected with musical activities. The performer was born into an ordinary family, in which no one was famous for musical talent and did not gravitate toward music. The passion for rap came as a surprise to parents.
Already at the age of 9, the boy, having heard enough of Eminem, tried to write his own lyrics, but realized that they did not deserve worthy attention, so he kept them secret. There is not much information about the musician’s family itself. According to some sites created by fans, Lesha’s parents often argued, so instead of bedtime stories, he listened to screams.
Lesha Svik with her mother
Perhaps the boy’s hobbies were influenced by the atmosphere of the city itself. It’s not for nothing that Yekaterinburg is considered the capital of informal music. In one of his interviews, the guy shared his memories: “We had our own company in the yard. We painted graffiti on the walls, wore wide trousers and rapped. Sometimes I even had to fight with skinheads.”
Interesting fact: Lesha considers Eminem and Jared Leto to be his idols.
Music
The first song presented to the audience was the composition “Last Rain”. However, Lesha Svik gained popularity as a member of a group called Puzzle. The team, in addition to Lesha, included Appledream (Viktor Ovsyankin) and Fami (Efim Kartashev). When asked where the name of the group came from - Puzzle, Alexey replied that, as far as he remembers, he suggested it: after the unification, the musicians who had existed separately before coincided like puzzles in spirit and understanding of where to move next.
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A post shared by Lesha Svik (@alex_svik) on Jan 18, 2020 at 1:13am PST
Lesha Svik in his youth
Friends announced joining a team in 2013, but just a year later Efim left the group. In 2015, Swick and Appledream released the album “The Painted World.” A little later, everyone went their separate ways. Based on mutual posts on the same social networks, the conclusion suggests itself that the musicians have maintained friendly relations.
At the beginning of his creative career, Lesha Svik did not spoil his fans with albums, since his solo career was just gaining momentum. Over time, the sound has changed: this is not the usual rap in the classical sense, but rather EDM, a mix of dance hall and melancholy hip-hop recitative, capable of turning on the audience of any club establishment. However, the lyrics of Lesha’s songs remained just as frank and harsh, for example, the joint work with Dzhios and Giga (JC) “Beloved”. Critics classify Lesha Svik's work as lyrical rap.
Lesha Swick - “Bitch”
Back in 2014, Lesha Swick took part in the recording of Homi’s albums “Cocaine” and “Flashback” by ChipaChip, and released the album “After Yesterday,” consisting of 7 collaborations, with the Ukrainian rapper Vnuk.
In addition, Alexey is known for his very fruitful collaboration with the rap artist Dramma. Swick recorded with him “Nymphomaniac”, “Angels and Demons”, “Don’t Lean”, “Rondo” and more than a dozen songs. Videos were shot for “Ocean”, “Rico”, “It Doesn’t Hurt”. In 2015, Lesha Svik recorded 3 tracks for Tbili’s album “Happy End”. Some of Alexey’s independent compositions include “Dancing Barefoot,” “Vanity,” and “Slacker.”
Lesha Swick - “Smoke”
In the spring of 2020, Lesha released the album “Zero Degrees” together with Grandson. In reviews of the disc, the musicians were called street romantics of our time. The record, as usual, is not without profanity; the tracks combine Vnuk’s talent for writing truly romantic lyrics and the professionalism of Svik’s vocal abilities.
Although the difference between the two performers is noticeable: if Vnuk is considered by critics to be a representative of the old, truly rap school, then in Alexey’s performance there is a deviation into pop music. In addition, both fans and experts often speak negatively about the fact that Lesha Swick abuses auto-tune in his songs.
Lesha Swick - “I want to dance”
The artist’s next catchy club track, “I Want to Dance,” became a real hit, collecting millions of views on YouTube and getting into rotation on such stations as DFM, Like FM and New Radio. As the artist later said, he recorded this hit in just half an hour at the request of the producers of the Warner Music Group label, with whom he intended to sign a contract.
In the fall of 2017, Svik presented a video for the song, shot by video director Georgy Lizunov, known for his work with ARTESS, Vova Prime, and Yan Gordienko. Roman Shelest, who is also known under the name CVPELLV, was responsible for the arrangement.
Lesha Swick - “Crimson Light”
Towards the end of the same year, Swick presented fans with the song “Hostage”. In January 2018, the premiere of the new single “#Undressed” took place. The year was fruitful for new hits, many of which were included in the track list of Lesha’s first studio album “Youth”. These are the tracks “Don’t Forget”, “Different People”, and the single “Smoke”, created in a duet with O'Neill Remix.
The song “Crimson Light”, for which a video later appeared, caused a great resonance among the musician’s fans. According to the performer, he dedicated it to his ex-girlfriend, whom he dated for 4 years. For his work on the track, the rapper received a nomination for the Russian National Music Award in the category “Best Dance Hit of the Year.”
Lesha Svik and Anna Sedokova - “Shantaram”
Lesha also pleased fans with collaborations with Sasha Klepa (“Nearby”), Intriga, Xamm and Vis-Avi (“I won’t give it to anyone”), and with Mekhman (“Dreamers”). The bright premiere of the year was the track “Shantaram”, created in a duet with Anna Sedokova. The artist spoke with admiration on social networks about the opportunity to work together with her colleague from Yekaterinburg.
Musical creativity
The young man began his musical career by performing his own song “The Last Rain.” The composition was loved by listeners online and he decided not to stop there. After this, he becomes a member of the Puzzle group. Together with Appledream (Victor Ovsyankin) and Fami (Efim Kartashev) they record the first tracks and post them on the Internet.
The creation of the group was announced in 2013, but soon Fami left the team. Swick and Appledream remain together and release the album “The Painted World,” but the duo also quickly breaks up. Judging by the posts and comments on social networks, it is worth noting that the collapse occurred peacefully and without quarrels.
After this, Lesha Swick began his solo career. He actively worked in duets with other famous musicians: Gios and Giga (JC), Tbilis, Ahimas, Ukrainian rap artist Vnuk. All these performances and joint songs were important in the career of the young performer, but one of the most important pages was working with Dramma. The singers recorded the song “Paranoia”, which became super popular. All compositions performed by the musician are called lyrical rap by critics.
In 2020, Svik recorded the album “Zero Degrees” with Grandson. The musicians actively use profanity in their tracks. The album is very popular and in demand among fans.
After this he begins to perform solo. Many of Swick's songs were striking in their frankness. The years 2020 and 2020 became the most productive in Alexey’s work. He has been nominated for several music awards and has performed at major venues.
Thousands of fans follow Svik on social networks, and his clips are viewed tens of thousands of times.
Personal life
Lesha Svik’s heartfelt passions are a secret, like much else in his life. In an interview in 2020, the singer said that he lived in Astrakhan for a short time - he moved there for his beloved. In the new place, the young man had time to write music; Lesha found himself in demand at the recording studio. But his hobby had a negative impact on his relationship with the girl. After breaking up with his beloved, Swick returned to Yekaterinburg. According to unconfirmed information, his girlfriend's name was Ekaterina Lugakova.
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A post shared by Lesha Svik (@alex_svik) on Jan 31, 2020 at 11:57am PST
Lesha Svik
Later, the rapper was credited with a relationship with the Ukrainian performer Marie Crimebreri and Anna Sedokova, with whom he worked on joint tracks. The artist himself prefers to refrain from answering questions about his personal life, although at the end of 2018 he stated that his heart is free. His wife and children will not appear in his life soon - now Lesha is passionate about creativity.
Swick shares her life principles, opinions on a given situation, as well as current photos on her Twitter page. From there you can find out that the musician is not interested in battles popular in the rap community, or some modern canons of female beauty, he loves to eat delicious food. He has two cats at home. In his free time, Swick is busy watching football matches and cheering for the Spanish club Barcelona.
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A post shared by Lesha Svik (@alex_svik) on May 11, 2020 at 8:27am PDT
Lesha Swick in 2020
On his personal accounts on social networks, Lesha Swick posted advertisements for assistance in mixing and writing texts, of course, for a fee. And a video spread on the Internet in which Alexey’s name was mentioned along with other musicians who “cheat” people who turn to them out of money.
At the same time, on a website dedicated to the work of rappers from the post-Soviet space, screenshots of SMS correspondence between victims and musicians accused of deception were cited as evidence. Swick himself never commented on this fact.
Personal life and wife of Lesha Svik
Alexey, in a conversation with the host of the “Rumor Has It” program, admitted that he had a difficult and sad experience of a serious long-distance relationship. He said that he had been communicating with the girl on the Internet for many months.
Then his chosen one moved to Yekaterinburg, they lived together for 4 years. According to Swick, after some time he began to suspect possible betrayals on the part of his beloved. Subsequently, his suspicions were confirmed.
https://youtu.be/r9uc76Vf6QI
They parted painfully. The singer dedicated the songs “Crimson Smoke” and “Planes” to this stage of his private life. He did not name the chosen one. But fans analyzed joint photos of young people on social networks and suggested that her name was Ekaterina Lugakova.
The rapper admitted that in 2020, after his popularity collapsed, he had a lot of easy relationships and alcohol. But he declares that he wants a normal relationship and is ready for it. The star's name was associated with his stage colleagues, with whom he sang a duet.
Swick spoke warmly about Anna Sedokova and spoke of her as a bright and good person. Later, rumors appeared online about his affair with Olga Buzova, who posted a photo on her Instagram page with a luxurious bouquet from Alexey.
With Olga Buzova
He was also credited with a romantic relationship with Marie Crimebreri. But the artist does not confirm all this gossip.
Not much is known about his hobbies. Swick is a devoted fan of the Barcelona football club. He has two cats at home. The rapper enjoys following the work of the band Thirty Seconds to Mars with frontman Jaret Leto. The musician has a tattoo on his arm dedicated to his favorite band.
Lesha Swick now
At the beginning of 2020, the rapper presented a video for the single “Planes.” The song itself appeared a year earlier. In the video, which was created in the form of a mini-film about love and hate, the main female role was played by Kristina Anufrieva, an actress and former gymnast. The singer’s next new hit was the track “Bitch.”
Lesha Swick - “Planes”
And by March, the duet “Kiss on the Balcony” was released, in the creation of which Olga Buzova participated. The song turned out to be so bright that fans of the musicians’ work began to speculate about the sincerity of Lesha and Olga’s feelings for each other.
They continued to intrigue the audience: on March 8, Swick presented Buzova with a chic bouquet, a photo of which the singer posted on Instagram, and later, at a joint concert, he gave his colleague a passionate kiss right on stage during the performance of the song.
Lesha Svik and Olga Buzova - “Kiss on the Balcony”
Alexey continues to perform concerts in clubs across Russian cities. The musician posts his performance schedules on his Instagram and VKontakte pages. In the first half of 2020, the performer held performances in major cities of Russia, Ukraine, as well as in the capitals of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Popularity
Alexey's solo career is beginning to gain momentum, but at the same time he has not released many albums. Compared to the work he had previously (during the period when he was in the group “ Puzzle ”), the sound has changed. Alexey began to perform not just classic and familiar rap, but something similar to EDM. His hip-hop chant gets the audience moving. The performance has changed, but the lyrics have not lost their uniqueness - they are frank and sharp. Swick's work as lyrical rap. In 2014, Swick took part in the recording of the albums “ Cocaine ” by Homi and “ Flashback ” by ChipaChip. Then he released a collection together with rapper of Ukrainian origin Vnuk called “ After Yesterday ”. It consists of seven compositions. In the same year, the album “ There Will Be No Morning ” was created - a collaboration between Svik, Tyoma Khodas and SanRaw. In 2020, the rapper pleased listeners with the song “ Cooled Down ”, and in 2020 – “ Heavenly Dependents ”.
Lyosha Svik rapper
Svik's fame was further enhanced by his collaboration with the musical performer Dramma . Together they recorded more than a dozen songs, the most notable of them being “ Don’t Lean ”, “ Nymphomaniac ”, “ Rondo ”, “ Angels and Demons ”, “ Rico ”, “ Ocean ”. Videos were shot for the last two compositions. For Tbili's entitled “ Happy End ,” Swick wrote three tracks .
Some of Svik's most impressive tracks include " Vanity ", " Slacker ", " Dancing Barefoot " and " Jim Beam ".
Who is Lesha Swick - another 2018 hitmaker
Stories about how a rapper, who has been underground for a long time, switches to a dance beat and begins to explode the charts, it seems, we will hear more and more often in 2018. You already know about Eldzhey; Zomb and Lesha Swick, new hitmakers from the depths of VKontakte, are following in his footsteps.
Swick, a resident of Yekaterinburg, until 2020 recorded “lyrics” - sentimental rap for girls’ public pages, like the rap boy band Kavabanga Depo Kolibri. And then he recorded the house track “I want to dance” - and it took off. Now his videos are gaining millions of views, he himself is going on tour, and his songs are easy to find in the “Popular” section of VKontakte. He will soon release his debut album and a new video. Here's what else you need to know about Swick.
— HE’S FROM THE URAL, BUT HAS NOT LISTENED TO URAL RAP
I was nine years old, then many people wore wide pants and listened to Caste. I had a player, the first cassette that was given was Eminem. I started writing songs at the same age, naturally, it was complete nonsense. Then everything began to change, groups like AK-47 appeared in our city. I have not heard this music; it passed me by. At that age I was more interested in battle rap - V-Station and so on. All my friends from the yard listened to Vitya AK, and at the age of 16 I registered on some website, started participating in battles, and recorded my first rap.
— HE WORKED WITH THE PRODUCER OF THE GROUP KAVABANGA DEPO KOLIBRI
I started with battle rap, but then things took a different turn. I don’t know why I didn’t write tracks about heads or drugs, like we did in Yekaterinburg. Instead, I began to record “lyrics” and moved from Yekaterinburg to another city for a month. Then I came back again, my friend and I created the first group Puzzle, I started singing. Then another participant joined us - Fahmi, beatmaker Arseny Troshin, Agil Ashurov - he was promoting the group Kavabanga Depo Kolibri - and Sasha Keam, sound engineer. We started working, making lyrical tracks, but things didn’t really move forward. As a result, the group broke up and I began working solo.
We ourselves probably did not understand what the second CDC was doing. It may have sounded a little different, but overall the direction was the same. Agil is a SMM specialist, he started promoting us on the same public pages as KDK - but this didn’t work out the second time. We only had one concert in Yekaterinburg, about 300 people came. After that it was all over, everyone started doing their own thing.
The group broke up two years ago, I continued to write “lyrics”. Nothing happened, I still had no concerts. Plus, audience activity has dropped. I understood that the new tracks weren’t taking off, that without promo they wouldn’t work. Something else was needed.
— HE STARTED MAKING DANCE RAP NOT YESTERDAY
I recorded my first dance track when Loc-Dog’s album “Electrodog” came out. At that time there were no LJs yet, and there was no competition in this direction, it was a phenomenon - and they did not pay attention to others who did the same. Well, I recorded a couple of tracks for drum and bass, they came in - roughly speaking, people in Yekaterinburg listened to them. Then I moved away from it, it didn’t work out for me with dancing, I tried again and gave up.
And in the summer of 2017, Warner Music wrote to me. They liked the creativity and wanted to hear something else. I sent five “lyrical” demos, they said: “Everything is cool! But we would like something else, because we work with radio, and they need more danceable tracks.” I say: “No problem,” before that, the chorus of the song “I want to dance” was spinning in my head for a month. I wrote it down, sent it to them, and the next day they wrote to me: “Everything is cool, we’ll take it.” From that moment I started making house rap!
When people write to me: “I changed my shoes!”, I don’t even want to prove anything to them. Guys, I did this in 2009, in 2013 - who knows, knows. They write to me: “Go back to the lyrics,” but I’ve been doing these “lyrics” for so many years - and why? He gave one concert!
The story with house rap is that a lot of rappers think, “If one of them blows up, then I’ll blow up.” I have friends who look at me and think: “Right now I’ll do the same.” He records a house track, sends it to me, I think: “Fuck, dude, you even copied the words exactly the same.” It's like when the KDK was blown up, everyone started doing the same, but no one succeeded.
— HIS ALBUM “YOUTH” IS COMING SOON. CONCEPTUAL!
The album will be called “Youth”. Its concept will be as follows: the album is like one party. It was as if I got together with friends, burst into the hut, hung out, woke up, and went crazy. An example is the film “Project X” - when listening to the album, you have to imagine that you are at this party. At any party, some kind of shit always happens - and it will all be on the album.
Coolest party ever? It was a friend’s birthday, she was turning 20 years old. She worked as a stripper and rented a cottage for three days. Everyone from her work came, about 20-30 people, and we hung out with these strippers for three days. What a f*ck it was there! From one fat striptease sticking a billiard ball up her ass to a guy sliding off a roof on a skateboard.
— HE RESPECTS TEMNIKOVA, BUT HE DIDN’T GET A STAR
I had a concert in Nizhny Novgorod on March 26, it was crazy, 1200 people came. I thought a lot of people would come because it was a school party and school kids always like to party. And the tickets are inexpensive. I thought that 20 percent would come to me. And I can even show you a video now: at the concert, 99% sang along to the song “I want to dance.” And all the other tracks were sung in unison.
Dude, I grew up at Uralmash - and I still can’t get used to what’s happening. I don’t have that “Holy crap, I’m a star.” It is popular today, but not tomorrow. Sometimes people find out. Recently I was getting a haircut in a barbershop, the guy who was cutting the hair said: “Lekha, what, are you into music?” I say: “Well, you know my name!” So, I’m doing it.”
I really love the performer Elena Temnikova, and then we met on the “Music of the First” TV channel. I gave a speech, after the performance she came up, met me, and then followed me on Instagram. I was shocked, she is very cool! An ordinary simple person, as if I grew up with her in the same area, and then saw her a few years later.
“Analysis: the rapper earned 10 million for the label, but he didn’t even receive 3 million - how can this be?”
