Ukrainian rapper OTOY expresses his nation’s resistance against Russian invaders in his music, portraying the experiences associated with it and its impact on emotional well-being. Born in Lviv in 1998, the musician lost his older brother in his homeland’s war with the invaders and himself volunteered on the front lines to help search for and identify the fallen. Unlike many other rappers, OTOY propagates a respectful attitude towards women and the preservation of local cultural traditions in his lyrics, as well as encourages young people to be responsible when voting. He predominantly raps in his native language, with only a few songs in EN.

OTOY became fascinated with music since childhood and was introduced to hip-hop when his mother gifted him a cassette tape with recordings of “Tribe Called Quest.” At the beginning of his musical journey, he played with friends who were guitarists on the streets, listened to American rappers at home, worked in theater, scored films and video games, participated in literary evenings, using his surname Drofa as a pseudonym. Under the stage name OTOY, he had his first performance in 2020. So far, he has released several singles and EPs, as well as three full-length albums. He has participated in several music festivals, while also continuing to work in the field of virtual design, creating applications.

“I am proud of Ukrainians who stay in their homeland, fighting with Putin’s army until the last breath. Russians have long crossed all the red lines, there is no turning back, and we have to fight to the end. Even when this war eventually ends, I have no idea what we will do with our experiences afterwards,” says Vjacheslavs, who also performed in Liverpool at the Eurovision Song Contest stage last year, praised by the British media “The Independent” for his skillful rhyming and organic rhythm. The popular Ukrainian singer Ivan Dorn has also dedicated flattering words to him as a significant figure in his country’s culture.