Aitys in Karakalpak culture is a poetic duel where two akyns exchange rhymed improvisations accompanied by a national instrument. How is that not a rap battle? This genre was part of the folk tradition, both for the Karakalpaks and related peoples. Poet Azhiniyaz, for example, participated in an aitys with the Kazakh poetess Mengesh. Their verses are still memorized to this day, just as, for example, people remember the famous battle between Oxxxymiron and Johnyboy. It's no wonder that rap took root so organically in Karakalpakstan. Local MCs simply continued the tradition, only now with beats and microphones.
The end of the zeroes as ice age
The first rap groups in Karakalpakstan emerged in the early 2000s. Hip-hop enthusiasts from Nukus and other cities formed teams, inspired by Kazakh and Russian rap. "The first ones we had were Double B and MC.Rus (may he rest in peace). The guys from the 22nd Microdistrict and Kirpich-zavod made the most noise. They constantly had conflicts, which is why people were interested in them," recalls former rapper Dub-D.
One of these is the group Crazy Breakers (Crazy B). They have released three albums. Their most famous tracks are "Dolce&Gabanna" with Marianna Shagieva and "Dildora" with DJ Miran. In terms of sound, it's something between "Kasta" and early 1klass: a street vibe, direct lyrics, and a dense beat. The guys recorded tracks in Russian, combining them with modern beats. In the early 2000s, one of the first Karakalpak rap albums was released — Renaissance vol.1.
The sound was underground: simple beats, DIY recording. By the end of the decade, Karakalpakstan had already formed its own small scene with several groups and individual artists. The themes of the tracks varied: from "[dishonest girls] and money" to gangsta vibes, love, and lyricism. There were also more serious tracks: for example, "Father's Last Words," written by Crazy B in memory of his deceased father, which sounds like a touching story about loss and a difficult fate.
Another notable artist on the Karakalpak scene is DJ Miran. He is known for many tracks and still actively releases music. His hit "Don Juan" is known by heart by almost all local youth. The music video is a true portal to Nukus of the 2000s: girls in open clothing, streets, courtyards, and the young DJ Miran himself.
In the 2010s, Karakalpak rap began to actively spread on VKontakte and Odnoklassniki. In groups like "Nukus Rap", one could exchange tracks, organize online battles, and discuss new releases. These groups were active until recently. In one such community, the rapper BUNTAY21 wrote: "Double B22 — another checkmark. This is not a war of 21 vs 22, it's a rap battle. Our war (battle) has simply been continuing since 2008."
Who is who in Karakalpak rap
Many Karakalpak performers are bilingual or even trilingual—they grew up on Russian and Kazakh rap, which was popular throughout the CIS. Some MCs inserted Russian lines or released entire tracks in Russian to reach a wider audience.
"The very first rap performers in Russian were, of course, Crazy Bee and 'Plast Sostavit'. These guys were the pioneers. And then, if you take the whole industry, the micro-district cyphers began," recalls rapper and showman Ruslan Tarantino.
Some performers who wrote in Karakalpak or Kazakh later moved to Kazakhstan. For example, King Lider (Khursan Turdiev) continued his career there, releasing the album «What Yesenin Didn't Have Time to Write». In 2019, according to one of the rap public pages, he was detained for the music video «Zamannyn Jamany», which features typical gangsta visuals: handguns, money, and girls.
MC.Rus, also known as KZ_PRO and ULT1MATUM, started, like many, in 2009. His first album had the poetic title «My Voice is a Dark Fog, Crying in the Clouds». The most recognizable track became «Dauletova Victoria» — a story of unhappy love that quickly spread across Nukus and is still remembered by old-school fans. The rapper himself passed away in 2021.
There were other names as well. For example, Dub-D & T-Shunk — they are biological brothers. The latter now works as a DJ and performs at the "Element" festival. The artists recall that they started rapping back in their school days — first just for fun, and later on a more serious basis. They only rapped about themselves — this style is called "Represent".
«Normal» prize for a rap battle
"Beefs we only had in battles. My brother and I took first places in Nukus back then. The first Karakalpak rap battle was called Yokomoto Prod. My brother took first place, and I took second. At that time, everyone wanted to battle us, to feature with us," says T-Shunk. The second member of the duo, rapper Dub-D, recalls that they had almost no battles at that time — all the "hype" was happening online in Kazakhstan. According to him, the most famous battles were considered AshQazaqBattle, KulsaryBattle, and OrtaJuzzBattle.
"First, you had to register, then on a specific date they announced the theme of the first round and the deadline for submitting the track. The weaker ones were filtered out, and then the one-on-one rounds began: two MCs were pitted against each other, given a theme and a deadline. Whoever made the stronger track advanced further. And so on—until the final," he explains.
Rappers mostly performed their lyrics in Kazakh — possibly because Kazakhstani rap was considered mainstream at the time."We saw rap as a way to express ourselves, share our thoughts, position, and become famous. And since there was really a lot of rap, every third teenager tried to rap and stand out somehow," recalls Dub-D.
He admits that almost none of the "old guard" remains now. "For me personally, rap in Karakalpakstan ended in 2016, when I myself stopped writing and performing. But I wouldn't say it died. Rather, it just quieted down and ceased to be mainstream. I want to believe that we too will have our own artists, like in Kazakhstan — ones who will take the CIS by storm, like Kislo-Sladkiy, IK, Jaman T, Captown, and others," says Dub-D.
In the 2010s, Karakalpak rap gained strength: new MCs emerged, and the quality of beats and recordings improved. Battles began—first on the streets and in stairwells, later online and on stage. In Nukus, rappers competed between neighborhoods, defending the honor of their district. Tournaments like Nukus Rap Battle were held. In 2017, enthusiasts from the QarekenMuz Sound team organized a battle for a "normal," meaning monetary, trophy.
Mix of Savage and Yanix
With the development of social media, Karakalpak rap has reached a new level — studio releases and high-quality music videos have emerged. In 2023, the track «Ajaga qalaysan» by Akon (QR) became a hit, amassing over 194,000 views. Other veterans of the Karakalpak rap scene, Ilkhom Endigo and Ruslan Tarantino, recently released a track about the social problems of young Nukus residents. The "Current Time" channel filmed a documentary about Ilkhom himself and his friends.
One of the Karakalpak rappers — Kebzaru (currently on a creative break) — recalls that he first became interested in rap at the age of 8–9, when his brother was recording tracks and participating in online battles. His brother listened to everything: Crazy Chab (a famous Khorezmian rapper), 50 Cent, Basta, Guf, AK-47. In his childhood, Kebzaru himself was most influenced by Guf, and later by Yanix and artists from Atlanta.
"Most likely, my style was most influenced by Yanix. And among English-speaking artists, when I was a bit older — Migos, 21 Savage, Future, Drake. I was really into them back then, especially when I lived in Ukraine," says Kebzaru.
He started writing poetry as early as the fourth or fifth grade, later becoming fascinated with battle rap—following ST, Oxxxymiron, and Slava KPSS. In school, he also battled with friends—mostly in explicit form, but with passion. According to him, his first tracks were generally well-received by his peers. By the age of 17–18, he had begun writing on more serious topics—social, motivational, sometimes lyrical, and even patriotic.
He uses religious meanings covertly — in the form of Easter eggs in the text. He considers the track «Men buni» to be the most important — about life's path, homeland, and social problems. "80% from life, 20% — fiction. Sometimes I make something up, like 'Mercedes' — well, it's clear that's an image," explains Kebzaru.
Even in a closed Telegram channel where music wasn't allowed to be shared, his tracks spread and "exploded" among the audience. After a two-year absence in Nukus, he returned and was surprised to realize he was recognized as a rapper. In his opinion, the strength of Karakalpak rap lies in its references to the language and history of the people. Even when rapping in Russian, he tries to insert Karakalpak words and samples to preserve the cultural connection. At its peak, his tracks gathered up to 4,500 listens.
"I would like to do a feature with Scriptonite. I think he would like Karakalpak," he shares.
Uncensored Karakalpak language
In Uzbekistan, Uzbek-language rap has become mainstream, but censored — artists are required to sing about traditions, obtain licenses, and avoid sensitive topics. In contrast, Karakalpak rap has managed to avoid the close scrutiny of censors due to its limited audience. This has allowed it to cover a broader range of themes in its lyrics — from social issues to youth protest — although almost no one speaks openly about politics.
Languages also differ: Karakalpak is closer to Kazakh — with hard phonetics and rhymes, while Uzbek sounds softer. This gives Karakalpak tracks a unique and unfamiliar sound for the wider Uzbek-speaking audience. In 2022–2023, interest in Karakalpak culture increased due to the tragic events in Karakalpakstan.
"The Kazakhs have their own style, the Uzbeks — everything is censored. Karakalpak is in between: not as soft as Uzbek, and not as harsh as Kazakh. It sounds pleasant, balanced. That's why I choose to read in my own language," says one Karakalpak rapper, who requested anonymity.
By 2025, the Karakalpak rap scene continues to develop: new tracks are released, new names emerge. While Russian-language rap has a huge market and is often commercialized, and Uzbek rap is popular in Tashkent and the regions, Karakalpak rap remains niche and intimate: it features more local realities (mentions of hometowns, the lifestyle of the steppe region, social issues), and less of the glamour and pathos of the big stage.
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