Big Baby Tape

**Big Baby Tape**, also known as **DJ Tape** (real name **Yegor Rakitin**), was born on January 5, 2000, in Moscow, Russian Federation. He is a trap artist and sound producer from Moscow and the creator of the creative association Benzo Gang.

## Biography and musical career

### Early period: youth, beginning of a musical career

Born on January 5, 2000, Yegor Rakitin has two twin brothers who are two years younger than him. His introduction to rap occurred at the age of 4 when he first heard songs by 50 Cent, leaving a lasting impression on the young artist. Later, he was exposed to the songs of Gucci Mane, which significantly influenced his current work. At the age of six, when asked by an aunt about his future aspirations, Yegor expressed his desire to become a rapper. At the age of 12, he began learning to create music using the Fruity Loops program, introduced to him by his sister's friend. Initially, he pressed random buttons, struggling to understand the software, and abandoned it. However, a year later, Yegor returned to work with the program, dedicating himself to creating beats (hip-hop instrumentals) with short breaks for several years. His key influences in beatmaking included Madlib, DJ Zinc, DJ Rashad, DJ Smokey, and DJ Paul. At the age of 15, Yegor adopted the pseudonym DJ Tape and considered releasing an instrumental music album titled DJ Tape 2000, though this project did not come to fruition due to quality concerns. Subsequently, he decided to pursue rap under the name Big Baby Tape.

### 2017–2018: Hoodrich Tales - Dragonborn

In May 2017, Egor's Cookin' Anthems, his first 4-track mini-tape, was released. In late 2017, the rapper, Feduk, noticed Egor listening to his songs on Instagram Stories, which marked the beginning of Egor's wider recognition. In an interview for the "vDud" show, Feduk declared Big Baby Tape to be one of his top two favorite rappers, bringing him significant exposure. Subsequently, Yegor began selling instrumentals to fellow artists.

In 2018, Egor gained attention from major artists such as Kizaru, Boulevard Depo, Face, and Pharaoh. On March 8, 2018, he released a collaborative single with Feduk titled "Hustle Tales." On June 1, 2018, his debut mini-album, Hoodrich Tales, was released, featuring guest appearances by Polyana (MellowBite), Alizade, Boulevard Depo, Feduk, and Egor's alter ego, Tape LaFlare. The album received recognition, ranking 37th on the "50 Best Russian Albums of 2018" by the hip-hop portal The Flow.

On November 16, 2018, Egor released his debut studio album, Dragonborn, under the Warner Music Russia label, with contributions from Boulevard Depo, Husky, Jeembo, i61, White Punk, and others. Shortly after the album's release, the track "Gimme the Loot" topped various music charts, surpassing works by Feduk, Элджей, Travis Scott's "Sicko Mode," and Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" on the Genius website.

### 2019–2021: Breakup of Benzo Gang, ARGUMENTS & FACTS

On March 8, 2019, a half-hour video was published on the official YouTube channel of Benzo Gang, wherein Egor discussed their history, team dynamics, and relationships with team members. During the monologue, it was revealed that the team's disintegration was partly due to low productivity among the participants. Initially, Egor guided Dope V, Cash Choppa, and LilJPlug to leave the association. The video particularly highlighted his strained relationship with Dimebag Plugg, citing issues with the law, drugs, finances, hypocrisy, and a lack of activity within the team as the primary reasons for the tension. The video concluded with Egor expressing negative sentiments towards Dimebag.

On May 10, 2019, Egor released his second mini-album, "Arguments & Facts." The album stirred controversy as it included an unauthorized sample of Leavemealone's song "Face," leading to accusations of plagiarism by the Florida rapper.

Following these events, Big Baby Tape took a break and released only a few tracks over a year and a half. In 2020, on the second anniversary of the Dragonborn album, he announced his work on the LaFlare album, set to be released in 2021.

### 2021 - present: Collaboration with Kizaru, "BANDANA I"

From December 2021 to January 2022, Big Baby Tape teased snippets from the "Bandana I" album, originally expected to be released in February. On November 23, 2021, the album "BANDANA I" was introduced in Moscow. Egor revealed that Kizaru was unable to perform in Russia due to being a wanted person, leading to the decision to use a hologram instead. The album was officially released on October 22, 2021.

Throughout 2022, both Kizaru and Yegor presented excerpts of tracks from the anticipated "BANDANA II" album. However, due to the boycott of Russia and the dissolution of Warner Music in Russia, the release of the record was postponed indefinitely.

On April 5, 2023, an excerpt of a track from the album "VARSKVA," planned for 2023, was shared on the artist's official VKontakte page. The teaser received significant attention from the artist's audience, with some users noting similarities between the song's sample and a popular meme in the Runet, "Diss on Dirty Monk" from Stimyl.

## Musical style

Big Baby Tape's musical style was notably influenced by Gucci Mane and MF Doom. He drew inspiration from American underground rappers such as KirbLaGoop, CHXPO, Goth Money Records, and others. He mixed American street slang with Russian and authentically captured the classic trap sound. Yegor credited his English language proficiency to video games and songs, particularly citing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as influential language sources, along with tracks by Eminem and 50 Cent.

## Discography

* **2018:** Dragonborn
* **2021:** Bandana I (in collaboration with Kizaru)
* **2023:** Warsaw
* **TBA:** Bandana II (in collaboration with Kizaru)
* **TBA:** LaFlare