OTOY

• Real name – Vyacheslav Drofa
• Date of birth – October 11, 1998
• City – Lviv (Ukraine)
• Language – Ukrainian
• Genre – hip-pop

History of the artist's development

OTOY (real name – Vyacheslav Drofa) is a Ukrainian rap artist, musician and songwriter. The artist is originally from Lviv, but now lives in the capital. Vyacheslav Drofa grew up in a family where no one was associated with creativity or culture. His mother was an engineer. His grandparents also worked in the technical field. After graduating from high school in Lviv, Vyacheslav entered the Technical College of Lviv Polytechnic. The young man was trained in the specialty "Software Development". In 2014, he received an invitation to work in Kyiv and moved to the capital. Today, the artist combines musical activity with a career in the field of financial technologies, working as a Lead UX Designer.

Music has accompanied Vyacheslav since childhood. His first acquaintance with the hip-hop industry was a cassette of the Tribe Called Quest band, given to him by his mother. Then came school music lessons, improvisations on the streets of Lviv, performances with guitarist friends for extra income. Despite the lack of professional musical education, the talented guy acquired skills on his own. In his own room, Vyacheslav reread the lyrics of American rap artists.

Even before the appearance of the pseudonym OTOY, the artist performed as Drofa. The artist also wrote lyrics for other stage stars, worked in the theater, was engaged in voiceover work for games and films, and read poems at literary evenings. The rapper's first tracks could be heard at local Hotline events, where the artist's early audience was formed.

Busofa explains with a smile that the stage nickname came from a typical expression that can often be heard in the Lviv region. When they can't remember someone, they say: "Well, that one...". That's how he became OTOY.

Creative path

The artist has been building his path to popularity and recognition by thousands of hip-hop fans under the name OTOY since 2020. As a result of collaboration with alyona alyona, Kalush, and other singers, the track "Sterzhen" was released. After a successful collaboration, the song Corruption was released together with Alina Pash, Den Da Funk, DJ Pone.

OTOY's official debut is considered to be the release of the mini-album CVIT and the video clip Street Fighter, which were released in December 2020. The works became a turning point in the artist's career and consolidated the performer's influence on the modern musical culture of Ukraine. The first concert with a live band and a full program took place at the The Most Fest festival in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region. It was at this live show that OTOY first presented his music in an expanded stage format and won the hearts of hundreds of new fans.

Subsequently, the artist performed on the stages of leading Ukrainian festivals. Among them are Atlas Weekend, Fest Republic, Jazz Koktebel Festival, Rap Ua Awards.

Artist's Style and Development

In 2021, OTOY presented the mini-album "SLYNA" to the audience. The record became a real hit and was created in collaboration with The Lazy Jesus - a sound producer recognized as the best in his category according to the rap.ua portal. The release reflected another step in the artist's development. The tracks of the release combined deep meaning with a thoughtful sound. In November of the same year, OTOY became a participant in the Up Next program from Apple Music, which supports new promising artists.

On May 11, 2023, the rapper performed on the stage of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool as part of a special act with Maria Yaremchuk and Zlata Dzyunka. As part of the performance, OTOY recited Taras Shevchenko's poem "A Cherry Orchard Around a House". And in the summer of the same year, the performer gave his first solo concert in Kyiv.

Through his work, OTOY consistently broadcasts socially important messages. The artist's position stands out among modern rap stars. Vyacheslav addresses the topics of war, Ukrainian identity, mental health, preservation of cultural codes and traditions, and also promotes respect for women as one of the key moral values.

Social activity

After the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, OTOY founded the Agov Foundation, which took care of the families of Azovstal defenders. Currently, the rapper is actively engaged in fundraising for the Azov brigade, and also supports the Bureva unit. Together with the creative group, the artist raises funds for drones and other necessary resources. The artist notes that from each of his performances he donates part of his earnings to support Ukrainian defenders. As is known, Vyacheslav Drofa's cousin Dmytro served in the Azov regiment and died during the battle. In his honor, the rapper created the composition "My Brother".

OTOY considers the opportunity to accumulate financial assistance for the Defense Forces to be the main value of his work in the current conditions. Thanks to this activity, he has already managed to collect more than two million hryvnias for the needs of "Burevy". Before that, there were other initiatives aimed at helping the military. No less important for the performer is the opportunity to convey the truth about Ukraine abroad.One such example was a performance at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, where Vyacheslav joined a large-scale panel discussion. The meeting was dedicated to Ukraine and the participation of Danish society in supporting our people.

Awards and honors:

• nomination "Artist of the Year" and "Breakthrough of the Year" according to the rap.ua portal;
• Jager Music Awards 2023 ("Artist of the Year");
• Lirum Award 2024 ("Best Artist").

Discography:

• full-length albums: "Short-Term Relationships" (2023), "Dark Part 1" (2023), "Dark Part 2" (2024);
• CVIT (2020), "SLYNA" (2021), "OKOLOFRONT" (2022).

Among the famous singles are the works of CHANGING (2021), DFWMA (2021), IDOL (2021), "INSPIRATION" (2021), FIND MY COUNTRY (2022), "DONETSK" (2022), "Sudomy" (2023), "ethnocode" (2023) and others.

Interesting facts about the artist:

• collaborates with Irina Horova's music label Pomitni;
• is fluent in English;
• has 15 tattoos, the most important of which is the inscription "My body contains a soul";
• directs and edits his own video clips;
• the rapper's second album "Short-term relationships" became the leader of the Apple Music chart in just a day.