IQ (rapper)

IQ
Oleg Verov
IQ Oleg Verov
Background information
Also known as	AIKU (formerly IQ)
Born	June 23, 1987 (age 36); Moscow, Russia
Genres	Hip-Hop, Reggae
Occupation(s)	Rapper
Labels	Lev Pravo Zvuk (2004 - 2009) Istoria Music (2017 - 2020)
Website	https://vk.com/iqofficial

Oleg Verov (Russian: Олег Веров, tr. Oleg Vyerov), better known by his stage name AIKU (formerly IQ), is a Russian rapper. He is known for his fusion of reggae and rap.

Career

Oleg was born in Moscow in the Otradnoye district. He began rapping in the late 1990s, recording his first track in 1998. In 2001, together with Leo Dee, he founded the White Shadows group. The musicians made all the recordings on their own, distributed them on cassettes and disks. In 2003, the album "White Shadows" was released, but later the team broke up.^[1]

In 2010, IQ began working on his solo album O-Street. As conceived by the rapper, it had to be “only classic pumping hip-hop."^[2] Soon the first video clips for the singles from the album appeared: "O-Street", "Consciousness" and "Secret". In 2011-12, the artist appeared at various concerts: at the MIR festival, in Moscow clubs Izvestia Hall and 16 tons, in Hamburg at the Hip Hop Academy.^[3]

As a result, "O-Street" was released on May 28, 2013.^[4] It included 19 tracks, the work on the album lasted for 3 years. The disc is designed as a color 10-page comic by Cap Art. In support, clips were shot: "School" and "Outro". Among the guests on the plastic were Fuze, Marat, Panda, Check, BMB, Vitek, Korob and former bandmate Leo Dee. IQ expressed dismay due to the low public recognition the album received, arguing it was because of the album's classical sound.^[5]

In 2015, IQ became a participant in the television rap competition Beats & Vibes.^[6]

In 2017, AIKU began to collaborate with the label "Istoria Music", which was founded in 2016 by rapper ST.^[7]

In 2019, he participated in the documentary film about the Russian hip-hop community, "BEEF," directed by Russian rapper Roma Zhigan. He appeared alongside other rappers like Jacques Anthony, Husky, and Oxxxymiron.^[8]

Oleg visited with solo performances in various cities - St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Kazan, Tarkhankut, Sevastopol, Almaty. In 2017, he performed at the "Snow Party" in the Olympic Sports Complex with ST . In 2018, he performed at the FIFA Fan Fest in Moscow and Sochi, a hugely popular event.^[9]

Discography

White Shadows

2003 - White shadows

Studio albums

2013 - O-STREET
2016 - Four Sides EP
2017 - Antagonist
2021 - Another EP

Collaborative albums

2009 - Levpravhop (together with the artists of the LevPravZvuk label)
2009 - The Most Magical Flow (with YG)

Singles

2011 - O Street
2011 - Secret
2013 - Impact (with Sadat X , Leo Dee)
2016 - Silk
2016 - Everest
2016 - Curtain (together with ST )
2017 - Magic Night
2017 - Grew up and Became a Rapper
2017 - Can't See Them (with ST , Nasled & Lars)
2017 - Your Name (with Nasled & Lars)

2022 - Uno Dos Tres (with Massimo)
2022 - Para Minute (with Racoona)
2023 - Fake Love [to be released]^[10]

Filmography

2008 - "The Most Magical Flow"
2009 - Choose Yourself
2011 - "O-Street"
2011 - "Consciousness"
2011 - "Secret"
2013 - "School"
2013 - Outro
2013 - "Impact" ft. Sadat X (Brand Nubian), Leo Dee
2015 - "Centrifuge" ft. Check, Miko
2017 - Bullet
2017 - "Move on" ft. ST
2017 - "We do not see them" ft. ST , Nasled & Lars
2019 - "Drops" ft. Jay Mar
2019 - "On Emotions"
2020 - "Berries"
2020 - "Piranha"

References

^ "Белые Тени (Проект заморожен) | VK". vk.com. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
^ IQ's "O-Street" to be released in late May. Retrieved June 12, 2013. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013.
^ Concert by IQ, Check, BMB, Simple One, Jonas and MC Fü in Hamburg . Retrieved 12 June 2013. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014.
^ I.Q. "O-Street." Retrieved June 12, 2013. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013.
^ "IQ поделился творческими планами – Читай на SV Battle News". www.sv-battle.ru. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
^ "SV Battle - Категории новостей". www.sv-battle.ru. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
^ "Вакансии компании ISTORIA MUSIC". hh.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-12-25.
^ "Фильм BEEF: Русский хип-хоп: фото, видео - Вокруг ТВ". Вокруг ТВ. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
^ Баталина, Елена (2018-07-03). "Названы самые многолюдные фан-зоны ЧМ-2018". Известия (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-12-25.
^ "🔦 КАК ПИШУТСЯ ПЕСНИ 🔦 Именно так,.. | Олег АЙКЬЮ | VK". vk.com. Retrieved 2022-12-25.

[1] "Белые Тени (Проект заморожен) | VK". vk.com. Retrieved 2022-12-25.

[2] IQ's "O-Street" to be released in late May. Retrieved June 12, 2013. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013.

[3] Concert by IQ, Check, BMB, Simple One, Jonas and MC Fü in Hamburg . Retrieved 12 June 2013. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014.

[4] I.Q. "O-Street." Retrieved June 12, 2013. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013.

[5] "IQ поделился творческими планами – Читай на SV Battle News". www.sv-battle.ru. Retrieved 2022-12-25.

[6] "SV Battle - Категории новостей". www.sv-battle.ru. Retrieved 2022-12-25.

[7] "Вакансии компании ISTORIA MUSIC". hh.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-12-25.

[8] "Фильм BEEF: Русский хип-хоп: фото, видео - Вокруг ТВ". Вокруг ТВ. Retrieved 2022-12-25.

[9] Баталина, Елена (2018-07-03). "Названы самые многолюдные фан-зоны ЧМ-2018". Известия (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-12-25.

[10] "🔦 КАК ПИШУТСЯ ПЕСНИ 🔦 Именно так,.. | Олег АЙКЬЮ | VK". vk.com. Retrieved 2022-12-25.