Vasily Goncharov is a political poet. Whether he's interrogating the concept of nationalism or referencing revolutionary writer Vladimir Mayakovsky, the insouciant MC makes music with fierce intent and elegant wit. He grew up playing the piano in Rostov-on-Don before finding bands like Oasis and Nirvana as a teenager and forming Cheboza, an experiment founded with friends that gathered indie acclaim—and prepared its frontman for his solo debut as Vasya Oblomov in 2011. He has since carved his space in avant-garde hip-hop, pairing a lush palette of sounds with bitingly candid lyricism.