1) Most of the greatest Hip-Hop ever created was forged in the crucible adversity; adversity that required perseverance and creativity to not only survive, but to overcome and succeed. Ruslan creates the type of Hip-Hop that inspires, encourages, and entertains everyone who hears it because it celebrates the triumph and success while bearing the scorch marks of adversity that we all know well. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ruslan and his family fled to Russia in the ‘90s to escape religious persecution.