Morgenshtern

This article is about the Russian rapper and songwriter. For the weapon, see Morning star (weapon). For other uses, see Morgenstern.

Alisher Tagirovich Morgenshtern^[a] (né Valeyev;^[b]; February 17, 1998), known mononymously as Morgenshtern (stylized in all caps), is a Russian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer.

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Tagirovich and the family name is Morgenshtern.

Morgenshtern Моргенштерн
Morgenshtern in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Alisher Tagirovich Valeyev
Also known as	1st July MamaVirgin DeeneS MC
Born	(1998-02-17) 17 February 1998 (age 27) Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia
Genres	Rap trap rock
Occupations	Rapper singer songwriter musician YouTuber
Instruments	Singing rapping guitar
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Bugatti S&P Digital Atlantic Sony Russia Yoola

He first gained fame in 2018 as the author of parodies of popular music artists of that time, publishing these videos on his YouTube channel.

Biography

Alisher Tagirovich Valeyev was born on February 17, 1998, in Ufa;^[1] he changed his last name to Morgenshtern (Russian and Bashkir: Моргенштерн) as a teenager. His mother is of Russian-Jewish descent,^[2] while his father was of Bashkir descent. His mother was a florist; his parents divorced and when Alisher turned 11, his father died of liver cirrhosis due to severe alcoholism.^{[citation needed]}

He has been interested in music since his childhood,^[3] and as a teenager he stated that he loved skateboarding.^{[citation needed]}

He released his first music video in 2010.^[4]

He attended university for some time, but shortly after starting, he was expelled due to his "frank activities on YouTube", as the rector of the university stated.^[5]

Morgenshtern was also a street musician,^[6] and was the head singer of the rock band MMD Crew, with whom he collaborated in a song with the Russian rapper Face.^[7]

Morgenshtern performing at Vidfest 2018, Moscow, Russia

He is best known for his YouTube show "#EasyRap".^[8]

In April 2021, Morgenshtern donated to the fund for helping orphans "Our Children" in Bashkiria. This is reported on the foundation's page in VKontakte. The organization clarified that the musician sent a total of 666,666 rubles, which was the largest donation to the NGO from a private person. This money will be spent on the development of the project "Mentoring".^[9]

In May 2022, the Russian Ministry of Justice put Morgenshtern on the list of foreign agents after receiving funding from the Israeli media company Yoola Labs and for his remarks about Victory Day. Morgenshtern later apologised on his Telegram channel and tried to appeal against the decision to put him on its foreign agents list, but still continues to be on the list as of 10 March 2023.^[10][11][12]

Personal life

Relationship with Dilara

From 2017, he dated Dilara Zinatullina, but the couple separated in October 2019 after Alisher proposed to make the relationship open. They got back together in the summer of 2020 and married in Moscow on August 31, 2021.^[13][14] Alisher proposed in July during the filming of the Nominalo music video, to which Dilara said yes.^[15][16] On April 8, 2022, the single Selyavi was released, where Alisher hints about his divorce from Dilara. On April 9, Dilara posted a YouTube video announcing her breakup with Morgenshtern.^[17]

Treatment for alcoholism

In 2022, Morgenstern claimed problems with alcoholisms, and complained of insomnia, which he preformed with alcohol. He voiced a desire to go to a clinic for alcoholism treatment. In early 2025, the rapper went to a clinic for alcoholism treatment.^[18][19]

Bipolar disorder and depression

Alisher has been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder and depression.^[20]

Tattoos

In February 2025, Alisher removed all tattoos from his face.^[21]

Music career

On 17 January 2020, he released the album "Legendary Dust", which was recorded in a week on his live stream. The album became the most successful of Morgenshtern's career, gaining a million streams on VK in the first half-hour of release and five million streams in eleven hours.^[22] In the first two days after the release, the album was listened to on VK more than 21 million times, which is a record for this social network.^[23] On 30 January 2020 he visited the Evening Urgant show.^[24]

On 5 March 2020, he released the track "Malyshka" (ru: Малышка), collaborated with the Russian musician Sharlot.^[25] On 5 June 2020 he released the track "Pososi".^[26] Official music video for this track, currently is the most disliked YouTube video in Russia.^[27] On 9 June 2020 he released the track "Cadillac, collaborated with Eldzhey.^[28] On 31 July 2020 he released the track "Ice",^[29] which went viral on social network TikTok.^[30]

On 3 November 2020, Morgenshtern, as Russia's Most Successful Showman and Artist 2020, was interviewed by Yury Dud. The interview lasted almost three hours.^[31]

In July 2021, Spotify named Morgenshtern the most listened-to artist from Russia.^[32]

Shortly thereafter, Morgenshtern went abroad, and all of his previously scheduled concerts in Russia were canceled.^[33] On December 10, Morgenshtern released the single "Domoy" about his leaving Russia for the UAE.^[34]

Business

In 2020, Morgenshtern announced his plan to open a restaurant in the center of Moscow. On 25 June 2020, Alisher Morgenshtern and Eduard Popov, better known as an autoblogger "Janis Grek" and one of the members of the YouTube channel "Team A", registered Private limited company "KAIF".^[35] In October 2020, Morgenstern opened a restaurant in an office building on Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street.^[36] In September 2021, he opened another restaurant on Nikolskaya Street.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2021, Morgenshtern was appointed as the "youth director" of Alfa-Bank. It is assumed^{[by whom?]} that he will be able to attract at least 100 thousand new customers from among his fans.^[37]

Political views

Morgenshtern opposed the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[38] His 2022 single 12 thematises this. In the chorus, Morgenshtern condemns Russian generals sending soldiers to the front lines of the war, singing "Big bosses will send [you] to the slaughterhouse, [and] bosses never give a fuck".^[39] In May 2022, he was declared a foreign agent in Russia.

In June 2023, the government of Kyrgyzstan canceled his performance at the Alga Fest music festival in Bishkek. Kyrgyz authorities and politicians justified the decision by saying that Morgenshtern has a "bad influence" on young people, but the real reason may be that post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan is heavily dependent on Russia and under the influence of the Russian government.^[40]

He supported the 2024 Bashkortostan protests and published a picture of the Bashkir national hero Salawat Yulayev on social networks.^[41]

Scandals

Declared a “foreign agent” in Russia

On May 6, 2022, the Ministry of Justice of Russia added Morgenstern to the list of individuals - "foreign agents".^[42] The artist's lawyer reported that Alisher does not agree with this decision and it will be appealed against.^[43]

On May 23 of the same year, the rapper appealed to the court to cancel the decision to include him in the register. According to his lawyer, the musician was engaged exclusively in entertainment activities, which are of a creative nature, and has never been a member of any political party. Later his application was rejected.^[44]

In 2023, the Savelovsky Court of Moscow twice fined Morgenstern for violating the legislation on foreign agents. In June, he was fined 40,000 rubles for failing to label a foreign agent in his social media posts, and in November he was fined the same amount for failing to submit a report on the activities and financing of a foreign agent. In March 2024, the Savelovsky Court of Moscow received three more administrative protocols against Morgenstern - all of them were related to improper labeling of advertising posts in the performer's Telegram channel. In July 2024, the rapper was fined for the fourth time for lack of labeling.^[44]

Criminal case

On September 8, 2024, a criminal case was initiated against Alisher Morgenstern by the Savelovsky inter-district investigative department of the investigative department for the Northern Administrative District of the State Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the City of Moscow. He is suspected of committing a crime under part 2 of article 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (evasion of duties provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation on foreign agents). According to the investigation, no later than March 21, 2024, the musician, included in the register of foreign agents, in one of the messengers and video hosting carried out the distribution of materials without indicating that they were created or distributed by a foreign agent.^[45][46]

Discography

Studio albums

• Do togo kak stal izvesten (2018)
• Ulybnis, durak! (2019)
• Legendary Dust (2020)
• Million Dollar: Happiness (2021)
• Million Dollar: Business (2021)
• Last One (2022)

Remix albums

• Golden Hits (2023)
• Golden Hits, Vol. 2 (2023)

EP

• Hate Me (2018)
• Alisher (2025)

Singles

• "Kopy na khvoste" (with Timurka Bits) (2018)
• "Vot tak" (2018)
• "Otpuskayu" (2018)
• "Turn It On!" (with PALC) (2019)
• "Guerra" (2019)
• "Novyj merin" (2019)
• "Igrovoy computer" (with EQT_Albert) (2019)
• "Mne pokh" (with Klava Coka) (2019)
• "Yung Hefner" (2019)
• "Sad Song" (with Thrill Pill and Egor Kreed) (2019)
• "Mne pokh (Acoustic Version)" (with Klava Koka) (2020)
• "Malyshka" (with Sharlot) (2020)
• "Pososi" (2020)
• "Cadillac" (with Eldzhey) (2020)
• "Ice" (2020)
• "Lollipop" (with Eldzhey) (2020)
• "El Problemá" (with Timati) (2020)
• "Watafuk?!" (with Lil Pump) (2020)
• "Klip za 10 lyamov" (2020)
• "Cristal & Moet" (2020)
• "Degenerat (Deluxe)" (with Dzharakhov) (2021)
• "Rozovoye vino 2" (with Yung Trappa) (2021)
• "Family" (with Yung Trappa) (2021)
• "Novaya volna" (with DJ Smash) (2021)
• "Leck" (with Imanbek and Fetty Wap featuring KDDK) (2021)
• "Dulo" (2021)
• "Cristal & Moyot (Remix)" (with Soda Luv and OG Buda featuring blago white and MAYOT) (2021)
• "Show" (2021)
• "Ya ne znayu" (with Slava Marlow) (2021)
• "Home" (2021)
• "Pochemu?" (2022)
• "12" (2022)
• "Selyavi" (2022)
• "Nomer" (2022)
• "Izvestnym" (with The Limba) (2022)
• "Daleko" (with Aarne) (2022)
• "5:00 am" (with LSP) (2022)
• "Skolko stoi lubov" (with The Limba, Niletto and BoombI4) (2022)
• "Priton" (with Vacío) (2022)
• "Bugatti" (with Arut) (2022)
• "Ya ubil Marka (Oxxxymiron Diss)" (2022)
• "Double Cup" (with Kizary) (2022)
• "Tsveti" (with Lida) (2022)
• "Grustno" (with Magic Man) (2023)
• "Ne Prada" (with Arut and Eldzhey) (2023)
• "Poydet" (2023)
• "Ratatatata (MØRFI Remix)" (with Vitya AK) (2023)
• "If I Ever" (with Onative and Rich the Kid) (2023)
• "Cherniy Russkiy" (2023)
• "Schitalochka" (2023)
• "Poslednaya Lyubov" (2024)

Awards and honors

Year	Award	Nomination	Source
2020	Topical Style Awards 2020	Woman of the Year	[47]
2020	GQ Person of the Year 2020	Musician of the Year	[48][49]

Notes

1. • Russian: Алишер Тагирович Моргенштерн
   • Bashkir: Ғәлишер Таһир улы Моргенштерн, romanized: Alişer Tahir ulı Morgenştern
2. • Russian: Алишер Тагирович Валеев
   • Bashkir: Алишер Таһир улы Вәлиев, romanized: Alişer Tahir ulı Väliyev