Kasta in Toronto

Kasta is a Russian rap group formed in Rostov-on-Don in the late 1990s. Vladi, Shym, Khamil and Zmey are associated with its best-known lineup. The group established its sound through albums including Gromche vody, vyshe travy and Chto nam delat v Gretsii, while “Vokrug shum” and “Sochinyay mechty” became signature songs. In 1999, the broader United Kasta collective won the Grand Prix at the Rap Music festival, an early stage milestone for the Rostov hip-hop community from which the group developed. In 2006, Kasta performed at Moscow’s Luzhniki Sports Palace, and the concert was later released as KastaLive.