▁better ▁known ▁by ▁his ▁stage ▁name ▁D imal ▁/ d ɪ m ʌ l / ▁( Russ ian : ▁Ди ма л ), ▁is ▁a ▁half - Russ ian , ▁half - U k rain ian ▁ra pper , ▁song writer ▁and ▁ent ert ainer ▁based ▁in ▁Mal ta . ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁founder ▁and ▁( CE O ) ▁of ▁Russian ▁Mu zi q ▁M af ia ▁Records ▁in ▁Ukraine . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁D imal ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁Se v ast opol , ▁Ukraine ▁in ▁the ▁USS R ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Crime an ▁Pen ins ula , ▁where ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁are ▁Rus si ans . ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁a ▁mixed ▁family , ▁with ▁a ▁Russian ▁mother , ▁Sv it l ana ▁Ag ius , ▁and ▁Ukrain ian ▁father , ▁Ig or ▁G uly ay ev . ▁ ▁His ▁father ▁left ▁the ▁family ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁just ▁five ▁years ▁old . ▁ ▁D imal ▁had ▁a ▁passion ▁for ▁arts ▁such ▁as ▁gra ff iti , ▁singing , ▁break ▁dan cing ▁and ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁such ▁as ▁box ing ▁and ▁ta ek w ondo . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁six ▁he ▁attended ▁music ▁school , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁the ▁viol in . ▁He ▁began ▁ra pping ▁at ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 5 ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁rap ▁group ▁Z ap ad ny a ▁( Russ ian : ▁За пад ня ; ▁lit . ▁" T rap ") ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁member