Darren Kandler, also known as Ricochet Klashnekoff or just Klashnekoff (pronounced K-Lash-Nek-Off), is a British rapper from Hackney, London. He was the founding member of the Terra Firma Crew along side Skriblah, D.Ablo, Diamond Ruff and Smasher (www.last.fm/music/Terra+Firma). Klashnekoff is one of the freshest talents on the UK Hip Hop scene at the moment and is on his way to the top of the game. He is currently working hard on his own album and The debut Terrafirma Album (following the critically acclaimed mix tape THE FOUNDATION) both of which will be released in 2009. Before the rap game he was into acting but he started writing rhymes at the tender age of ten, way before rap became the cool thing to do. It was a form of expression to help him to express problems that he was experiencing. In addition, his west-Indian roots have proved to be a strong influence on his music. Klashnekoff still uses his skills to express his life experiences in Hackney and how society influences and affect him and others. The conscious MC is named after a Russian gun, but the reason he chose this stage name Klashnekoff is because to him it represented a freedom symbol. Through the news on TV, he saw these little child soldiers in Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Dafur with their little Klashnekoffs guns what it meant to them. He believes the gun was "their way to be free because voting wasn’t working, talking wasn’t working and so they use their Klashnekoff." He seem to think this gun was instrumental in a lot of revolutionary situations. "As well as being a killer, it’s also a protector. He believes that rather than the kids in UK having to pick up a Klashnekoff gun, they can pick up a Klashnekoff album and vent through that. As a conscious MC, Klashnekoff was still able to achieve critical praise and some commercial success with the release of a number of singles such as It's Murda and the album Sagas of Klashnekoff.