Russian President and notorious bad guy Vladimir Putin is convinced that rap music is corrupting the minds of his nation’s young and impressionable, and has asked the Kremlin to take control of the music before it ruins Russia.
In a forum in St Petersburg over the weekend, Mr Putin declared that “if [rap music] is impossible to stop, then we must lead it and direct it”.
Instead of banning rap music, which he believes will be counterproductive, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to control the genre before it “ruins Russia“.
Russian authorities have taken severe measures against the genre, claiming that its constant references to sex and protest, its offensive language and its depictions of drug use and promiscuity are infiltrating the minds of Russian youth.
Instead of banning the genre altogether, which Putin believes will be counterproductive, the president has asked cultural leaders to devise new ways of controlling rap music so it doesn’t threaten the government’s oppressive regime.
The new wave of rap music in Russia has become a form of political protest against the government, with many rappers gaining popularity for voicing the frustrations of the country’s young people around topics like politics, poverty, corruption and police brutality.
25-year-old rapper Husky, whose songs mock the government for expecting control over its citizens, was last month arrested for staging an impromptu performance in the southern city of Krasnodar after his show was shut down. Local prosecutors had warned the venue that his act had elements of “extremism”.
Rapper GONE.Fludd announced two concert cancellations in November after experiencing pressure from “every police agency you can imagine”, while popular Russian hip-hop artist Allj cancelled his show in the Arctic city of Yakutsk after receiving threats of violence, too.
Rappers are not the only ones being affected by the government’s crackdown; last month punk band Friendzona and pop sensation Monetochka both had their concerts shut down by authorities, and several concerts of dark rave duo Nastya Kreslina and Nikolay Kostylev were cancelled as part of their national tour.
The Russian government has been cracking down on music since the Communist Party era when rock and roll bands deemed a threat were forced to turn underground.
Via ABC News.
