Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently on a mission. The President is hinting that his government will opt to closely control rap music in the country, rather than banning it completely.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked the government to take charge of rap music in the country. This comes after a popular Russian rapper was arrested and forced to cancel several concerts.
It was only last month when the Russian police arrested Dmitri Kuznetsov, a rapper known as Husky.
He performed on the top of a parked car on a street in a southern Russian city after his concert was banned due to some extremist content. Husky has frequently mocked and protested against the Russian state authorities and police brutality through his lyrics
The step is being taken because of the rapidly popularizing rap and hip-hop genre among the Russian youth. "If it is impossible to stop, then we need to lead, and in an appropriate way, direct," said the President to a council of his cultural advisers, gathered this weekend in St. Petersburg to discuss state support for the arts.
Putin is anxious about the lyrics. According to him, they are rebellious, mention drugs and include many swear words.
The main thing that concerns him is the usage of words that revolve around 'drugs'. According to Putin, "this is a path to the degradation of the nation; "drug propaganda" is worse than cursing, he added.
Apart from Husky, other performers like Monetochka and punk band Friendzone faced similar consequences, as their shows were canceled.
