Vladimir Putin Makes Moves To Control Rap Music In Russia

Authored by huffingtonpost.com and submitted by jq1984_is_me
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ASSOCIATED PRESS Russian President Vladimir Putin wants cultural leaders to devise a means of controlling, rather than banning, popular music.

MOSCOW (AP) — Alarmed by the growing popularity of rap among Russian youth, President Vladimir Putin wants cultural leaders to devise a means of controlling, rather than banning, the popular music.

Putin says “if it is impossible to stop, then we must lead it and direct it.”

But Putin said at a Kremlin meeting with cultural advisers Saturday that attempts to ban artists from performing will have an adverse effect and bolster their popularity.

Putin noted that “rap is based on three pillars: sex, drugs and protest.” But he is particularly concerned with drug themes prevalent in rap, saying “this is a path to the degradation of the nation.”

He said “drug propaganda” is worse than cursing.

dnesteruk on December 15th, 2018 at 18:28 UTC »

In case you're wondering why this is happening, someone realized that Russian rappers are getting ridiculous amounts of views on YouTube. Since only the state can be the official source of information, and some rap battles get politically edgy, the govt decided to step up and start shutting it all down because "drugs, sex, swearing".

injuryprone113 on December 15th, 2018 at 18:21 UTC »

Well, that's one way of owning the rap game

its_probably_a_tumor on December 15th, 2018 at 17:51 UTC »

That's not very cash money of you, Vlad