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[Photo by: NBC News/YouTube]

Vladimir Putin on Russian rap: "We must lead it and direct it”

Seeing no way to stop the growing popularity of rap music among Russian youth, President Vladimir Putin is looking for a means to control the popular genre, rather than ban it.

Russia currently has a high censorship of the arts, and is seeing a crackdown on contemporary music.

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Just last month, a popular rapper by the name of Husky was arrested for staging an impromptu performance after his show was shut down.

Before being taken away, he climbed onto a car surrounded by hundreds of fans and yelled, “I will sing my music, the most honest music!”

According to Billboard, Putin met with cultural advisers yesterday in St. Petersburg. He conveyed that attempts to ban rap music may have an adverse effect, and just reinforce its popularity.

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

The Russian president also noted that “rap is based on three pillars: sex, drugs and protest.” He finds that “drug propaganda” is worse than cursing, and that “this is a path to the degradation of the nation.”

What do you think of this censorship of rap music in Russia? Let us know in the comments.

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