Putin says rap should be controlled in Russia, not banned

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Updated 1:32 pm CST, Saturday, December 15, 2018

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 St. Petersburg 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."

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Putin-says-rap-should-be-controlled-in-Russia-13468676.php

[JohnnyRingo]

1. Not to be outdone...

Trump may seek control of any artist who spoke out against him in a sponsored bill named "The Day The Music Died Act".

Lookin' at you Taylor and Bruce.

[jpak]

2. Putin is dead to me...

[LanternWaste]

3. Putin's doing his James Watt imitation, but not quite as edgy.

"In April 1983, Watt banned the Beach Boys from the Independence Day Concerts, on the grounds that "rock bands" who had performed on the Mall on Independence Day in 1981 and 1982 had encouraged drug use and alcoholism, and had attracted "the wrong element", who would subsequently rob attendees of similar events..."

<Phil McCombs, "Watt Outlaws Rock Music on Mall for July 4", The Washington Post, Washington, D.C., April 6, 1983>

[CurtEastPoint]

5. Old Watt... what an ass. Get this:

In 2008, Time magazine named Watt among the ten worst cabinet members in modern history.


Boy will HE have competition now from the Dump Swamp.

[byronius]

8. James Watt, the man who insisted that trees cause pollution.

Until these days, the worst of the worst of the worst with honors.

[Takket]

4. if you are a rapper in Russia, might want to steer clear of any open windows

[tavernier]

6. Yes, all art should be controlled.

Historically that has always worked very well.

[Basement Beat]

7. Sounds pretty much like the majority of politicians here in the 90s.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

9. If it's controlled, it's not art.

It's state-sanctioned propaganda.

[christx30]

10. Anyone that desires that level of control over people

has some serious personality disorder going on with them. Vlad needs to get on a massive dose of mind altering drugs. My political philosophy is "which of these people is most likely to leave me the hell alone?"

[ansible]

11. Rap is awesome in how it transcend national barriers

My personal favorite is mongolian rap

[Firestorm49]

12. Music: "Path to the degradation of the nation." Good one, Vlad!!

And all along I thought it was Novichok.