Hip Hop -- Oh Dear

Commercial Hip Hop is shit. This is a universal rule. It applies to Russian Hip Hop as well! I know, I was shocked to discover this too. However, its appeal to Russia seems so obvious now that I think about it. Every hip hop stereotype can probably, with a few alterations, be applied to Russian stereotypes. love of Champagne. Check. Expensive and Ugly Designer Brands. Check. Stupid Cars, Unnecessary displays of masculinity, guns....
Anyway, here is some bad Russian Hip Hop, that is only "Russian" in that some of the lyrics are in Russian. The rest is shot by shot bad American Hip Hop. Actually, I bet half these people are just failed American pop stars who went to Russia to further their careers. I bet they also live like kings in their big Oligarch palaces with tons of expensive champagne and have terrible pool parties.

This first video is just awful, in every way. There is nothing in it. It is just here to illustrate a point.



Actually this band is often credited as the first Russian Hip Hop Group. Like most translated things, some of the subtlety is lost in translation. Malchishnik cannot be accused of not being true to their influences, and embracing traditional Hip Hop Mysogyny. It is the lack of subtlety that I find so endearing, and awful. But hey it was 1994, not much better was happening in the states