Sunday, June 29, 2014

the ukraine crisis as told through hip-hop


foreignpolicy |  Weapons cocked, a group of well-armed young men rap about their hatred for the government. It sounds like a scene straight from a ‘90s gangsta rap video, but it isn't -- it's from the frontlines of Ukraine's violent east. 

Inspired by the recent turmoil, Ukraine's young, burgeoning hip-hop community has taken to interpreting its country's politics through its music, providing an unlikely and unfiltered window into the unfolding scene there. Their music videos, posted on YouTube, tell the story: Anger toward former President Viktor Yanukovych, distrust of the interim government, anxiety over the annexation of Crimea, and taunts for government forces in the east. 

Here, then, is the hip-hop guide to the Ukrainian crisis: 

Many have forgotten that the crisis began as a peaceful protest against Yanukovych. Under his rule, corruption in Ukraine spiraled out of control, with Ukraine ranking 144 out of 177 on Transparency International's 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index. Resentment toward Yanukovych's presidency and a desire among many Ukrainians to forge ahead finally crystallized in the Maidan protest movement. 

Cue the following video. Made in December 2013, the song features Ukrainian YouTube personality Michael Shchur rapping about the corruption of Yanukovych's regime while walking through the Maidan at night. Referring to Yanukovych and his decadent lifestyle paid for out of the state coffers, Shchur sums up the sense of palatable disgust: "Your childhood dream became a reality/You have shoes made of ostrich leather, a couple Italian suits/You got them from nowhere, almost for free."

5 comments:

CNu said...

priceless...,DIRTY RED DA GIFT TAKES OVER THE BLACK HISTORY PARADE WITH AN EXPLOSIVE
PERFORMANCE THAT SENDS THE CROWD IN AN UPROAR WITH THE HELP OF DENISE
LANDON.Meanwhile, on MSNBC this morning, MHP gives and AMAZING performance rationalizing and justifying HRC's dead-broke claims and current $225,000 speaking fees. We absolutely deserve to be living in an even more dystopian world than the Hunger Games

Vic78 said...

I remember MHP going after Joan Walsh and Gloria Steinem just a few years ago. She told Steinem that she ain't shit to her face. MHP's really on her best behavior since the Romney grand kid incident. Nobody wants to end up like Donahue.

CNu said...

Did Donahue get out of pocket.

Vic78 said...

He went way out of line. He was the only one on MSNBC at the time that was against the Iraq war. All of this was before Phil Griffin and his hires came along. But it still sent a message. Donahue was the most decorated host doing cable news and was sent packing. Today when they talk about Iraq they act as if Donahue never existed. You'll see a Donahue interview online every now and then.

CNu said...

Talk about a living-memory erasure..., which thankfully calls to mind the graceless dismissal of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC, as well.

When Zakharova Talks Men Of Culture Listen...,

mid.ru  |   White House spokesman John Kirby’s statement, made in Washington shortly after the attack, raised eyebrows even at home, not ...