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."
