How Russian Rap on YouTube Advances Alternative Political Deliberation: Hegemony, Counter-Hegemony, and Emerging Resistant Publics

Abstract

The late 2010s have seen the unprecedented rise of Russian rap culture on YouTube. This study delves into the unexplored area of the relationship between rap music, politics, and the Internet audience in Russia. It focuses on the analysis of the production of the most popular rap videos—their narratives, power relations, and socio-political themes, as well as the prevailing patterns in the discussion on socio-political issues by the YouTube audience. The study brings three contributions that identify the power relations in the Russian society that manifest in the field of rap music. First, the Russian-speaking users demonstrate a high level of criticality toward the pro-Kremlin rap music on YouTube and challenge the lies of propaganda rap. Second, pro-government rappers follow the Soviet authoritarian ethos and praise belonging to the collective of elites, while liberal ones adhere to the individual responsibility. Third, we demonstrate the prevalence of patriarchal gender values, including macho politics and unquestioned sexism, which are representative of gender politics in the country. This article proves the importance of socio-political commentary on YouTube and points to the rap videos as the popular hubs for the socio-political debates. Users flow to rap videos and utilize the comment section to have their say on the political context and power relations rather than the music, to engage with others, and to contribute to the emerging collective debate. The comment sections on these rap videos have a unique value for the Russian users who exploit them as the negotiation space in the void of other platforms for social dialogue in Russia.

Singing Wives and Oligarch Patrons

“…There is an increasing body of academic literature on post-Soviet popular music and industry, offering insight into topics like the continued influence of Soviet artists and genres (Günther 2021), gender and homosexuality in lyrics and performance (Amico 2014, Brock and Miazhevich 2022, the role of social media (Dunas and Vartanov 2020, Johansson et al 2018, Popkova 2019, the emergence of a Russian and post-Soviet rap scene (Denisova and Herasimenka 2019, Ewell 2017, Poliakov, Omelchenko and Garifzyanova 2020, and popular music as a means for political protest (Semenenko 2021, Steinholt andWickström 2016). Acknowledging that the Russian and post-Soviet popular music and its industries has gone through a series of changes in later years, I am here primarily concerned with the period within the scope of my fieldwork and PhD project, where data material stretches into the early 2010s.…”

What Social Media Could Be: Normative Frameworks for Evaluating Digital Public Spaces

“…This signal suggests that ideal digital public spaces should encourage exchanges that exhibit elements of deliberation, such as when people are receptive to others’ perspectives or share the reasoning behind their opinions (Murray, 2021). This signal is needed because deliberative discussions are not the norm on social media (Denisova & Herasimenka, 2019). This signal relates to the ideals of deliberative democracy because fostering more deliberative exchanges can create a more informed public that is exposed to opposing perspectives in a way that may help them see those views as legitimate (Mutz, 2006).…”

YouTube as Alternative Television in Russia: Political Videos During the Presidential Election Campaign 2018

“…It also highlights the importance of these channels for official political communication in Russia (RBC, 2017). A recent study by Denisova and Herasimenka (2019) explored the phenomenon of rap culture on Russian YouTube. The authors conducted a critical discourse analysis of the rap videos as well as of the commentaries underneath the videos, and they highlighted the importance of this online space for political discussions of Russian users.…”