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Eminating from mounting pressures around the artist's work, starting all the way back in 2018 during the "anti-rap" campaign that, in effect, has not ended but simply turned into a less-open, hybrid model of bottom-up/top-down pressure, the rapper FACE [whose real name is Ivan Timofeevich Dremin] has been forced to abandon Russia. Announced on January 5th of 2022 by his Aunt and Public Chairman of the Public-Chamber of Bashkiria Kristina Nedorezova-Dremina, later deleted by circulated beforehand, revealed little as to why exactly the emigration had occured. Being one who has professed his love for Russia, particularly his birthplace of Ufa, the largest city of the Republic of Bashkortostan, his leave is highly irregular for the artist. However, given his political support for Navalny, Belarus's pro-freedom movement, and the concert cancellations back in September due to such sympathies, FACE was already on incredibly thin ice. In April of 2021, he appeared among other rappers at a protest in support of Navalny. Earlier last year, a petition had been put together by various rappers to call for Russia's government to stop censoring them based on political beliefs, however such petitions have garnished little movement. Additionally, FACE has also shown ecological advocacy when, in August of 2020, he came out in support of opposition to the destruction of the Kushtau hill in the Ishimbaysky District, which was under threat by the Bashkir Soda Company. It seems that there is a trend afoot, as several rappers have also left Russia, including: Morgenshtern on November 24th due to charges of illegal druf trafficking through social-media, Ellj (in December of 2021), and Kizaru (who now lives in Spain). Not much else is known about the situation at present but more details are sure to come soon.
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