After a six-year break, the rap philosopher himself Oxxxymiron [real name being Miron Yanovich Fyodorov] has released a sensational album called "Beauty and Ugliness" or in Russian "Красота и уродство," which reads a self-investigation into his life experiences, childhood, parents, relationships with authority, and opinions from outside and in. The 22-track album, released on December 1st ahead of an upcoming tour, is chalk full of references from nearly every dimension both artistic, societally, politically, and culturally, all of which would take much too long to discuss in this article and is far too interesting to paraphrase accurately. Each song is an edict of self, a commanding voice of the heroic I.
However, such things are coming in a video that will be posted very soon, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, this album is a symbol of Oxxxymiron's newly developed phase of existence, where his Oxford-sharpened intellect and weathered ego are no longer interested in petty disputes with politics, all for the sake of battling it out and seeing who wins. No, he's turned his eyes upwards to the universal and one could even argue has become a neo-Scriabinist figure, searching instead for the cosmic order to the world. The album's musical structure is quite cyclical, and although not having a chance to listen to it yet, one gets an immediate sense by just reading the texts and their themes that this rapper (almost a pejorative here) is nothing of the sort, and instead is peeling through the layers of his life to find his true self, his essence, and that which causes his elan vitale / vital flow.
Each of the 22 tracks talks about a different path towards self-discovery of the Miron not associated with public approval, governmental antagonism, brash displays of pompous or extravagance. Nothing that would inhibit the raw and visceral true-self from emerging amidst the cacophonic polyphony of a choir of harpies. He also goes into metanarratival lines of questioning when he poses his own artistic counterargument in the track 19 called "Review," while also namedropping many rappers for their hedonistic and anti-rap ways. Ultimately, what Oxxxymiron is doing is bringing rap to where it began. A reflection of life! But this reflection also comes with chides at Russia's stifling and backwards political structure, its dilapidating infrastructure, and all-together suboptimal status as a country.
This prompted, as reported by The Flow just two days ago, an array of governmental responses, some of which were praiseworthy with a clause, while others were vitriolic and prompted a [fictitious] investigative inquiry, and governmental praise/eyebrow raises. In particular are two cases, although more are sure to come or have already come. Only time will tell, as this album is a revolutionary showcase for the power of the rap genre in embodying the absurd totality of the contemporary Russian existence under Putin's thumb.
The first instance, initiated on December 2nd, was prompted by a "group of patriots" that had brought a letter to the desk of the Investigative Committee of Russia requesting that the rappers Oxxxymiron and Noize MC be investigated for "criminal activity" as prompted by the Album's apparently controversial subject matter. The letter notes the recent self-expulsion of mainstream rapper Morgenshtern from the country in late November to the UK, a move that was ostensibly prompted by possible reports of drug trafficking. The letter goes onto say that the so-called albums of these two rappers pose a threat to national security, as it supports radical lifestyles, foreign agents, NATO (of all things), and should be repressed. In an ironic turn of events, it was proven to be a hoax written by AGP Attorney Dmitry Yakushev. It was done as a social experiment to show the silliness of Russian politics today.
The second pronouncement was by Elena Drapeko, Honored Artist of the RSFSR and current deputy chairman of the Culture Committee of the lower House of Parliament in Russia. In an interview held by the radio station Moscow Says, she compares the silver-tongued rapper with the symbolist tradition of 19th century literature, commonly known as the Silver Age [the early 19th century being referred to as the Golden Age, and the era of Glinka]. She makes specific references to an eclectic array of literary masters of the period, noting how their style of melodeclemation is heavily consistent with Oxxxymiron's command of language and rhythmicity. Although she says that she cannot agree with him ideologically due to his 'dissident' standings, she notes the album doesn't specifically dwell on such things, and because of his astute education, sophisticated linguistic stylings, and educated perspectives, this repertoire is healthy for young people to listen to, so let him create.
"Only now I am a little frightened by his provocative bullying of the authorities. Well, I think it's a provocative story, he sings we are all foreign agents. But you don't need to pay attention to this." - Elena Drapeko
Elena Drapeko has previously spoken about censorship of rap artists, the reasons for this, and those who are not yet under the magnifying glass, a point deserving of its own article.
Take a listen to Oxxxymiron's newest album below, and let me know what you think about it!
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