A$AP Rocky’s take on Russian culture flips a narrative of cultural appropriation that underpins contemporary Russian rap, which frequently copies tropes of American rap – its mannerisms, style, obsession with luxury brands, and jewellery.Īt the same time, in the contemporary context, chanson is often perceived as the most uncool and corny thing ever nevertheless, it has started catching the attention of a new generation of upcoming Russian creatives. The history of Russian rap dates only as far back as the 1990s, and its existence in the predominantly white environment is precarious. The escalating Russian interest in “Babushka Boi” highlights an interesting example of cultural hybridity. Moving further into the rabbit hole of related Russian content, there is also a cover version of “Babushka Boi“ recorded by actual Russian grandmas. The Russian criminal tune was actually written by lildozzzhd, producer PADILLION, and rapper MATXX, with the latter swiftly releasing his own version in Russian. “I see it as a funny shout out, nothing negative at all,” he commented on Instagram. One of its biggest new rap stars, Moscow-based Big Baby Tape, discovered that he was mentioned in the video.
Russia’s rap scene also had something to say.
#Babushka scarf how to
“We’ve always known A$AP Rocky was one of us,” said one, while others wrote “This fucked me up so much, I have no idea how to live now” and “Finally I can show a cool video to my grandma”. The instantly recognisable tune has sent the Russian internet into a frenzy, with Rocky’s Russian fans quick to show their support for the rapper in the video’s YouTube comments. The Russian trailer is a take on “Murka”, one of the pivotal songs of Russian chanson: a criminal folk music tradition. While the video itself draws more from retro Dick Tracy aesthetics, the trailer had both Russian subtitles and Russian musical references. “Babushka Boi”, however, shows Rocky is keen to delve deeper into Russian culture. With the name of the emerging trend taken from A$AP’s post-LACMA interview, in which he explained that he “just wanted to show off my babushka today, honestly”, his misuse of the word (which simply means ‘grandmother’) immediately became yet another local reference comically distorted in the global context. The scarf was the first surface indicator of a new direction for Rocky, but what has developed in the time since goes way beyond – as was confirmed when “Babushka Boi” was released.
Now, eight months on, it’s common to see emerging rappers and hypebeasts alike combining a headscarf with their uniform of tracksuit and trainers.
#Babushka scarf code
Pushing the boundaries of gender, class, and race in fashion, Rocky demonstrates how wearing something which belongs to a different cultural code can be incredibly powerful, while ushering in something new entirely.
In the days after Rocky’s LACMA appearance, Instagram was swamped with endless posts which juxtaposed the rapper with Russian grandmas, Queen Elizabeth II, or glamorous, upper-class ladies in matching scarves. But it’s the ‘babushka’ scarf, which the rapper first showed off at LACMA’s annual art and film gala at the end of 2018, which has truly impacted the way a new generation is dressing, and in an unfathomably short space of time.Īmong the largely streetwear-dominated rap industry, it’s a bit unexpected that such an avant-garde look kicked off in the way it did, though it seems that the ‘babushka’ look has resonated so deeply due to its oxymoronic nature. The rapper has long been a trailblazer when it comes to fashion: from the avant-garde choices seen in his videos, to his deep, unfaltering love for Raf Simons. It comes as no surprise to see Rocky further developing his style, taking it in an altogether new direction. Naturally, a whole lot of Russian kids were pretty excited. In the first release since being released from jail in Sweden, Rocky makes reference to his now-trademark headscarf, with its aesthetic confirming that hip hop is at the forefront of a new, global, digitally-powered cultural exchange with the country. Last week A$AP Rocky released his new single “ Babushka Boi”.
0 kommentar(er)
