Max Korzh: Hope and Change Through Russian Rap

There has been a lot of boycotting of Russians in the arts since Putin's invasion and war Ukraine began.  A lot of criticism, most, in my opinion, justified, on artists who previously supported Putin's regime and previous attacks.  We don't always get the full story and, at least as best I can tell, here In the United States we don't hear a lot about Russian artists protesting Putin or his war,. This leads many of us to wonder why, and some of us are led to believe the silence makes them, if not complicit with Putin's invasion of Ukraine, then perhaps they're silence born of fear of threats to their livelihood, the safety of their families and other monstrous retaliatory actions not outside the realm of the possible from their dictator.  

While many of us can sympathize with those in fear of retaliation by Putin's regime, others, a good many of them, are speaking out, creating platforms for open dialogue between Russians and Ukfranians and encouraging an end to the war, regardless of what may happen.

Several of my younger Russian friends have turned me on to the music of one of Russia's most popular artists, the Belarussian rapper/singer Макс Корж - or as we'd pronounce his name here:  Max Korzh.  

From the beginning Max protested the war, and shortly after the outset sent out the following message to his millions of fans:

"Millions of people who grew up in the same yards, on the same values, who understand each other and are 100% ready to coexist peacefully, are again separated by war. I condemn the invasion and bombardment of a sovereign state. This is a war that will change everyone's life forever, no matter where you live. Everything familiar that we have already ceased to appreciate will become only a memory for us. Therefore, it is never too late if millions do not want war. Peace to Ukraine!"

While this seems to have bothered some of his Russian fanbase, I truly believe that this simple message of peace and brotherhood, along with his outright condemnation, has awakened in a lot of young people who would follow him to the ends of the earth, notions of peace and speaking out which, given their complacent ennui brought on by the economics of poverty and neglect, very likely, would never have never given another thought to their leader's machinations of war. 

This is not the first time the young artist has spoken out against Russian - and world politics.  Some of his lyrics are often filled with combinations of the images of skirmishes, war, despair, but filled also with the hope of of unity, kindness and brotherhood.  One of his opening tracks for his now legendary 2019 Moscow concert elicited enthusiastim from the crowd as he chanted:  

With all of those who call me
I will never be alone in this world . . .
We jump as one as a crowd in the sky
We dance on minefields
The dust is a meter high
The music pushes the dance floor
And it melts with the light
Don't push the stop button.  Don't . 

. . 
Dark night
Fires around the mountain again are burning
We are preparing for a trip
(for which) There are no reserve players - only the core
I don't even know your names
But you are all my friends
I will open my soul to everyone
If I can read kindness in their eyes.

At that 2019 concert at the Moscow Sports Stadium over 35,000 young people sang along, with Max for two hours, passionately echoing his tracks as though they were an enormous choir of back up singers and part of the show.  He made them believe they were.  And, watching from 4400 miles away Max made me believe it, too.  While the concert occurred several years before the current war, some were already carrying, and waving the Ukraine flag.  At the end, the crowd chanted "Thank You!" dozens of times, which segued into the singer giving a speech to introduce his last song of the night;  2 Types of People.  The mass of 35,000 who'd been cheering, singing, dancing and screaming, for hours, at once fell into a hushed respect, listening as almost as if in a type of spiritual rapture:

It's difficult to give you advice.  I live in a tiny country.  We all chill there.  We do not have responsibilities. There is responsibility for that land.  Of course.  But I cannot imagine the amount of responsibilities in your country.  You do not understand it yourselves.  

I look, I watch Russia, I see positive and negative sides.  I am not in charge to speak about positive and negative.  You have plenty of people that will tell you all about it.  Gain respect.  You know how to gain respect, but do not forget about the opportunity that you have. [Here part of the crowd began chanting "Ukraine! Ukraine!]  As for two types of people, you all know what this song is about, everyone has his own examples.  Someone comes up to me and says 'Bro, there are plenty of people to justify yourself - to create your type of a person.  We are all in the middle, both me and you.  If you were ONE of two types of people, you would not be here my friends.  We are ALL in the middle.  But, the INTENTION to become the second type of people, the GOOD type of people, that's already good my friends.  Really, really good.  I wish for more and more of the second type of people in your.country.  Many, many more. It's simple:  you just have to stop fighting for 100 years and that's it.  100 years.  Just 100 years without war and . . . that's it.  That would be a task for you guys, and your responsibility to live your lives peacefully.  How does it happen guys, two types of people?  Do you think about it?  One is raised to live among the animals, the other is raised to live in a society.  The first type, raised to live among the animals are being prepared for what?  For war.  The second type is prepared for peaceful life, peaceful coexistence.  Those who prepare for peaceful living take great responsibility.  That is the confidence in the coming peace, guys.  Thank you for listening to me, Moscow.  

The arts in all their forms, dance, theatre, visual, etc. have always had the ability to move us, but none of them quite so much as the art of music . . . of song. There is nothing quite like the outpouring of the human voice when wedded to myriad, almost countless styles of poetry and prose, tonalities and harmonics born of every race and culture, all of them with the power to open our minds, to create dialogues, to create inroads to the possibility of change. 

Like him or not, Max Korzh is here and has plenty to say.  That gives me, as it should all of us, hope. Imagine that.