The grandfather ate another young’s man life: rapper Nikolai Vasiliev in court for showing up at Moscow “amost naked party” wearing just a sock.
In Russia, the butterfly effect affects you.
In 1983, four members of the American rock band Red Hot Chillie Peppers performed in Kit Kat strip club in Hollywood, California wearing nothing but socks covering their manhood. This provocative onstage persona made the band famous around the world.
On the night of 20 December 2023, Russian rapper Vacio (real name Niolai Vasiliev) was invited to a private “almost naked party” in Moscow. Wishing to imitate the success of Red Hot Chillie Peppers to be that success, he came to the party naked except for a man’s sock on his penis.
The party drew attention of jingoistic Z-patriot activists, state security, and ultimately reached the notorious yellow folder for daily briefings with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“Balenciaga” print in Roman script on Vacio’s white sock was indisputable evidence. Spanish couturier Cristobal Balenciaga was gay and that being the case Nikolai Vasiliev was consiously promoting values of LGBT, an organization recently branded “extremist” in Russia.
Russian state security top brass that form Putin’s inner circle know a thing or two about fashion design with penchance for Brioni suits and Dolce Gabana apparel for mistresses, but they have no inkling of American pop culture.
Allegedly, on Putin’s orders who was enraged by this fragrant dieobedience of his post-failed blietz krieg in Urkaine conservativism in line with pro-Russia GOP, the state went into overdrive to destroy rapper Vacio’s career and life.
He was arrested for 15 days on the charge of “LGBT propaganda” and as he was leaving the detention center, he was taken back behind bars for another ten days.
The Balanciaga Sock became the symbol of the almost-naked party that cost top music stars TV appearances, canceled concerts and ire of the indignant fans who are more easily manipulated than a hamster by a running mill, as well as a victim of countless Internet memes and funny anecdotes. here’s one: “Granny has sent Vacio three warm socks to jail so he doesn’t get cold.”
All of Vacio’s scheduled concerts were canceled. No recording studio would touch him with a ten-foot pole. This, however, was not sufficient punishment. 25-year old rapper received summons and got shipped to serve in the military orchestra.
Behind bad boy persona, hides is a professional and talented musician. Vasiliev graduated from a jazz school having studied guitar and piano for six years. He writes music and lyrics for all of his songs. He also, perhaps inadvertantly, in his lyrics focuses on the drug problem that has plagued for years his native Yekateriburg, largest city in the Urals and birthplace of Boris Yeltsyn, Russia’s first president who had brought democracy to Russia.
Vasiliev collaborated with singers and bands from various music style, from rap musician Morgenstern to winner of Eurovision song contest and another victim of the almost-naked party Dima Bilan. He was a rising star, on the verge of a breakthrough and stardom, which was destroyed by Putin’s regime.
In an interview with The Flow, Vasiliev confessed ,“I want to be loved by many people just to tell everyone to go to hell. Not to think about them anymore and just give room to myself as a creator. Just to have fun as much as possible so that nothing constrains me. Freedom is the most pleasant thing.”
A flawed hero like Boris Yeltsyn, Vasiliev saw freedom as the ultimate expression of human spirit. In 2020, like-minded rappers Morgenstern, Slava Marlow, and Vacio recorded a track entitled “I Ate Grandfather.”
The song was a political satire and allegory on the septuagenarian elites, corrupt and senile, life-denying and destructive, dictating to young people the standards of behavior and decency and who should be devoured to free the country from their odious shackles.
What happened to Vacio and other artists at the almost-naked party, led many Russians to concede that it was the grandfather who has eaten us all.
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