Andreo RA

Four releases from house, rap, and abstract hip-hop artists all show the enduring importance of an overseas reputation. Some productive stereotypes continue to work well on the other side of the world.

Fresh hip-hop collaborations have appeared this week, all the way from Vilnius to Magadan. What connects them, oddly enough, is a desire to escape the grand scale of their enterprise. Lyricism and gratitude come to the fore.

For all the musical inspiration that Russian rap takes from a US heritage, things are very different when it comes to lyrics. We offer three examples of new recordings from Moscow and St. Petersburg.