Meet Russia’s most controversial rap star
FACE has transcended viral rap infamy to become a leading voice in post-Soviet youth culture – and the conservative establishment aren’t happy about it
“My son would die if he saw I did a selfie with you,” a 50-something woman says, pulling out her smartphone. “He’d just literally die!” In her teacher glasses and long grey puffer jacket, she looks like a typical Russian mother, the last sort of person to be so eсstatic to meet the lean 20-year-old with an emo haircut and face tattoos stood before her.
For Ivan Dryomin, it’s no longer unusual to be recognised on the street. As FACE, he has millions of young fans across Russian-speaking online communities, while his album No Love set the 24-hour reposting record on VK.com, the most popular post-Soviet social network. Fans and critics praise his catchphrase-generating skills, and for having a charisma of a true ‘People’s Artist’ (an honorary title in the Soviet Union and modern Russia), though detractors call his music and lyrics too simplistic. Dryomin first caught the internet’s attention in 2016 when he released a viral video about Gosha Rubchinskiy, the fashion designer who popularised Russian street aesthetics. Last August, a minimal trap banger, “Burger”, extended FACE’s popularity far out of the underground circles and demonstrated his provocative sense of humour. “I’m coming to a Gucci shop in Saint-Petersburg, she eats my dick like it’s a burger”, he raps in Russian. Although aged just 20, Dryomin is at the forefront of a new wave of Russian hip hop. As he puts it, he’s “the face of youth.”
In person, Dryomin is more serious and pensive than his sometimes clownish media image might suggest. He politely stops and lets the woman take his photo against the backdrop of the Izmaylovo Kremlin, the lesser-known of the city’s landmarks, while dressed in an outfit of Gucci shades, Gucci sneakers, and Gucci socks. The word ‘Numb’ is tattooed across his face – not just a reference to Linkin Park, who Dryomin grew up listening to, but also to the “numbness” he says he’s felt throughout his life. In his more intimate songs, FACE touchingly tells of his fear of death and mental health problems, and recalls his thorny teenage years in a poor, half-criminal environment – a reality still felt by many post-Soviet kids. On-stage, between some of his most extreme songs, he preaches love and sobriety, while his Twitter and Instagram feeds are filled with words of wisdom, support, and protest. He even encourages his fans to send him direct messages about the hard times they’ve experienced in life, and many of them get a warm response back.
At the same time, FACE’s lyrics have proven controversial in a deeply conservative country. Before a performance in Minsk, capital of the Republic of Belarus, one mother went straight to Prosecutor General’s office, who issued “An Official Warning on the Inadmissibility of Violation of the Law”, describing FACE’s art as “utterly destructive”. Previously he’d faced problems with police, who doubled their presence at his concerts, while he was the subject of a critical television feature that aired on a state-owned channel. In his new video “Я РОНЯЮ ЗАПАД” (“I’m Dropping the West”), he ridicules the sacral Russian feeling of patriotism – an eloquent answer to authorities.
It’s maybe no surprise that Dryomin has the words “Love” and “Hate” tattooed on his face – he gets a lot of both. We caught up with him to discuss the “Я РОНЯЮ ЗАПАД” video and uncover his life struggles, views on love, hip hop, and what youth culture really needs.