War Rap: Ukraine’s War Youth Voice Angry Words

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War Rap: Ukraine’s War Youth Voice Angry Words

A young generation pressed by war in Ukraine has turned its anger into rap music.

Ukrainian volunteer soldier Otoy is putting the war into the words and loud beats of rap. He has written lyrics¹ during Russian attacks.

He said it helps relieve the tension of fighting.

"Russian soldiers drink vodka, we are making music," said the rapper, whose real name is Viacheslav Drofa. The 23-year-old did not think he could kill anyone until he shot a Russian soldier in the war's opening weeks.

The Russian invasion which began on February 24 has helped build Ukrainian nationalism. That is something Russian President Vladimir Putin did not want. Now that millions have lost loved ones and homes, anger at Russia is fierce.

In Ukraine, the young generation was born after the collapse² of the Soviet³ Union in 1991. Many young people say they cannot imagine feeling anything but hatred⁴ for Russia.

Otoy's lyrics, with expletives directed at Russia and details of Russian war dead, speak from the heart. He lost his older brother, a soldier, in the battle over the Azovstal steel factory in the port city of Mariupol.

The lyrics give voice to the anger and hatred shared by many Ukrainians towards Russia.

"Enemy" is one of four new songs that Otoy wrote while driving ammunition⁵ and weapons to troops on the front lines. He said of Russian soldiers: "We're not scared but we are nauseous, because you smell stale even when your heart still beats."

Other Ukrainians are putting their anger into music as well.

One song by the band Surface Tension is called "We will kill you all." In it, the singer screams: "We will dance on your bones. Your mom won't come for you." The song, full of expletives, has more than 59,000 views since its April 5 release on YouTube.

Twenty-five-year-old Iryna Osypenko was among those at a music event in Kyiv meant to raise money. She was there to watch Otoy.

She said she has only hatred for the Russians.

"I hate them and, I'm sorry, it will never change," she said. "I will explain it to my children and I hope that my children will explain to their children."

Otoy's older brother, Dmitry Lisen, is missing and believed dead. He was a fighter with the Azov Regiment⁶, among the groups that defended the Azov steel plant for nearly three months. The defense⁷ of the plant came to represent Ukrainian resistance.

Otoy dedicated⁸ his song, "Find My Country," to Azovstal's defenders⁹. He rapped in English with the aim, he said, of reaching people all over the world.

Otoy is also working on a collection of songs mainly written while supplying ammunition to troops in the east. Fighting has worsened there since Russian forces were pushed back from their early offensive on Kyiv.

Subjects of the songs include life at war and friendship among soldiers. Other songs are about war-time life for civilians¹⁰, and fighting for Ukrainian freedom. He said the songs have "the smell of war dust."

"I was actually lying on the ground under the airstrikes and bomb shelling," Otoy said. He added that he could "feel the smell of, you know, like bombs, dead bodies, and dust, blood and other stuff."

"This is the best way to show your hate, I think," said Otoy.

Words in This Story

lyrics— n. (pl.) the words to a song

expletive — n. a word that people say when they are angry, often that is offensive

nauseous — n. feeling sick in the stomach or as though you were about to throw up what is in your stomach

stale — n. something that is not clean or has an unpleasant smell or taste

view –n. when a person looks at a file on a computer

dedicate –v. to declare something is in honor a person, group or event

1 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

2 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

3 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

4 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

5 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

6 regiment   

n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制

参考例句：

• As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
• They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

9 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。