Ok, this may sound a bit surprising, but do you know that it was Russians who actually invented hip-hop?

Back in the 18th century Russian villages witnessed the birth of a new genre called "Chastushka" (a short verse or a song). The content of these songs is usually quite explicit and sometimes even vulgar, but always funny. The strange thing is that this genre enjoys a huge popularity among old people in Russia today and you can still witness them gathering in city parks. They dance, sing, get together and basically freak out in a positive way.



The way Chastushka works is astonishingly similar to freestyle MC and breakdance "battles", except that there's an accordeon and folk singing involved. Usually, old women (Babushkas) gather together in a tight circle, put an accordionist (a man = Dedushka) on the side, and start moving and clapping rhythmically to his music. They encourage any two people to come in the middle of the circle for a competition of wits and dance. And once any two Babushkas come out, they invent a short song (Chastushka) and shout it one after the other.

» Read More