Putin Talks Rap, Graffiti

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin may enjoy high approval ratings and a cool-handed approach to politics, but that doesn't mean he can talk the talk of Russia's youth culture. Putin appeared on a music awards show Sunday to speak about rap, graffiti, and break dancing, surely subjects with which the Russian renaissance man is all too familiar. Putin "looked distinctly awkward" as he stood stiff and motionless among a crowd of "head-bobbing, hand-waving teenagers," the Telegraph reports. The former president spoke out against drugs and alcohol, and praised the social awareness of art forms such as rap and graffiti. Russian newspaper Kommersant labeled it a "desperate move" for Putin, whose ratings have dropped lately.