Russian pop music can be weird. Russian rap music sometimes is even worse. Like in any other country, the pop music industry in Russia is a strange product of talent, business, viral marketting and shock content intended to make headlines.
What about the Russian rap? I have not been following it for too long but my impression is that there are two types of Russian rappers:
- The ones who get inspired by the Western rap music, American rap music videos and hence immitate a lot of those motives
- The ones who find their own style and their own topics to talk about
I am more of a fan of the latter and there is this one song, that is getting old by the music standards but I still really enjoy listening to it now and then.
The song is called "Make up Dreams" and is sang by Kasta (original: "Сочиняй Мечты" by Каста). This song stands out to me: it covers the topics of aspiration to life, achieving goals, dreaming of something better and moving towards it. This is unlike a common topic of corruption in the government, societal problems and if we are talking about the Western-immitating rap - girls and cars.
This song makes me inspired to go out and pursue my interest, forgo temporary struggles and think bigger, freely and without fear. The artists do something in this song really well - they try to relate to everyone in any age group and any place by mentioning the usual stages of being young and confused; the active ambitious years when everything seems to be within reach; and the later years when you might feel kinda settled and nothing seems to change as fast. Without mentioning the specific age or circumstance, they present us with the stages of life we all go through in some way. And once you are onboard and you can point at the verse and say "yes, this is about me right now", the song always follows up with the chorus unconditionally telling you "this is your time to make up new dreams".
Anyway, I showed this song to my mother in excitement maybe several years ago, and recently wanted to share it with a friend. Unfortunately I couldn't find a decent translation of the lyrics to English, so I thought it is worth doing it myself. By no means a professional translation, nevertheless:
When you don’t know yet, what kind of man you want to become:
Stern or cool, free or married
Nimble or simple
And when you haven’t set your axis up yet
When you don’t know, how to express everything
When you pretend to be someone else, bust also evade the bus fares
When you wear the clothes you don’t like
But inside you want to be a little glamorous
When you dream of the one love
And fall for anyone/anything you see
When you give up on friendships in a heat but inside feel pain
When didn’t figure it out yet, but become furious in a moment
When you are a dependant, no money, and you can dream of the day
When everything will be your way, but right now there is nothing you can do
When on sudden mood swings your body
Needs to be anchored before it takes off
That’s the time to make up dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
Make up new dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
That’s the time to make up dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
Make up new dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
When you already know how to vow, when you can dream so big
That your heart is shaking, when you love dancing
When punks just like you would
At night vandalize administrative buildings
When it seems like in the entire God’s world
You are the chosen one, and sure your friends are, too
When “virgin” is a demeaning offense
When you would take for a girl even a devilfish
When you enrolled in a wrong major for some reason
When the parents' authority starts to dwindle
When you make correct choices, but rather wrong ones
When you believe any nonsense
When you are the most hyped up out of your friends
When you are on a date, but the hotel has denied you an entrance
When picking up a new sport takes just a couple of weeks
When you are looking for a purpose in your life
That’s the time to make up dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
Make up new dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
That’s the time to make up dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
Make up new dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
When you live by your values, and you are familiar with the world
You have what you have, and you don’t need any more
When you are tired, there is nothing novel in anyone or anything
Suddenly you observe someone’s youthful drive with a heroic dash
And you long for those times, in a nostalgy all of the sudden
There are some things that cannot be not mourned when recalling
Your own ambitions that are further away by day
And while comparing them with your reality
*Always*, make up dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
Make up new dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
*Always*, make up dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon
Make up new dreams
There are a million chances that everything will happen soon