Russian rapper Oxxxymiron has announced a series of charity concerts he’s calling Russians Against War — or the RAW concerts.
Oxxxymiron made headlines in February when he canceled a series of sold-out concerts in Russia. The RAW concerts will begin next week in Istanbul. In the video announcing the new concert series, the rapper condemned the actions of Russia.
“Today my nose is red from the cold, I’m cheerful but very angry. I’m angry because sh*t’s still f*cked up, because the war in Ukraine has been going on for more than two weeks. And yet there are tens of millions of Russians who categorically disagree with this war. And I think this should be said as loudly as possible,” the rapper begins.
“So I’m announcing a series of my charity concerts called Russians Against War or RAW for short. Right now it’s impossible to organize an anti-war concert in Russia. Because as insane as it may sound, everything anti-war is illegal these days. Total censorship has been implemented and anyone who speaks out against the war in any way becomes a potential target for criminal prosecution,” Oxxxymiron says on Twitter.
“Therefore I will play the first of these concerts on the 15th of March in Istanbul, Turkey. Where there is currently a great number of Russians. There will also be a live stream of the show on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitch.” Oxxxymiron says 100% of the proceeds from the concert will go to support Ukrainian refugees. It’s reported that nearly two million Ukrainians are fleeing their homes to the Polish border.
Digital Music News covered the ‘cellar violinist‘ of Kharkiv, who is playing for her neighbors to give them heart. She says she initially uploaded her performances to YouTube for her family and friends, but they went viral on social media as she played while Russia bombed her home city of Kharkiv. Meanwhile, the music industry is retreating from Russia as sanctions continue to tighten around the country.