It appears that Kyrgyz rap is being taken seriously not only by listeners but also at the state level. Kyrgyz Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy Mirbek Mambetaliev met with artists from the local hip-hop scene to discuss the genre’s future in the country.
Well-known local performers, including Begish, Freeman 996, Bakr and Bayastan, were invited. The rappers explained how the scene is developing today, shared the difficulties young musicians face and discussed what could help the genre grow.
The talks focused not only on supporting the artists but also on how the music scene could develop in the country.
Mambetaliev emphasized that the government is interested in supporting youth creative initiatives. He said that working with young artists and developing modern music will be among the areas of the state cultural policy.
It is worth noting that such meetings for Central Asia’s rappers are rare. For instance, rap in Kazakhstan has developed on its own, producing popular rappers in the CIS region such as Skryptonite and Jah Khalib. The meeting between Kyrgyz rappers and the culture minister therefore appears quite unusual, as music of the streets is being discussed at the state level.
