News from the digital music landscape reveals that the Yandex Music platform blocked the new release from the rap group Casta at the direction of Roskomnadzor (RKN). When a user attempts to open the album via search results, a notification appears indicating that access has been restricted by the regulator. Similar limitations have also surfaced on YouTube Music, though the album remains accessible on the VK audio service for now.
Casta released the album New Foreign Rap on September 9. The work arrives amid a broader climate of censorship and communication control that has affected how music reaches audiences in certain regions. In reactions to the launch, the group members issued a comment reflecting on the tensions surrounding the country’s political climate. They described a divide between those who remain loyal to the regime and those who have chosen to leave the country in the wake of military actions abroad. The artists suggested that public sentiment could shift over time as people confront the consequences of recent events, even as some listeners still cling to their own narratives about national identity and the role of art within society.
Within a day of the album’s release, activists associated with Veterans of Russia launched an effort to verify whether the band’s members receive support from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, labeling them as foreign agents and moving to block songs from circulation. This move reflects how cultural products can become focal points in broader information and political campaigns, intensifying debates about funding, influence, and eligibility to participate in the public sphere. The episode also underscores ongoing tensions between artistic expression, state oversight, and audience access across digital platforms.
Earlier controversy involved Yana Poplavskaya accusing Lolita of propagandizing Morgenstern’s music in Russia, with Morgenstern being identified by some authorities as a “foreign agent.” This accusation highlights the contested space where music, politics, and regulation intersect in the region, often shaping how audiences discover and discuss contemporary works. The situation illustrates how artists may navigate a complex array of legal and social pressures while seeking to reach listeners both at home and abroad, and how streaming services must balance user access with compliance obligations in diverse markets. [Source attribution: industry coverage and public statements from involved groups and regulatory bodies]