‘Keep your socks on your feet’

What to know about Russian rapper Vacio, who was jailed and then drafted into the military after attending the ‘almost naked’ party in nothing but a sock

Russian rapper Vacio (Nikolay Vasilev) attended TV presenter Nastya Ivleeva’s now-infamous “almost naked” party in Moscow. His costume? A single Balenciaga sock covering his penis. This became somewhat of a symbol for the whole debacle, and the authorities decided to make an example of him. At first, he was jailed for 15 days and fined 200,000 rubles (around $2,250) for “LGBT propaganda.” Then, as he was leaving the police station, he was stopped and thrown back in jail for another 10 days — this time, allegedly, for swearing. That same day, the rapper was taken to a military recruitment center and handed a military summons, according to social media. Rumor has it that he’ll be serving in the military orchestra. In light of the fallout from the “almost naked” party, music critic Denis Boyarinov re-examines Vacio’s music. Meduza in English is publishing an abridged translation.

‘Jumping around without pants’

Nikolay Vasilev, known by his stage name Vacio, had been in a special detention center for over two weeks when he posted on his Telegram channel on January 10, 2024:

I’m no longer the person you knew before. I’m not a rapper. I’m a professional musician, who graduated from jazz school, six years of guitar, and six years of piano. I’m an author who writes my own music and lyrics for each song. When I made the decision to turn my life around, I also changed the direction of my art, in which I now promote a healthy lifestyle, trying to show my audience that alcohol and drugs are evil.

Most of Vacio’s Telegram followers supported him, though there were some who believed he made the post while under duress.

This message, and his time behind bars, followed his appearance at TV presenter Nastya Ivleeva’s “almost naked” party in Moscow, which he attended wearing only shoes on his feet and a sock on his penis. Images of the event sparked outrage on social media. Many of Russia’s biggest stars who attended the party were either forced to make public apologies, have their shows canceled, or lose brand deals. But it seems that Vacio, the youngest and one of the lesser known of all the party’s attendees, got it the worst — he was fined 200,000 rubles (around $2,250) and sent to jail.

One apology note was not enough for the authorities to consider the rapper reformed. After his release from jail, Vacio went to a Moscow military recruitment center, where he was deemed fit for duty and served a military summons. While he was previously considered unfit for service due to having Psoriasis, Telegram channel Mash cites unconfirmed reports that he will now be serving in a military orchestra.

Vacio’s appearance at the event became one of its most memorable moments and a symbol for the “almost naked” party.

The rapper’s provocative look even reportedly angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, writes Telegram channel Baza, who made it clear that the president had seen an image of the almost naked Vacio. At a meeting with the heads of Russia’s federal subjects, Putin spoke about how veterans of the war in Ukraine should be acting upon their return: “You won’t be jumping [around] without your pants at some kind of event.”

It’s likely that neither Putin, nor the majority of commentators on social media calling Vacio a “clown with a sock on his junk,” have heard any of the rapper’s music. If they had, they would have been substantially angrier, and he would have been in even deeper trouble.

‘Art or cringe’

In November 2022, Vacio released his fourth album, titled “Father.” The record’s cover was no less provocative than his appearance at the “almost naked” party: mimicking U.S. photographer Herb Ritts’ promotional photos for Calvin Klein, the artist posed soulfully in white briefs — which revealed more than they concealed.

The album is likely the “dirtiest” in the history of Russian rap. The 30-minute runtime includes songs about sex and alpha male bravado, filled with explicit language.

“I want to make the kind of music that pleases my animal nature,” said Vacio in an interview with Russian music outlet The Flow. The album disappeared from the artist’s official channels after he started having problems with the Russian authorities.

Another one of Vacio’s provocative tracks, “I am/We are animals,” has recently been removed. The song features a catchy reggaeton beat and the lyrics “Your pussy is the fucking shit, my pussy is fucked.” The song’s music video features naked dancers twerking around Vacio’s face. “What was it — art or cringe?” asked one of the commenters.

Yet, Vacio’s songs contain a simultaneously conflicting and invigorating combination of pop sweetness and punk filth, slurred speech and precise words, savagery and artistry. As Vacio sang in one of his songs, “I have my own vibe, it’s just different.”

Since his debut single was released in 2018, Vacio has collaborated with well-known Russian artists such as Eldzhey, Morgenshtern, GeeGun, Dima Bilan, and even Boris Grebenshchikov, the lead singer of the legendary rock band Aquarium. Until six months ago, Vacio, despite a chaotic career and frequent eccentric acts, seemed like a rising star. Now, nearly everyone in Russia knows who he is, though his music — not so much.

“I want to be loved by many just so I can tell everyone to fuck off,” he said in an interview with The Flow. “To stop thinking about them and just be a creator. Just go mad as much as possible, so nothing holds me back. Freedom is what I enjoy most.”

As fate would have it, Vacio’s words didn’t bring him freedom, but rather — a stint in jail.

Keep a low profile

Vacio hasn’t spoken out against the war. In 2023, answering a question about his dreams, he said, “I want a person in Russia to feel great and to walk with pride, not say ‘But in Europe.’”

It’s unlikely that Vacio will now start making patriotic music in the spirit of Shaman, Putin’s preferred patriotic pop star. But he’s also unlikely to return to making the uncensored music he became known for.

That’s hardly possible in today’s Russia anyway. In authoritarian states, any source of independent energy, even one as individual and seemingly powerless as an indie musician, is perceived as a threat to stability. That’s why the regime is afraid of Vacio’s songs — not because they’re scared of the word “pussy” or because they think scantily clad dancers can traumatize the minds of youth.

Despite the peculiar nature of Vacio’s misdemeanor and the legally questionable charges against him (attending a private party naked?), the punishment, 25 days in jail and a year of military service, seems like gentle fatherly advice compared to the cases of St. Petersburg artist Sasha Skochilenko, or playwrights Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk.

At the same time, the authorities wanted to send a signal to all Vacio’s colleagues and peers: keep a low profile, your head down, and your socks on your feet — or prepare to face the music.

Text by Denis Boyarinov. Abridged translation by Sasha Slobodov.