When I get the tattoo, like uh 50,000 of subscribers get off from me like in one hour.
Yeah.
Man, can I get a number three and just put the fries in the bag? I was searching for the right guy for this video and after a year of searching, I stumbled across Sam, a black guy born and raised in Russia who knows Moscow like the back of his hand.
This is black in Russia.
[cheering] What do people know about Russia? When I think of Russia, I think of cold political stuff.
Kind of like a place not to go if you’re from where I’m from.
But I don’t really know too much about it other than cold and like politics.
You know what I mean? You won’t believe what I’m about to show you in Moscow.
But I see that people from the US have no idea that there are even black people in the city.
It’s all of Russia.
We’re living doing our thing.
Yay.
I didn’t know either.
Like when you think of Moscow being from where I’m from, you don’t expect black people.
Like when we think of Russia, we just think of white people.
We never understand like a black community in Russia.
You know what I mean? You don’t think that black people could be doing fine in a city like Moscow? A language way different from English, a culture way far away from Africa.
Even just hearing you speak Russian, that’s just to me is like it it don’t feel real.
The idea is to celebrate blackness.
Yeah.
There is not a spot in the world where black people don’t do good.
Wherever you put a black person, we will find our way.
Okay.
And through my life stories and life stories of my friend, I’m about to show you that we always find our way.
You can’t stop us from us.
It’s time to experience experience.
Let’s do it.
Soviet Union isn’t Russia.
Soviet Union is like 40 countries.
So is that the same thing as USSR? Yeah, Soviet Union, USSR.
That’s different names for the same country.
But Russia was one of the countries in that.
Yeah.
When I like think of Russia, this is what I think of these buildings.
When Soviet Union reached this pick, they started building identical shits everywhere.
Identical schools, housing, groceries, everything was the same.
That is why you get the feeling when you’re in Belarus, they in Russia.
Or if you go to even Poland at some extent, you feel like you’re in Russia.
It was the same infrastructure throughout the entire the FL, the toilet, the street names.
Yeah.
Oh, the street names too.
Like in any Soviet Union, you have a len street as the main street of the city and you have a bunch of like squares at the same in any Soviet Union street.
Tell me about how you ended up in Russia.
For you to be black and in a country like Russia.
Yeah.
It has to be something bizarre.
In my instance, my dad was sent to the Soviet Union in ‘ 88 or ‘ 89 to study.
From where? From Nigeria.
So you’re Nigerian.
Yuruba boys.
Yurba boy.
Yuruba.
No Euroba.
What the [ __ ] We’re not in America.
Yuruba.
Is common for Nigerians to come to Russia? It has to be a bizarre story.
It’s not common.
And it was probably a lot less black people then than now.
At a point in my life, I knew only two cities in my hometown, black families, mine and a friend of ours.
He decides to try it out.
He kind of like it.
Then [ __ ] go left.
The Soviet Union collapse.
You have the hungry ’90s and he still decides to stay.
What’s the hungry ’90s? The hungry ’90s.
That’s after the Soviet Union collapsed.
Russia had like 8 to 10 years of lawlessness.
Total lawlessness.
What’s that that movie uh purge where it’s like all crime is legal or something? Crime is legal.
You’re lying.
So someone like cop could see someone knock somebody out in the face and nothing happens to them.
Nothing happens.
Your mom is Nigerian too? Both my parents Euroba.
Do you consider yourself more Nigerian or more Russian? My base is Nigerian.
My spirit is Nigerian.
But the way I speak, the way I interact, the way I talk is Russian European.
Because you were born and raised there.
Yeah.
But like whenever I’m talking about something deep like where my energy comes from that’s totally Nigerian.
So let me say this in the states there’s this type of black person that too white for the black kids and too black for the whites.
Yeah.
Do you feel like you’re too Russian for the Nigerians and too Nigerian for the Russians? I had a moment like that in my life till I went to uni.
Before that everything I had about my black experience was knowledge.
But now it shift into experience.
Most of us we have this conflict of identity.
You have no blacks around you.
You try to act as the people you see around you.
That’s the Russians.
So like, yo, I’m Russian.
Speak the language.
I like only white girls.
I listen to Russian music.
Right.
I’m not African.
Once you black, you black, bro.
Right.
Wherever you at, Russia, China, US.
They will let you know.
In Brazil, there’s black Brazilians, right? In UK, there’s black British people, right? What if it’s just like y’all in the early stages of having y’all black people to where it feels like it’s not like a melting pot? Yeah.
But you, all of you have your American experience, the Mexican-American experience, the white American experience, the black American experience.
When you’re growing up as a black person in Russia, the first thing you do is neglect your second part.
But people around you will always let you know you’re black.
Always.
So the first thing you have to do, what I’m very grateful to my dad for, accept the fact that, yo, I’m an African born in Russia.
And trying to find that balance.
Yeah.
What’s up, man? PY, bro.
Good to meet you, Py.
Chilling.
Yo, what’s up, Py bro? Good to meet you, man.
You’re a rapper, right? Yeah.
Heard some good things, man.
Heard some good things.
Py.
Py.
Like py.
Like py with a No.
No.
[laughter] No.
He said fy like poodle.
No to no.
Oh, you got a pudin tattoo.
That is insane.
Show it real quick.
Show it to the camera.
Yo, what’s up? Where’d you get that? Like one year ago.
What’s the uh significance of the pudin tattoo? I’m Russian [ __ ] Who the [ __ ] is there a lot of uh black folks who who rap out here? Not really, but all of my guys rapping.
Like I’m the one famous black rapper in Russia.
Oh, you’re like the like biggest one.
Bet.
Let’s uh go inside.
Check everything out.
Y’all Russian handshakes be killing me.
In the US, we call that the Mexican handshake.
Nice to meet you, Cody.
Nice to meet you.
That’s Sophie from my brother.
This is where you do all all your songs and stuff.
No, I’m doing all your jewelry here.
Yeah, we got this stuff some new [ __ ] for our fans and something like that.
Let’s go to the to the dark.
Oh, because of light.
Yeah, club [ __ ] I got studio crazy.
There is a buffet statue.
Oh [ __ ] [laughter] Are you a Satanist? No, it’s for my jourer.
You speak English? No.
Accent is silent.
He is.
I don’t know.
Why didn’t he respond right away? Are you sure you want to enter that room with this guy? Don’t go, bro.
The money doesn’t work.
[ __ ] that [ __ ] bro.
This and then it’s red.
This is the [ __ ] in this bed.
You like uh Satan? Yeah.
You You like Yeah, I like God.
You know like I like God.
Okay.
My god.
Who’s your god? They will.
[screaming] Oh [ __ ] When the devil appears in the name you’re not ready for, huh? You think it’s a joke? The devil can this life he says the devil in this bed or the devil youvil I’m also afraid to come here bro I rebuke you in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus rebuke my [ __ ] what is going on check this out I don’t want to I was there.
No, [laughter] no, no.
Let’s go.
Let’s go.
Get me out of this field, bro.
What is going on, bro? I want no problems.
We cool, right? In the name of Jesus.
Hey, tell him cast no spells.
He did it by his own hands with the microscope here.
You talking about a fist? Did you not see a Satan ritual? My mind is right now, [laughter] bro.
We are in I forgot.
We are in Russia.
Y’all see the title? What the [ __ ] I’ve been with [ __ ] this whole time.
The first white guy I talked to, I see a [laughter] What are we doing here? What are we doing here? What are we doing here? Show me the jury.
Show me the jury.
In America, you see a white dude research.
He’s going to shoot this [ __ ] up.
Basically, he’s the master.
Yeah, he’s the master.
Master.
We calling white people master in Russia.
The master of the master of jewelry.
When did god [ __ ] sell y’all soul, bro? Are you Christian? Yes.
He can show how he’s polishes how he’s polishing the jewelry.
Show me how we pray, bro.
[laughter] Like, y’all show me other show me how we pray.
Show me how we go to church, bro.
Show me how we worship Jesus.
If I’m not believing in this god [ __ ] so I don’t believe in this devil [ __ ] I don’t give a [ __ ] about all of it.
I believe in space.
We are all mad.
I told you, bro.
For a black person to be in Russia, you have to be bizarre.
Hey yo, I win.
Hey, I [ __ ] up the family.
Y [ __ ] up the family.
Y’all [ __ ] up the family.
Why? Hey, she just want some mant.
[singing] Hey, I [ __ ] up the family.
Hey, I [ __ ] up the family.
I [singing] do that [ __ ] dark.
I do that.
I was born here.
Yeah, I was born in a little town and uh when I was 14 years old, I moved to St.
Petersburg.
Moved to St.
Petersburg with my mama.
She’s black, too.
She’s the first female black rapper in Russia.
Your mom raps? Wait, hold on.
Wait.
There’s female rappers in Russia a little.
My mom was the first like she opened those gates, you know.
My dad, he’s African.
He was just studing here.
My mom like uh didn’t say him that he has a child and he moved back to Africa without knowing that he have a son here.
Have you and him spoke? Yes.
Yes.
He found me like when I was 21.
Wow.
I’m 33.
Like Jesus.
I’m in Jesus age.
Your mom is a rapper here.
How did that work? Was she popular? Was she big? She was underground.
She was actually an underground movement with some stuff.
Gangster [ __ ] Yeah.
So your mom is street? She hood? Yeah.
She’s from the street.
Oh [ __ ] That’s crazy.
From the hood.
Actually, she was the wife of the first famous white Russian rapper in Russia.
But your story is [ __ ] insane.
So, you have tattoos and everything.
I want to talk about this Putin tattoo.
Yeah.
Why did you choose to get it? You know, actually when the war starts, a lot of people say a lot of not really good [ __ ] about Russia or something like that.
And I was like showing that I don’t give a [ __ ] I was born here.
I will just say it loud.
You got this as a way to show like Russian.
It’s my message.
Yeah, it’s my message.
I was in the Uh he was in Russian army.
Oh you was in the army.
In Russia once you reach 18 you’re obliged to serve for a year.
Only if you go to a college then you can skip it.
Did you have to do that? I’m not a citizen.
Okay.
It’s only for citizens.
What was everybody’s like thoughts when you got the tattoo? When I get the tattoo like uh 50,000 of subscribers get off from me like in 1 hour.
Wait.
So how did the Russian people react? In Russia there is a lot of people who doesn’t like this [ __ ] like the government and something like that.
But actually when I was a little boy it was a lot of skin heads in Russia like they black people they when the knife even my mom have a scar here they got a in the in the chest you know and I was 5 years old and when Putin came he like uh stop all of this [ __ ] Yeah.
And that is why I respect this guy you know.
Have you traveled anywhere before? You think people would like react differently if you Actually, yes.
I think yes.
But I don’t give a It’s my position and I’m like I’m peaceful enough to don’t give a [ __ ] about it.
Right.
Right.
Would you ever want to travel to the USA? Yes, of course.
Because I was raised on rap culture, hip-hop culture.
I want to check it out for my own eyes, you know.
Let me ask too, cuz you got a face tattoo.
What was the decision to do that? Like how old were you when you got your face tattooed? 23.
23.
Were you ever worried like, damn, I can’t get a job? I wanted to block a way for me to get a simple just a normal job.
The person I interviewed in Osaka, Japan, told me the same thing.
How many face tattoos do you have? I don’t remember.
Damn.
Oh, yeah.
You got some on your forehead.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Even my girlfriend had she has a Uzi on her face.
Yeah.
When she became my girlfriend, I say, “You will never go to the job.
Do this [ __ ] on your face.
” I wanted to make her an artist and I produced an album for her.
I say, “Do this [ __ ] It will be easier for you not to think about normal jobs.
” One of my biggest like concerns was coming here was about how strict like cops and stuff are.
You being black, you having all these tattoos when it come to like locals.
They not they’re not aggressive at all.
I was famous already.
I was just walking through the streets smoking and two cops come over me and they just wrapped my song and they they did nothing to me.
Oh, so cops here [ __ ] with you? Yeah, some sometimes they come like that and they take a photo.
In the USA, most rappers hate the cops.
How about out here? Do like people like the cops? I’m just laughing on them.
I’m just laughing on them, but I don’t hate them.
Do you feel like it’s easier to make it in the entertainment business in Russia because you’re black? No.
Not because uh all white people like they are not hating black people, but they don’t understand us.
And for them, it’s difficult to get your culture.
It’s difficult to because in in USA everyone knows what is it black culture and in Russia it’s just from the beginning you know it’s just I was the first who gave them like a chance to understand what is it even when you are black it’s not as easy do they consider you Russian the same way you consider yourself Russian even considered the same way you are do they accept you yes after I passed the Russian army after I do like okay he did everything it was like oh he’s Russian and when they heard my music.
They understand what I’m talking about.
They get my Russian accent and all of it.
They they get that I’m Russian.
Actually, when I went to Africa, it was more difficult to prove them that I’m African than here to prove that I’m Russian.
They say, “Oh, you’re white.
You’re not black.
” Because in Africa, like when you have a little piece of white blood, you’re white.
And in America, when you have a little piece of black, you are black.
I never considered that.
Yeah.
They was like saying you’re white, you’re not black.
And yeah, [ __ ] our interviews.
Marino Marino actually living in Russia it’s not it’s not like all time we don’t think about politics we don’t give a [ __ ] about all this conflict and something like that you know because uh we know that politics is politics and uh worries for some [ __ ] like it’s not concerning to us when you see some people who really thinks about that it’s just because maybe they are nothing to think about yeah because normally we’re just chilling about all this [ __ ] if you will just get out and scream that Russia is [ __ ] with Russia.
Of course, they will act like aggressive onto your side, but normally they don’t give a [ __ ] They’re happy people just chilling, just vibing.
Go to the restaurant, go to the club.
Have a lot of Ukrainian fans, you know.
Uh and u after this [ __ ] leaf we had no idea we were cooking everybody.
And before we continue football and basketball season is back and prize picks is the best place to win cash while watching sports.
Why I like Prize Picks is cuz your favorite team could lose, but you can still win cash on the individual player.
The app is really easy to use.
All you have to do is pick more or less on a few player stats.
Now, Prize Pix is available in 45 states, including California and Texas.
To get started, Prize Pix will give you $50 in lineups to play your first $5 lineup.
Win or lose, you’ll get 50 bucks in lineups.
Use promo code PY when you sign up today.
Make sure you download the Prize Pix app and place an entry while this offer is still available.
And let’s get on with the rest of the video.
It’s your Pooty Pick.
What’s one stereotype that’s not true about Russia? [laughter] Damn, is this Batman? Who the [ __ ] are they laughing? [laughter] Let’s speak about the spy, Natasha.
Okay.
They have a spy.
We do have a lot of I think that’s back and forth though cuz y’all have movies with American spies too, right? Yeah.
But Yeah.
But it’s not a thing.
Out of what I heard, there were not a lot of women spies.
So that’s just a stereotype because you always get a woman spy.
A woman.
She’s beautiful.
She’s Natasha.
She can’t get the information.
She’s hot.
That’s the stereotype that’s cops.
What’s another stereotype that’s not true? And beers were running on the streets.
No joke.
I hit him up.
I was like, “Yo, maybe a long shot.
Do you know where I could wrestle a beer?” Russians don’t really have a connection with beers like that.
Right.
Right.
It’s not that thing.
Russians are about cats.
I haven’t seen one cat, bro.
You don’t see them outside because they all inside.
A girl I told like, “I like you, but we’re not sleeping with no [ __ ] cat in this bed.
” Cannot be here.
from the same place food and she’s like you cannot like pause that’s crazy zoom on me that’s crazy pause bro that’s crazy I got to teach [laughter] a cat I got to teach Russ off of a place this is a cat this is not me this is a cat you’re not supposed to do that though is wrong with you American that is Pause.
[laughter] Bro, they’ve been pausing every 1 minute.
Let’s bounce from here to there.
Pause.
Pause, bro.
Like, men don’t bounce.
We bounce in Russia.
Oh, no.
When did you move here? I arrived to Russia 2012.
I’m a 32 years Sudanese who lived his first 10 years in Sudan, the second 10 years in Saudi Arabia, then the third 10 years here in Russia.
Oh, I’m going to try on that.
You have to.
How much? 1,500.
[screaming] You know what? I’m going to this [ __ ] up.
[laughter] Let’s go.
Let’s go.
Let’s take a picture.
Yeah.
Where? Where? Me, too.
Ask him why he want a photo.
But you went for the show progressive vodka.
[laughter] So, you see this reaction? This is basically the reaction every time Russian people come to you and you start speaking in Russian.
Is it because you guys are so cool? I forgot I had this on my head, bro.
Bigger size.
Bigger size.
Like Yep.
Yep.
Yep.
Because of the the Yep.
The biggest question, bro.
So, how’d you end up here in Moscow, bro? I mean, like, Moscow wasn’t even in my list of top 10 options.
My uncle, he came to Moscow at 1992.
He’s my father’s favorite brother.
He was like, “Yo, make Muhammad come here to study.
” Why? But why did I choose Moscow? For my father, it was like one of the best options.
For a lot of Africans, they see Russia as the friend.
Yeah, the white friend.
For Sudan, Russia is much better than let’s say USA, United Kingdom.
Really? Yep.
Hey, wait.
But why? There’s a lot of countries on that side of the world which see America as the number one enemy.
Really? So like surprised.
Why are you so surprised? Okay.
Ready? So to us in the States, this is the ultimate do not go place.
This is like a level four or five do not travel, bro.
on the website it literally said we can’t help you if anything goes wrong.
What? Yes.
But that’s because of the bad connection between Exactly.
to places like Mexico, Central America coming to the US chasing that American dream for other countries there.
It’s like this is chasing that Russian dream.
Russia is the ally against the colonial powers of Britain, America, France, Europe, Belgium, Germany is the good white friend for a lot of African.
I don’t know why he said so Africa, Central African East in Nigeria as well, they don’t really give about Russia and sometimes I think it’s [laughter] that reaction of you seeing the name [laughter] I got a 20 word list I can’t say.
It’s a fact.
Top word on that list begins with a P.
You know why Nigerians love Putin? Because the Brits left Nigeria in shambles and now you have one guy resisting NATO, the EU person alone resisting the white colonial powers.
Yeah, let’s stop shouting.
Is that too weird? No, we just don’t have to shout.
[laughter] Thank you.
I like this guy, bro.
I like this guy.
We We just don’t have to shout them over everybody over freedom, bro.
Anyway, what pretty much, bro? How do I stay safe and get a private injected hole out of the entire world right now? Taylor Swift is top 10 most famous artist.
If we go walk down the streets of Moscow, I’m talking about today Swift.
That’s one Taylor Swift.
What? Two.
Yo yo yo yo yo Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift.
Five out of five.
90.
Six out of six.
Tyler Swift.
D.
Yes.
Yes.
I know.
Seven out of seven.
Bro, you are our driver.
Okay.
Okay.
Moscow is no wait.
Wait, hold up.
Hold on.
Wait.
[ __ ] He just seven out of seven.
This is Russia.
[clears throat] Moscow is not is not Russia, bro.
Moscow is not.
That’s something you guys have to learn.
You reach Vulgra.
You reach Chilabians.
You reach.
That’s some places they’re not interested in this music.
But they know 50 Cent.
People that do not know rap, they know 50 Cent.
He’s the black guy.
50 Cent is the guy who get nine pulled here.
He was a legend.
You don’t know what you heard about me.
He was about the candy shop is the poster boy of black people in non black countries.
No one knows [ __ ] Ain’t no 50 Snoop Dog.
I would think more dog famous.
More Snoop Dog 50.
You know who who is like 50 Cent? Kanye West.
I would say Kanye I I would I would think cuz y’all live on the other side of the road.
Well, you know, I I would assume cuz I’m sure I’m on the other side of Ro.
Kanye West cuz he has the shoes Kardashian.
When Kanye West married Kim Kardashian, he breached the audiences.
He went into the white audiences.
He made her famous.
He made her famous that there in your country.
Here in our places, she made him famous.
Really? Yeah.
Kim Kardashian.
Wait, wait.
In Russia, they think Kim Kardashian made Kanye famous.
A lot of Russian don’t know.
A lot of Russian people don’t know that she was.
You know why? You know why? Cuz Kim Kardashian is Armenian.
Is there a lot of Armenians in Moscow? What? You heard the accent, right? I I should probably move after that.
[laughter] So, we’re passing by the biggest library in Russia.
Lenny’s library.
This looks grand.
Just as in the US, you have the Senate and you have the House of Representatives.
This is the House of Representatives.
All the decisions in this country from this building.
Yeah.
This is where Bro, what is that building? This is the the uh FBI headquarters.
Yeah.
That show [laughter] these are real pussing friends.
[screaming] How was the word? That’s not the effort is from the [screaming] KGB.
Watch the FBI control the president.
Hello this py brother.
Do you like put leg? Send $10,000.
You could be rich as [ __ ] But if a KGB captain doesn’t like you, [laughter] Bro, he wanted to go out, right? What is the KGB? I said it.
It’s the Russian FBI.
I think it’s even mixed CIA with the FBI.
And the KGB controls everything in Russia.
You could be an in America.
There’s a whole KGB behind us, by the way.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And that’s even a black NRA.
What the [ __ ] is a black N, bro? What the [ __ ] What? Wait.
Oh [ __ ] Wait.
[screaming] Where’s the black tomato? Where’s the black? They’re buses.
They’re buses.
They’re buses.
[screaming] [laughter] Why are we speeding? Why are we speeding? We just went and drive me to the airport.
Now back.
Do you know what? What? We as black people, wherever we’re from, we are loud.
Pay attention to how quiet this bus is.
The whole bus is staring at us.
We’ve had a ton of situations of people coming to us like, “Yo, why you shouting?” Are we just like, “Yo, Muhammad speaking like this.
” That’s universally black.
Like Africans from any country, they’re lively.
They’re emotional.
It’s not being loud.
Nigerians speak very loud.
Oh, if I start speaking like a Nigerian now.
So if I start speaking like I’m using my own body to communicate because I cannot just be standing like yoy this is the mo.
No I have to like yoy this is the mo.
Are most people here quiet? 99% bro.
99% that [ __ ] is filming us right now behind your back.
Bro say hi.
You want to be speak English.
He speaks English.
Ask him.
You speak English right? Do a lot of people here speak English? The thing is that Russian’s education is one of the best in the world.
So you have schools like public schools you don’t have to pay a dime for where you learn English, French, and German without paying money for that [ __ ] In the US high school, you could learn French.
By the way, write in the comments how many Americans speak French.
Here’s what it is.
It’s not the educational system.
We don’t really learn about like internationally.
So all my international stuff I learned was as an adult in the last like seven, eight years.
If we match a college graduate from America and with a high school graduate in Russia, [ __ ] this.
If you’re not from Harvard, we learn a lot about our history.
We learn about just our history.
Stop telling me our history.
You don’t like America, do you? It’s not about I don’t like the fact I love America actually and the American dream and everything, but I know all the facts and the truth.
I mean, like I can’t say that Americans are stupid.
I still love America.
That’s the fact.
Americans are [laughter] stupid.
He’s like, I hope to go there one day.
Okay.
Wait.
Okay.
I hope you thought about Americans.
I never dreaming about going to America.
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
Not after tomorrow.
Because he comes from the other part of from the Saudis, the Let me ask you a question.
This is very important.
Right.
Tyla, I remember when she came to the US had like got in trouble cuz she said she wasn’t black.
Cuz in South Africa, if you’re mixed, you’re uh colored, right? Does that same rule apply to like over here? M that’s like kind of Yeah.
Yes, we have it here.
So like if someone’s mixed, they don’t consider them black.
But they don’t consider themselves not all of them black.
No, but how about the others? Like what do they consider? You don’t have a black population in Russia.
What you have is immigrants in Russia.
But that’s different for you though cuz you’re born and raised here.
I’m one in a million, bro.
Like your family, they’ve been in America like seven generations, eight generations, 12 the transatlantic.
Let’s take the UK.
Yes.
They have like three generations, four generations.
More than three generations.
I don’t think that we’ll ever get to that point in Russia.
Most black people in Russia, for them, Russia is like a place you live here, you work here, and then you move.
You remember in a car when I was saying that Russia is a white country.
That’s what I meant.
This can be like minimum the second house.
But this place can never be our first house.
Never.
As I told you, 10 years Sudan, 10 years Saudi Arabia, I have like three different homes.
Home is where my mom is.
If I bring my mom to Russia, I’ll stay with her in Russia.
Damn.
I would [ __ ] look mid to me.
What about it is like making it not feel like home to you? Look around the people.
It’s not only this.
I mean like anytime.
Look, it’s been 12 years.
I can be walking in the center of the city and some people going to make me feel like why did you come to our place and what are you doing? Take your thing and leave.
Russia gives me a lot.
I love Russia and Sam knows this.
I really love this country for many many different reason.
But for me, it’s not my house yet.
Do you feel like it’s kind of harder breaking into the comedy scene as a black woman here in Russia? No, I don’t think so.
Maybe it helps me in the beginning.
Mhm.
Oh, it helped.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You like stand out in a way? Yes.
And they don’t know nothing about our lives.
Is your subject matter? Are you mostly discussing like black issues or something like black jokes? Few black jokes in the beginning and about my experience like woman.
I never would have expected a like a woman in comedy in Russia furthermore black.
I thought that was so [laughter] interesting, especially as a career path here.
So, does Russia have a big comedy scene? You know, it’s new maybe for 20 years now.
They say like standup comedia is a new rep.
What’s a popular like Russian drink? Alcoholic vodka.
God damn.
Why is vodka so popular? I don’t know.
You can make it at home.
So, why not? You don’t drink tequila here, right? No, girls drink tequila.
Okay, we want have two infusions with a fresh cranberry or fresh cherry.
Okay, I speak Russian, bro.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Welcome.
It’s good.
It tastes good.
It tastes like a small mixed drink.
So, how did you end up in Russia? How my parents were students in Soviet Union.
From what country? Guinea.
Okay.
Okay.
Guinea Basa.
So now my mom work in embassy.
She works in a guinea bis embassy here.
Yeah.
In Russia.
She just came as a student and she liked it a lot.
Did your dad come here the same time? My dad was here before my mom.
They already knew each other.
They met here.
Oh.
So they just most liked it.
They was like, “Oh, this is fire.
Let’s just stay here.
” Duh.
Cuz most people who travel here for school, do they end up liking Russia? Yeah.
Of course.
Of course.
I was in Ginebisawa like in September and my relatives who was students here, they know the language till now.
Do you think a lot of mixed people here embrace their blackness? Their blackness.
Yeah.
Oh, no.
I feel sorry for them because I think this is a journey and most of them they don’t feel like they’re black.
Do you feel like there’s a lot of black people here? Yeah.
But it goes back to that problem where a lot of them don’t embrace it.
Mhm.
But I have my friends, they’re black, too.
We’re friends not because we’re black.
Right.
Right.
Right.
But I feel like that’s common though.
Even in the US, if you’re Hispanic, then you’re naturally going to also want to be around people who have your same life experiences.
I always like the idea of sisterhood, you know.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Do you ever feel like it’s missing here, Russia? Like sisterhood? Yeah.
Do you have a lot of black girlfriends here? Not a lot, but Yeah.
totally.
I’m glad.
But I want us to be like big girls night, you know, like making braids with each other.
I feel like I don’t have enough.
What do you think it would need to take for there to be more I guess black lemon air too? There a bunch of black people here but Russia is too big so we just like Yeah.
Not all location.
So what flavor is this? Black berry.
See now we did opposite.
This one’s good.
This is my favorite.
Does that happen a lot when you walk out of public, you get recognized sometimes.
Are you like used to it now? Oh, I’m shy, but if it feels nice, it warms my heart.
How are you shy if you’re a stand-up comedian? Being a stand-up comedian, that’s probably one of the most bravest things to do.
Yes, but when I’m in a show, I am more confident and strong.
I can I can do it.
But in life, I’m like I’m like, you know how brave you have to be? Like a lot of people don’t have the gut.
Yeah, this is my other side.
If you’re a naturally shy person, how do you like lock into that? I’m a shy like a person.
I feel like I have some masks when I’m a comedian.
Bella and Bella like home girl.
This is two different Bella.
YW Melly versus Melvin.
The comedy you and the real life view of two different people.
Confident.
She can tell her [ __ ] out.
It’s okay.
Yeah.
One of the things I heard about coming here, it’s not really possible to be an entrepreneur here or to get rich if you’re like a business owner or whatever.
Your funds are like controlled by the government and there’s no real entrepreneurs.
But I’m here and I see the most Maybacks I’ve ever seen in my life.
I see the most nice cars I’ve ever seen.
So I know people getting money but is it actually possible to be an entrepreneur? Is it actually possible to get rich? One of the best things about Russia is that Russia is a developing country.
So you have a lot of opportunities to make money.
It’s quite easy for you to find a venture to make money, a venture to get big.
Let’s say you have a business and let’s say after the business profits for the year it profits a flat even 1 million USD.
Let’s say you’re the only owner or whatever.
How much of that do you get to keep after profits? It’s not hard to make it in Russia.
It’s hard to keep it.
As soon as you get big, you become a like global company, company that has to do with national interest.
A company that has, let’s say, tens of millions of Russians using their services.
But is it your but like it’s yours.
But when you reach that level, the government is like knock.
We want the data.
We want part of the money.
It has some truth to it, but it’s not full truth to it.
It has some truth to So it’s like you’re able to be entrepreneur but once you get too rich then it’s like you have no choice but to give us some of your certain number you think that you have to hit before the government start being inside of your pocket.
You know that there’s Amazon.
Yeah.
So in Russia we have wildberries.
That’s something like Russian Amazon.
There was a company selling goods and they became the biggest company in Russia.
What does that mean? Money access info.
And they was like yo we need some of that stuff.
Knock knock.
Was it known how much percentage of that was taken? No.
You never find out.
You just say that, yo, the owner of this bank sold it to the government.
And it was one of the things it’s like, you ain’t got a choice.
You pay or lay down, right? So, it’s not hard to get it in Russia.
Not keeping it.
Like, Russia is like a like a police state.
Police state, right? Moscow is the safest city in Europe.
Here I go.
Safer than the US.
But every time I go somewhere, everybody be like, this is the safest city in the world.
Moscow, at any time of the day, any spot in the city, you can just be walking around throwing out money.
No one will get There’s a lot of stairs here, though.
Sometimes it’s like, “Oh, this person’s fresh.
Let me come take a picture with you.
” But I started to notice it’s the same cadence of smile, same cadence of laugh, the same approach every couple seconds, same questions, same the same phrase over and over.
I want to take a photo.
Yeah.
And then they go away laughing.
That’s one of the bad sides of black experience in Russia.
You never feel human.
You’re always a toy.
You was telling me there’s a game that people play when they see a black guy.
Yeah.
So, let’s say it’s a group of three kids.
Yeah.
And they see a black guy approaching them.
The guy that notices the black guy first knocks his friend on the shoulder and he wins the game.
Sometimes it be a group of seven kids and one guy just 1 2 3 4 Oh [ __ ] Bro, do you ever get offended from that? Nah, bro.
We are gods.
We are gods.
And when you are black in Russia, you really feel it.
You really feel the power of black presence because anywhere I go, room full of celebrities, even policemen, I feel that I have I don’t want to say like an advantage, but some kind of influence on them.
I don’t know why is it.
Maybe because black culture is so influential.
Maybe because it’s just worked on the contrast.
I don’t know.
But anywhere I get to in Russia, I feel the highest in the room.
So I asked this to a few y’all.
Do y’all consider Russia home? Let me answer.
Yeah.
Go for it.
[laughter] Who are talking about it? Yeah.
No, you go for it.
So, okay.
Uh I cannot consider Russia as a home.
It could be a place that I would like to stay, but it would never be the home with the meaning of home.
Anytime you can hear it anywhere in Moscow, yo, go back to your place.
That’s the thing that make you feel, yo.
It’s like they constantly like remind you that you’re an outsider.
Yeah, of course.
I was talking to Bill about this some time ago.
We just immigrate in Russia.
Yeah, we’ve been living here.
We’re doing a lot of things.
People like us and everything, but at the end, we came here.
For example, for me, I I consider like Russia home.
I sort of see myself as this kind of person.
I don’t stay in a place.
So, I’m always here and there.
I grew up here.
I came here when I was 16.
I didn’t know [ __ ] So, that’s right.
That’s right.
Russia sort of shape me to this person that you see.
But that’s what I mean.
I love Russia.
Kind of patriotic of this country.
Kind of.
But that’s not changing the fact that I still cannot say that Russia is my home.
So, for me, it’s the opposite.
I cannot say Nigeria is my home cuz if I went back to Nigeria tomorrow, I would be lost.
Like that’s how that’s how bad it is.
I do want to talk about some positive.
What is your favorite things about living in Russia? I think it’s it’s really safe.
And number two is transportation.
Like the metro is super clean.
There’s never any delays with anything.
Like you get on a train, bro, you get to where you’re trying to go.
This is why I was saying like I cannot praise Russia without [ __ ] on my country.
Oh my god.
You don’t just listen.
Let me just in my personal experience, all of the [ __ ] up experiences that I’ve had in [clears throat] Russia hasn’t been from Russians.
I had a bad experience.
a lot of bad experience of Russian basketball.
Like Bella has been in the standup world for like 5 years, right? She has been top for the last 3 years and Bella has a show of her own that she invented, came up to the company like, “Yo, let’s try this out.
” Despite the fact that she’s been hot just for 2 years, they like the idea and now the show is out.
There’s no stumbling block.
You don’t have to know someone there to help you do something.
If you have a nice idea, it will make money.
Let’s try it.
Russians try [ __ ] to put a wrap on everything.
What is something that y’all want to share to the world about being black in Russia? Where I’m from, a lot of people don’t know y’all exist.
I would say number one, there definitely is sort of like a black community going on, but it’s not integrated into the Russian society and that’s why y’all don’t know that blacks exist in Russia.
You came, you saw, and you got surrounded by a lot of black people who do a lot of things here.
We would like to share this with the other African and black from the other side.
We here like [laughter] when when we like cool let’s be friends.
You’re very welcome here.
But what can you say about your experience? My experience as a black woman, bro.
She’s famous.
She’s making money.
I think she’s good.
[laughter] So she could for her it’s more than like a message to them like there’s a black woman in Russia and I exist and I’m a famous black woman in Russia Africa with sometimes it’s difficult but if I can make it if we made it in Russia we could make you can make it anywhere that’s the main point was remember when we were talking I was like yo for a black person to be born and raised to stay here for 20 years have a family.
It has to be something bizarre.
So, we are like a testimony to the fact that if a black person could make it in Russia, you can make it anywhere.
Hey, hey, hey.
Only with the seven with the crouch at 78 now.
Hey the Lord has made me glad.
He has made me glad.
He has made me glad.
I am so glad.
I will for me glad.
Hallelujah.
He has made me glad.
I am so glad I made me and Py is not beefing.
That’s my little sister.
Stop saying that.
