Russian President Vladimir Putin says he wants to control the surging popularity of rap music in his country.<br />But he noted that he doesn't want an outright ban, which he said was impossible as well as counterproductive. <br />His comments came after local authorities canceled several rap concerts in Russia and briefly arrested a popular rapper known as Husky, whose songs have been critical of the government.<br />The crackdown has been compared to Soviet-era censorship of the arts. <br />Putin expressed concerns that rap music could encourage young people to do drugs and lead to what he called the decay of the nation. <br />
