Rapper Ruslan spoke to Rapzilla about some deep issues and even revealed some childhood trauma that changed his life.
Ruslan said shortly after coming to America from Russia his parents split up when he was around seven or eight. As his mother struggled as a poor single mom, Ruslan was thrust into situations that ultimately saw him get molested and abused. This led to him acting out and smoking weed and trying to gang bang at an age where he should have been playing with toys and friends.
Looking back on it, Ruslan never viewed himself as a victim but rather, an overcomer.
“Victim is a mentality. If I view myself as a victim, I’ll carry myself as a victim,” he said. “I choose to be a victor, I choose to be a conqueror, I choose to be a leader because of what Jesus has already done for me.”
Ruslan also spoke about his “white privilege” when it comes to experiences he’s had with his fellow emcees.
“I notice how I get treated on the road compared to how John Givez and Beleaf get treated…it’s evident in very subtle ways but sometimes very obvious ways.”
He said it is up to us to want to act on seeing the same narrative happen over and over again. Ruslan wants to shift the culture to get people to start thinking differently about his art.
“I feel an obligation to use my white privilege to speak on things that are unjust in society and culture,” he said.
Watch the interview below: