Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, attends a high-tech forum for youth in Yaroslavl, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Putin said that Russia has a big potential for the development of high-tech... (Associated Press) 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, attends a high-tech forum for youth in Yaroslavl, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Putin said that Russia has a big potential for the development of high-tech industries. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) (Associated Press) 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, attends a high-tech forum for youth in Yaroslavl, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Putin said that Russia has a big potential for the development of high-tech industries. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) (Associated Press) Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, attends a high-tech forum for youth in Yaroslavl, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Putin said that Russia has a big potential for the development of high-tech... (Associated Press) 
 
 MOSCOW (AP) — Alarmed by the growing popularity of rap among Russian youth, President Vladimir Putin wants cultural leaders to devise a means of controlling, rather than banning, the popular music. 
 
 Putin says "if it is impossible to stop, then we must lead it and direct it." 
 
 But Putin said at a St. Petersburg meeting with cultural advisers Saturday that attempts to ban artists from performing will have an adverse effect and bolster their popularity. 
 
 Putin noted that "rap is based on three pillars: sex, drugs and protest." But he is particularly concerned with drug themes prevalent in rap, saying "this is a path to the degradation of the nation." 
 
 He said "drug propaganda" is worse than cursing. 
 
 Putin's comments come amid a crackdown on contemporary music that evoked Soviet-era censorship of the arts. 
 
 Last month, a rapper known as Husky, whose videos have garnered more than 6 million views on YouTube, was arrested after he staged an impromptu performance when his show was shut down in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. 
 
 The 25-year-old rapper, known for his lyrics about poverty, corruption and police brutality, was preparing to take to the stage on Nov. 21 when local prosecutors warned the venue that his act had elements of what they termed "extremism." 
 
 Husky climbed onto a car, surrounded by hundreds of fans, and chanted "I will sing my music, the most honest music!" before he was taken away by police. 
 
 On Nov. 30, rapper Gone.Fludd announced two concert cancellations, citing pressure from "every police agency you can imagine," while the popular hip hop artist Allj cancelled his show in the Arctic city of Yakutsk after receiving threats of violence. 
 
 Other artists have been affected as well — pop sensation Monetochka and punk band Friendzona were among those who had their concerts shut down by the authorities last month. 
 
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 This story has corrected the location of the meeting to St. Petersburg, not the Kremlin. 
 
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 Francesca Ebel in Moscow contributed. ||||| In this photo taken by Alexey Avanesyan, Alexander Kuznetsov, Russian rapper also known as Husky waits for a court hearing in Krasnodar, Russia, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. The Russian rapper is facing two... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this photo taken by Alexey Avanesyan, Alexander Kuznetsov, Russian rapper also known as Husky waits for a court hearing in Krasnodar, Russia, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. The Russian rapper is facing two weeks in jail for performing on a car after prosecutors banned his gig for going against the government.... (Associated Press) 
 
 MOSCOW (AP) — A popular Russian rapper was sentenced Thursday to 12 days in jail for performing on a car after prosecutors banned his gig. 
 
 Husky, who has a wide following among young Russians with his videos scoring up to 6 million views on YouTube, was arrested Wednesday. A court in the southern city of Krasnodar sentenced Husky on charges of hooliganism. 
 
 The 25-year-old rapper, known for his songs mocking authorities and police brutality, was due to perform in Krasnodar when local prosecutors warned the venue that his act had elements of what they termed "extremism." 
 
 Russian authorities have in recent years used the vaguely worded law on extremism to go after Kremlin critics and dissenters. 
 
 Wednesday's gig was moved to another club, where the power was shut off and Husky's fans poured outside. Videos posted online showed the rapper, whose real name is Dmitry Kuznetsov, reading his verses on top of a car with the fans chanting in unison. 
 
 Police officers let him finish the song and then detained him, but had trouble driving away as crowds of fans blocked the police vehicle, demanding his release. Police eventually persuaded them to disperse. 
 
 Local police also said that the owner of the car on which Husky performed filed a complaint for property damage, a charge that may carry a longer prison term. It wasn't immediately clear if authorities were going to press those charges. 
 
 The rapper told the court that he was forced to perform on the street because his concert had been canceled without explanation. He said he was willing to pay compensation for any damage to the vehicle. 
 
 "I acted in such a way because I faced a situation when I felt an obligation to talk to the people who had bought tickets," he told the court. 
 
 Husky's black-and-white videos mock a political regime that expects tacit compliance from its citizens. A new wave of Russian rap musicians is widely credited for channeling young Russians' frustration with the political system and lack of economic prospects. 
 
 Authorities in other Russian regions have also moved to ban Husky's gigs. 
 
 Husky said in a social media post last month that officials in several Russian cities are pressuring venues to shut down his shows because his songs allegedly offend Christian believers and promote promiscuity. 
 
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 Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
– Alarmed by the growing popularity of rap among Russian youth, President Vladimir Putin wants cultural leaders to devise a means of controlling, rather than banning, the popular music, the AP reports. Putin says "if it is impossible to stop, then we must lead it and direct it." But Putin said at a St. Petersburg meeting with cultural advisers Saturday that attempts to ban artists from performing will have an adverse effect and bolster their popularity. Putin noted that "rap is based on three pillars: sex, drugs, and protest." But he is particularly concerned with drug themes prevalent in rap, saying "this is a path to the degradation of the nation." He said "drug propaganda" is worse than cursing. Putin's comments come amid a crackdown on contemporary music that evoked Soviet-era censorship of the arts. Last month, a rapper known as Husky, whose videos have garnered more than 6 million views on YouTube, was arrested after he staged an impromptu performance when his show was shut down in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. On Nov. 30, rapper Gone.Fludd announced two concert cancellations, citing pressure from "every police agency you can imagine," while the popular hip hop artist Allj cancelled his show in the Arctic city of Yakutsk after receiving threats of violence. Other artists have been affected as well—pop sensation Monetochka and punk band Friendzona were among those who had their concerts shut down by the authorities last month.