Vladimir Putin, Tragically Hip

Vladimir Putin -- currently Russian prime minister and, in the eyes of many, puppetmaster -- has shown that he's highly adept at promoting a hip, fly, and macho-enough-to-lead-Russia image, be it through his judo book, getting up close with lions, or shirtless photos fishing (the shirted photo is Putin catching a big one with the Bushes) and horseback riding. As the Daily Telegraph puts it today, "there appears to be no sporting or cultural activity where Vladimir Putin is not an Alpha male or a renaissance man." That would include -- look out, Jay-Z -- the world of rap and hip-hop. More:

"Mr Putin's surprise appearance on a music channel to hand out awards came as a shock even to the journalists his minders handpick to follow him around not to mention the audience of baseball cap-wearing adolescents.

Dressed in a polo-neck jumper and a sports jacket, Mr Putin, 57, looked distinctly awkward among a crowd of head-bobbing hand-waving teenagers. As the crowd around him writhed to a noisy rap song, he stood motionless with his hands stiffly at his sides while his security detail mingled among the audience 'in youth disguise'.

Mr Putin then took to the stage himself and spoke out against drugs and vodka, doing his best to show he knew about what he called 'mass youth culture'. 'Rap, even urban rap and street rap, is kind of crude, but is already filled with social content and addresses the problems of youth,' he told an open-mouthed audience. 'Graffiti is becoming a real art form - refined and polished. Break dancing is something completely unique.'"

Word, Pooty-Poot.

(Photo by Eric Draper/White House via Getty Images)