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The hip-hop song “Mercedes S666″ by Ivan Alexiev, better known as Noize MC, is about a Moscow traffic accident that has everyone there talking. Two weeks ago, the vice-president of Russian oil giant Lukoil was in his chauffeur-driven Mercedes when it crashed head-on into a Citroen killing the two women in that car. The police blamed the Citroen for the accident but Noize MC has his own version of events. Anchor Marco Werman has more about the song. Dan Rosenberg contributed to this report.
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MARCO WERMAN: Moscow police are also implicated in another traffic incident, one that played out in the streets of the Russian capital, and now also on YouTube. This incident involves a powerful oligarch, a deadly crash and now a hip-hop track.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC – “MERCEDES S666”]
WERMAN: This is “Mercedes S666” by Ivan Alexiev, better known as Noize MC. The song is about the accident in question. Earlier this month, Anatoly Barkov, the vice president of Russian oil giant Lukoil, was in his chauffeur-driven Mercedes S500w hen it crashed head-on into a small Citroen. In it were two doctors: a 72-year-old woman and her 35-year-old daughter-in-law. Both died. The police report blamed the Citroen for the accident. But then eyewitnesses came forward and said the Mercedes was responsible. It was stuck in traffic, it seems – the driver pulled into the oncoming lane and hit the Citroen. Shortly after the police released their report, Noize MC came out with his own version of events. “Mercedes S666” is a hip-hop take on the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” But in Noize MC’s version, the devil is Lukoil’s vice president.
[NOIZE MC SONG PLAYING]
WERMAN: Noize MC starts… “Let me introduce myself. My name is Anatoly Barkov.” And goes on to say: “I don’t know any problems that can’t be solved by a bribe. If you are in the way of my Mercedes, it’s your fault.”
President Medvedev has ordered an investigation into the accident. Meantime, “Mercedes S666” has become a sensation on YouTube.
[MORE FROM SONG]
WERMAN: This is PRI.
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