{"id":6319,"date":"2019-02-18T14:05:22","date_gmt":"2019-02-18T22:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/?p=6319"},"modified":"2019-03-01T08:49:06","modified_gmt":"2019-03-01T16:49:06","slug":"guest-post-commissioned-non-partisan-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/2019\/guest-post-commissioned-non-partisan-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: Hip Hop in Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>By Pawe\u0142 Szczap<\/em><\/p>\n<p>With hip-hop culture being often highly saturated with political and social commentaries, so far I have mostly concentrated on the presence of nationalist discourse within the Mongolian hip-hop scene. There are loads of material for research and much that still needs to be said about nationalism in pop culture but in this post I\u2019d like to concentrate not on the presence of politics within hip-hop but rather on hip-hop\u2019s presence in Mongolian politics. Despite a rather commercial (as opposed to anti-consumerist) character of Ulaanbaatar\u2019s urban culture, to many hip-hop still remains a territory seemingly uncontaminated by political and economical influences of Mongolia\u2019s ruling class.<\/p>\n<p>In an attempt to question such an assumption this post focuses specifically on two music videos: \u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0430\u0430\u043d\u0431\u0430\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0440 by Tsetse and MekhZakhQ and \u0411\u04af\u0433\u0434 \u041d\u044d\u0433 by NMN. By comparing these recent examples of hip-hop MVs utilized in political campaigns this post hopes to shed light on a possible trend of unexpected convergence in interests of political parties and hip-hop artists. Pushing through utopian visions of progress and a unified communal identity both fashioned as expressions of urban youth culture becomes an opportunity to suffice hungers generated by Mongolia\u2019s present socio-political system \u2013 a hunger for poll gains on the side of the political parties and a hunger for more immediate monetary gains on the side of hip-hop artists.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uvzLcRy8VKQ?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;autohide=2&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-ratio=\"0.563\" data-width=\"1000\" data-height=\"563\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ERfioz9RPiA?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;autohide=2&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-ratio=\"0.563\" data-width=\"1000\" data-height=\"563\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>These two songs have been commissioned by members of Mongolia\u2019s two main political parties \u2013 (accordingly) the Democratic Party and the Mongolian People\u2019s Party as parts of their political campaigns. \u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0430\u0430\u043d\u0431\u0430\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0440 dates back to 2016 and was part of the <span class=\"st\">\u041d\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043b\u044d\u043b\u0438\u0439\u043d \u0410\u0440\u0434\u0447\u0438\u043b\u0441\u0430\u043d \u041d\u0430\u043c<\/span> (the Ulaanbaatar or rather capital city fraction of the party)\u2019s parliamentary campaign and \u0411\u04af\u0433\u0434 \u041d\u044d\u0433 was part of Miyegombiin Enkhbold\u2019s 2017 presidential campaign. Below I compare these two music videos. First I look into their symmetries (both similarities as well differences) and then concentrate on specific elements of the two music videos\u2019 narratives and means used to produce them.<\/p>\n<h3>Both Videos<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>are works commissioned for political campaigns,<\/li>\n<li>are visually and rhetorically embedded in the style of the according campaign,<\/li>\n<li>make (more or less) subtle use of campaign slogans,<\/li>\n<li>are works by commercially established artists,<\/li>\n<li>feature dance performances,<\/li>\n<li>are set against very concrete scenographic backdrops,<\/li>\n<li>have subtitles embedded within the music video.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0430\u0430\u043d\u0431\u0430\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0440<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Democratic Party (<span class=\"st\">\u041d\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043b\u044d\u043b\u0438\u0439\u043d \u0410\u0440\u0434\u0447\u0438\u043b\u0441\u0430\u043d \u041d\u0430\u043c, hereafter shortened as UBDP<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li>parliamentary elections (2016)<\/li>\n<li>two male rappers (Tsetse, MekhZakhQ)<\/li>\n<li>music heavily relying on synthesized\/modulated electronic sounds and <em>dynamic<\/em>percussions<\/li>\n<li>Tempo: 95\/190 BPM (beats per minute) \u2013 rather regular hip-hop tempo<\/li>\n<li>lyrics concentrate on personal growth and market struggle (<em>forward trajectory<\/em>)<\/li>\n<li>on an overall level aims to cause the viewer to associate the DP with progress<\/li>\n<li>set in the city, nature is nearly absent<\/li>\n<li>multiple reference to modern themes<\/li>\n<li>uploaded to the UBDP\u2019s Youtube profile<\/li>\n<li>over 248 thousand views since June 2016<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u0411\u04af\u0433\u0434 \u043d\u044d\u0433:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mongolian People\u2019s Party (\u041c\u0438\u0435\u044d\u0433\u043e\u043c\u0431\u044b\u043d \u042d\u043d\u0445\u0431\u043e\u043b\u0434)<\/li>\n<li>presidential elections (2017)<\/li>\n<li>one female rapper (NMN)<\/li>\n<li>music heavily relies on a traditional instrument (yatga) which despite rather chopped samples and percussions manages to secure a <em>calm and soothing<\/em> vibe<\/li>\n<li>Tempo: 60\/120 BPM (beats per minute) \u2013 a rather downtempo hip-hop beat<\/li>\n<li>lyrics concentrate on communal values and identity (<em>community<\/em>)<\/li>\n<li>on an overall level aims to cause the viewer to associate Enkhbold with traditional values and community building<\/li>\n<li>set in nature, city is nearly absent<\/li>\n<li>multiple reference to traditional themes<\/li>\n<li>uploaded to the artist\u2019s (NMN not Enkhbold) Youtube profile<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"view-count style-scope yt-view-count-renderer\">over 141 thousand views since June 2017<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Slogans of both campaigns are rather gently incorporated into the music videos both visually as well as verbally obviously in order to to brand the pieces and impact the viewers on a semi-conscious level (still too overt to call it subconscious). The whole idea of including hip-hop in political campaigns speaks to several issues. One is acknowledging the wide-spread impact of hip-hop as an influential element of popular culture. It the context of a degree of neglectedness experienced by hip-hop artists this sends a powerful message about the position (as well as subversive potential) of hip-hop in society but also about a very instrumental approach from the side of the ruling class. One still needs to keep in mind that hip-hop remains one of the main outlets of popular criticism directed towards the political establishment. From this stems another aspect \u2013 the politicians\u2019 will to use all necessary means to portray themselves as up-to-date and cosmopolitan, progressive and open to innovation, cultural reinterpretation and reidentification, as lending an ear to the streets (thus the society) or even cool. On a plain level this obviously boils down to utilizing the youth\u2019s idols\u2019 as well as (to an extent) women bodies\u2019 images in an attempt to secure the electorate. From the lyrical and musical point of view both songs are potentially quite catchy (although in quite different ways).<\/p>\n<p>One additional interesting dynamic to be noticed here is the fact that \u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0430\u0430\u043d\u0431\u0430\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0440 (being part of the Democratic Party\u2019s attempt to take seat in the <em>parliament<\/em>) evokes the notion of <em>personal<\/em> success within the free market system whereas \u0411\u04af\u0433\u0434 \u041d\u044d\u0433 which was part of the Enkhbold cum People\u2019s Party\u2019s <em>presidential<\/em> campaign is mostly about a sense of <em>community<\/em> and shared values. When considered separately this might make sense but when compared seeing the rhetoric of singular\/private identity in parliamentary elections and a communal one in the presidential elections seem somewhat unintuitive, at least to me.<\/p>\n<p>The above-mentioned values of <em>trajectory<\/em> and <em>community<\/em> come from a working classification developed to categorize hip-hop lyrics describing the urban where (based on their main underlying themes) most of the them fall into at least one of the following general categories: space, values, community, trajectories. \u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0430\u0430\u043d\u0431\u0430\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0440 is a prime example of a \u2018<em>trajectorial<\/em>\u2018 urban song and \u0411\u04af\u0433\u0434 \u041d\u044d\u0433 happened to fall very neatly into the \u2018<em>communal<\/em>\u2018 category and so I decided to include these as additional features in the comparison.<\/p>\n<h2>\u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0430\u0430\u043d\u0431\u0430\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0440<\/h2>\n<p>At first sight \u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0430\u0430\u043d\u0431\u0430\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0440 seems quite like a regular, almost canonical hip-hop song \u2013 featuring rappers and their peers traversing the urban environment (a very specific one to be exact),\u00a0 set against concrete architectural backdrops (mostly shiny glass and metal constructions and rather well preserved residential sections of the city with the Blue Sky Hotel building serving almost as an <em>axis mundi<\/em> for the video) with elements of urban culture and lifestyle enlivening the scenes \u2013 sports, music, arts, dance, fashion etc. When considered on a near-surface level, the whole song seems a\u00a0 self-made (hip-hop) men\u2019s \u201cbecoming of\u201d story most likely intended to inspire and serve as a motivational anthem for Mongolian youths struggling with breaking into the market. It is only when we consider that which remains to be shown and spoken of (especially in the context of the occasion for the song\u2019s creation) that we can grasp the bigger picture and decode the dreadful messages the artists simultaneously and\u00a0 to an extent also unconsciously managed to produce. Many\u00a0 uncomfortable elements of the post-socialist, free market reality of Ulaanbaatar are intentionally or unintentionally omitted in the process of the UBDP\u2019s construction of a vision of forward progress.<\/p>\n<p>And so, rhetorically \u201cUlaanbaatar forward\u201d\u00a0 plays on notions of capitalist mantras of progress and success implying that one\u2019s life situation is solely the outcome of their own efforts (a very bald statement to make in today\u2019s Mongolia) swiftly interweaving them with the UBDP\u2019s slogans. And so already the title references the main slogan of the UBDP\u2019s campaign (\u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u043b\u0430\u0445 \u0443\u0443? \u0423\u0445\u0440\u0430\u0445 \u0443\u0443? [Will you\/we] Forward or reverse?) and reference to forward as well as reverse movement are abundant throughout the song, climaxing in the song\u2019s hook:<\/p>\n<p>\u0411\u0430\u0439\u043d\u0433\u0430 \u0431\u0438\u0434 \u0443\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 !<br \/>\n\u0410\u043b\u0438\u0432 \u0443\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0443\u0445\u0440\u0430\u0445\u0433\u04af\u0439 \u0430\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 !<br \/>\n\u0411\u0430\u0439\u043d\u0433\u0430 \u0431\u0438\u0434 \u0443\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 !<br \/>\n\u0422\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e\u0439 \u0434\u044d\u044d\u0448\u044d\u044d \u0433\u0448\u0438\u0433\u044d\u043d\u044d \u0443\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 !<\/p>\n<p>In the same vein a very uneasy (and possibly not fully intentional) metaphor appears in Tsetse\u2019s verse with the words:<\/p>\n<p>\u0423\u0445\u0430\u0440\u0432\u0430\u043b \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0448\u044d\u0438*<br \/>\n\u0417\u043e\u0433\u0441\u043e\u043b\u0442\u0433\u04af\u0439 \u0443\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430<\/p>\n<p>If you reverse \u2013 manhole<br \/>\nNon-stop forward<\/p>\n<p>[*spelling according to subtitles embedded in the Youtube version of the music video]<\/p>\n<p>In these two verses forming almost a deterring \u201cBEWARE\u201d sign reference to the problematic realities of free-market Ulaanbaatar presents itself on a few levels:<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 <em>immediate<\/em>: the often uncovered manholes (resulting from metal covers being sold by junk collectors) posing a threat to automobiles in reverse gear (street-level manholes being poorly visible in the car\u2019s rear mirror);<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 <em>social<\/em>: the sad reality of the homeless population inhabiting Ulaanbaatar\u2019s manholes especially during harsh winters;<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 <em>systemic<\/em>: the question of (relative) establishing oneself within the market (e.g. securing a long-term work contract) being not enough to attain sufficient material security, further hinting that only constant progress prevents one from being sucked in by the backward currents of market forces i.e. as maintaining position = regress, progress = market motionlessness.<\/p>\n<p>Not surprisingly despite extensive use of aerial filming the panorama of the city is rather narrow-angled \u2013 the ger districts tightly surrounding the city and sprawling outwards in most directions (note that almost none of the shots are directed southward or \u0443\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u2013 the only direction mostly void of vast ger district areas) are hardly seen. This of course is no coincidence. Despite making much effort to better the infrastructural and aesthetic standards of Ulaanbaatar,\u00a0 Bat-Uul\u2019s municipal administration failed to address many issues concerning the residents and areas of the ger khoroolol.\u00a0 They remain systemically excluded <em>area non grata<\/em> and do not occupy any space whatsoever in the vision of progress offered by the UBDP \u2013 a rather shocking approach when thought of in the context of the attempt to secure a wide-flung electorate base.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67\" src=\"https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=1000 1000w, https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=150 150w, https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=300 300w, https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=768 768w, https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png 1920w\" alt=\"ger khoroolol cameo\" data-attachment-id=\"67\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mnghh.wordpress.com\/?attachment_id=67\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ger khoroolol cameo\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/mnghh.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/ger-khoroolol-cameo.png?w=1000?w=1000\" \/><br \/>\nHalf second-long ger district cameo<\/p>\n<h2>\u0411\u04af\u0433\u0434 \u041d\u044d\u0433<\/h2>\n<p>The lyrics of \u201cAll one\u201d speak mostly about the environmental, cultural and historical affinity of Mongolian people and a need and desire to unite with an affirmative outlook in mind. Themes like joy and national (or rather cultural) pride,\u00a0 heritage, cultivating customs recur throughout the text. In terms of other values promoted those of equality, diversity, mutual support, building and nourishing a harmonious community (\u0433\u044d\u0445\u0434\u044d\u044d \u0431\u04af\u0433\u0434 \u043d\u044d\u0433 \u0442\u044d\u043d\u0433\u044d\u0440 \u0434\u043e\u043e\u0440, <em>\u044d\u0432 \u043d\u044d\u0433\u0434\u044d\u043b<\/em>) are mentioned much in tune with the traditional view on society. Not surprisingly woven into the communal narrative blood politics also enjoy a cameo in the song\u2019s bridge (\u0431\u04af\u0433\u0434 \u043d\u044d\u0433, \u043d\u044d\u0433 \u0430\u043c\u044c\u0442\u0430\u0439, \u043d\u044d\u0433 \u0446\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0439).<\/p>\n<p>In order to supplement such and auspicious narrative the music video is set in a scenery of khangai-ish landscape with and abundance of water and forest vegetation and the lyrics are additionally sprinkled with reference to close ties with Nature, Tenger, the local fauna and flora etc. In terms of more directly anchoring the music video in the campaigns visual narrative, towards the end of the video the dancers filmed from below combine extended arms to form a circular shape resembling a toono viewed from within the ger \u2013 an image that then fades into the picture. When coupled with the metaphor of the ger\u2019s uni as representing the country\u2019s people (in the music video not surprisingly composed only of young individuals) the connection between the visual and rhetorical aspects of the campaign become clear:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tGuAWSD9pWM?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;autohide=2&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-ratio=\"0.563\" data-width=\"1000\" data-height=\"563\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Thus it can be inferred that the main \u2018message\u2019 of the song is essentially \u2013 all Mongolians are one and thus unequivocally they support raising the Enkhbold as the toono of the country. In order to be sure that no one misses this crucial point a logo with Enkhbold\u2019s slogan is clearly visible throughout the whole video in the right top corner baldly reminding the viewers:<br \/>\n\u042d\u0432\u0442\u044d\u0439 \u041c\u043e\u043d\u0433\u043e\u043b<br \/>\n\u042d\u044d\u043b\u0442\u044d\u0439 \u0442\u04e9\u0440<\/p>\n<h2>Hip-hop\u2019s involvement in politics<\/h2>\n<p>Despite hip-hop\u2019s frequent political outspokenness on a grass-root level it is also natural for hip-hop artist to be confronted about their involvement in big politics. In its Mongolian context best exemplified by apolitical rapper Gee\u2019s approach is THE model outlook rappers are usually expected to represent \u2013 openly critical towards the establishment yet vary of any attempts of its encroachment on their art and freedom of expression. In the song \u0411\u0438 \u0433\u0430\u043d\u0446\u0430\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0430 \u0431\u0438\u0448 NMN makes brief reference to the work she was commissioned with stating it was not she who got the idea to get involved in the presidential campaign and that she agreed to cooperate simply because she was interested in the money:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B9S9foIhWII?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;autohide=2&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-ratio=\"0.563\" data-width=\"1000\" data-height=\"563\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>At the same time the song makes numerous statements on NMN (portraying herself almost as a self-made woman)\u2019s firm position in both the hip-hop scene and music market in general. It this way following the steps of Tsetse and MekhZakhQ NMN fits into the narrative presented in the UBDP\u2019s song \u0423\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0448\u0430\u0430 \u0423\u043b\u0430\u0430\u043d\u0431\u0430\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0440 contributing to its lyrics\u2019 becoming a kind of local meta-narrative about hip-hop\u2019s involvement with politics (or more broadly with the market) creating an alternative to the previously dominating apolitical narrative represented by artists such as Gee and Ice Top. And so to an extent it can be understood that despite hip-hop\u2019s cautious approach to financial gains from involvement in politics can become the community\u2019s mode of moving forward i.e. remaining in position within the market. Further following on this thread raises questions on not only the rappers\u2019 but also the dancers\u2019, music producers\u2019 and generally speaking the whole hip-hop community\u2019s morally questionable (from an insider\u2019s point of view) involvement with the political establishment \u2013 unfortunately an unsurprising development in today\u2019s Mongolia.<\/p>\n<h2>About\u00a0Pawe\u0142 Szczap<\/h2>\n<p>Pawe\u0142 Szczap is a Mongolist, Mongolian language translator and PhD candidate at the University of Warsaw. He mostly works with the Mongolian built environment and is currently researching Ulaanbaatar city maps and place names. He has spent over four years living in Mongolia and has on numerous occasions cooperated with the Ulaanbaatar City Museum. Previous works include research on Mongolian nationalism and the cultural impact of mining among others. He is currently developing two online projects: <a href=\"https:\/\/ubstudies.worpdress.com\/\">Ulaanbaatar Studies<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mnghh.wordpress.com\/\">Mongol hip-hop<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This post is cross posted with <a href=\"https:\/\/mnghh.wordpress.com\/2019\/02\/18\/hip-hop-in-politics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mongol_Hip_Hop<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Pawe\u0142 Szczap With hip-hop culture being often highly saturated with political and social commentaries, so far I have mostly concentrated on the presence of nationalist discourse within the Mongolian hip-hop scene. There are loads of material for research and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/2019\/guest-post-commissioned-non-partisan-music\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6444,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[983080,3493608,458,307841,3493611,642,12756,983126,307852,891],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ikh-khural-2016","category-music-society-and-culture","category-music","category-party-politics","category-pawel-szczap","category-politics","category-pop-culture","category-presidential-2017","category-ulaanbaatar","category-youth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6444"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6319"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6328,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6319\/revisions\/6328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}