Now,Vladimir Putin turns to rap and break-dancing!

Dressed in a polo-neck jumper and a sports jacket,57- year-old Putin 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 8220;in youth disguise8221;,8217;The Daily Telegraph8217; reported.

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 8220;mass youth culture8221;.

8220;Rap,even urban rap and street rap,is kind of crude,but is already filled with social content and addresses the problems of youth. Graffiti is becoming a real art form 8212; refined and polished. Break dancing is something completely unique,8221; he was quoted as telling an open-mouthed audience.

One rapper later called an embarrassed looking Putin 8220;a legend and our idol8221;,saying he dreamed of performing a rap duet with the Russian strongman. But the outing did not garner Putin his usual rave reviews.

8216;Kommersant8217;,the Kremlin-friendly newspaper,called it 8220;a desperate move8221; to help raise Putin8217;s popularity rating. Although his rating has fallen a little of late,it is still a stellar 66 per cent and many Russians expect him to return to the presidency in 2012.