MOSCOW — Putin in da house? Da! He’s tracked Siberian tigers wearing military camouflage, sat in the cockpit of a fighter jet, and shown off black-belt judo moves. Now Vladimir Putin is adding another groove to his tough guy persona: hip hop idol.

Since the Russian leader popped up last week on a music TV show surrounded by rappers, some in the Kremlin elite are following his lead.Today, lawmakers and musicians staged a "rap battle for justice" that included a freestyle message urging President Dmitry Medvedev to fight corruption and other problems faced by everyday Russians.