Hanging out with dogs is an essential part of neighborhood rap folklore.

Podgorica rapper Marko Lubarda, better known as Random, recently released the single “Šetam kuučka” - the first from his upcoming album “Izabrani ljekar”, whose entire production is by Knowhere2run. The single was filmed by Television of Montenegro, directed by Matija Jovanović, as part of the RTCG music documentary series “Alternativa plus”.

The realization of the album "Izabrani ljekar" was financially supported by the Secretariat for Culture of the Capital City of Podgorica and the Organization for the Protection of Music Authors' Rights - PAM CG.

"'I'm Walking a Dog' also aims to draw attention to the chronic problem that society in Podgorica and Montenegro faces in the area of ​​caring for and adopting animals - primarily dogs, as a result of which hundreds of them are abandoned to the streets every year, where they face mistreatment, starvation, and often death. Therefore, with the help of the NGO 'Ruka Šapi', the video was filmed at the Shelter for Abandoned and Lost Pets in Podgorica, which also does not have adequate conditions for caring for the increasing number of abandoned dogs and whose volunteers have been fighting against windmills in the form of both incompetent and irresponsible decision-makers and unscrupulous citizens for years," the statement on the release of the single "I'm Walking a Dog" was previously highlighted.

Random spoke to "Vijesti" about the song itself, but also the aforementioned topic, caring for and adopting animals, and he also revealed the stage of work on the album "Izabrani ljekar", whose release fans are expecting.

You've released another single from your upcoming album - "Šetam kuučka" - which deals with the topic of caring for and adopting animals (dogs). How important is this topic to you?

It doesn't matter if this topic is important to me, but it is important that it remains on the radar of citizens and decision-makers, especially local governments who are legally obliged to provide adequate conditions for the care of abandoned animals in each municipality. I understand that there are bigger problems in society, I also hear criticism that it is more important to help people and solve their problems first, but I think that true empathy and responsibility towards the community is rarely forced to be reserved for only one form of living beings. Also, it doesn't seem to me that most of our fellow citizens are too busy and overloaded with other socially useful activities that they don't have the opportunity to set aside some time for their four-legged friends.

How did the collaboration with the NGO “Ruka Šapi” come about? Did you decide to write the lyrics through a conversation with them, or did the song come about first, and then the collaboration came about?

Honestly, I had no intention of dealing with this topic and I never create my music specifically for social activism. First, the song was created, inspired by a walk through the neighborhood. The second logical step was to shoot a video. Hanging out with dogs is an indispensable part of neighborhood rap folklore, many tracks are filmed using established motifs: pit bulls on chains, fast sneakers, balaclavas on heads, tracksuits and drugs. After I let the idea sit for a while, I realized that I had too much work experience to fall into the aforementioned stylistic cliché and that something useful and more authentic to our local reality could be created with this song. I presented my idea to Marta Darmanović from the NGO “Ruka Šapi”, who, together with Ratka Tanjević and others from the Shelter for Abandoned and Lost Pets in Podgorica, contributed immensely to the realization of the project.

The best thing is to be in the studio, and the hardest thing is to see your face on digital media, with some "random" quote underneath.

A video was also shot for “Šetam kuučka” - considering that it was filmed in a shelter, how did the filming go? How much interaction did you have with the shelter dogs and how willing were they to play extras?

The RTCG team in charge of producing the video was professional and efficient, so there were no major problems. The dogs from the shelter are very lively and noisy, so regular communication on set was difficult, as was listening to the song while I rapped, which led to some adorable syncopation errors. I have the impression that the dogs thought we had come to adopt them and that they would quickly get out of the cages in which they are sometimes kept in pairs, due to lack of capacity. All of this was nicely accompanied by the pleasant ambiance of the nearby garbage dump and the smell of burning tires, which is part of the autochthonous culture in that location. The dogs were great, luckily they are not aware of what country they live in and how the system takes care of them.

People generally associate certain breeds with rappers that are stereotypically more dangerous and aggressive - do dog breeds matter to you and do you have a dog?

Well, my first thought was to include some proprietary Dobermans, Staffords, Rots and Pit Bulls in the video, so that I would look more dangerous and “murky”, I’m sure that the video would be much more noticeable. I don’t know, I hope we’ve long since passed those “common places”, because a rapper, or any artist, if they have the knowledge and skill, will not be humiliated by the company of a Gherkin-Bichon. I don’t have a dog, I often feed, water and pet strays on the street where I live, in general I like the idea of ​​“care”, “knowledge” and “consideration” towards other living beings more than the idea of ​​“ownership” and “possession”.

I don't have a dog, I often feed, water and pet strays on the street where I live, and I generally like the idea of ​​"care", "knowledge" and "consideration" towards other living beings more than the idea of ​​"ownership" and "possession"

This single announces the album “Izabrani ljekar”. When can we expect it to be released? What stage of work are you currently in?

I'm currently in the phase I enjoy the most, preparing songs, making tracklists, making creative decisions. I'm procrastinating because I don't want this most beautiful period to pass, and then one that is weighed down by a cloud of promotion, exposure, marketing, guest appearances, performances and interviews like this one. The best thing is to be in the studio, and the hardest thing is to see your face on digital media, with some "random" quote underneath.

Is the plan to release a full album after this or will you treat your fans to another single before that?

The first album was called “Eo viđi”, I almost called this one “Eo viđećemo”, because then it would be self-explanatory for all the questions about the release. But still, “Izbarani ljekar” is coming this summer, there will definitely be more new videos, I can't wait for it to be enjoyed, so that in two months someone will ask me “when will there be something new, brother?” Greetings to you, Mirela!