Turns out the amateur rapper who laundered billions in crypto also dissed Jane Austen.
If you’re paying attention to crypto developments—or just strange, strange news items—you may be passingly familiar with Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, the couple accused of laundering billions of dollars in bitcoin. The details of the case are worth reading—not just because it tells us something about what money crime looks like in the digital age, but because the pair are very specific, strange characters. In particular, Morgan moonlights as a rapper named Razzlekhan (aka “The Crocodile of Wall Street”) and would regularly perform her original songs without being prompted in the middle of business talks.
In reading about Morgan, I listened to her flagship track, “Versace Bedouin,” the ambiance of which evades quick description. I was surprised to hear Jane Austen name-dropped in the lyric:
“Fuck your Jane Austen romance
I’d rather be taking a taxidermy class”
(Then the video cuts to Morgan’s taxidermied crocodile. You can watch the video below.)
I love the radical potential of the Jane Austen romance / taxidermy binary, but if we’re thinking about it, it’s worth mentioning that Jane Austen’s books aren’t just romances; they’re social satire, and as such, have plenty of characters whose public postures differ from their actions, just like Morgan. I’d love to hear a Wickham diss track.
