One of Russia's most prominent rappers has been given a 10-day jail sentence for disorderly conduct, and his spokesman blamed police for taking offence at a performance that mocked them.

Rapper Ivan Alexeyev (25) who is known as Noize MC, taunted policemen as "animals" at the July 31st concert in the southern Russian city of Volgograd.

Known for caustic lyrics, he performed a song about police brutality, which included the lines "Citizen! Halt. Halt. Turn out your pockets, slap, slap. Now your kidneys, kick, kick. Well off you go. Forget it, swallow it, be silent."

After the concert, he was approached by police and taken into custody until yesterday when a court found him guilty of disorderly conduct and sentenced him to 10 days in prison, his spokesman Alexander Berger said.

Mr Berger said he believed that the song about police brutality had stung local police officers.

"They (the local police) did not like this song," he said.

A spokesman for Volgograd city police was not immediately available for comment.

Endemic bribe-taking and documented cases of torture while in custody have earned the police a fearful reputation in Russian society. President Dmitry Medvedev has promised to reform the police as part of a drive to reduce corruption.