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Most of the time, hip-hop is regarded as a part of American culture, but did you know that hip-hop is on the rise and stepping mainstream in China? With pioneers such as MC Hotdog and reality rap TV shows, hip-hop’s audience in China is steadily rising. Let’s take a look at how hip-hop has evolved in China throughout the last two decades.
The 2000s – MC Hotdog, Chang Chen-Yue, and MC Jin
Though he is Taiwanese, it is fair to say that Hotdog founded Chinese hip-hop. While he was in college from 1998 to 2001, he also pursued underground rap. He released 4 mixtapes in 2001, producing multiple hits. He included explicit lyrics complaining about his struggle in society, which is a factor that increased his popularity. In 2004, he and fellow musician Chang Chen-Yue were invited to perform a tour in the U.S. As a result, it boosted his popularity and inspired other rappers. Hotdog and Chang are still partners as they frequently collaborate together on records and TV shows. MC Hotdog completely took over Taiwan from 2007-2008, when he released two studio albums and iconic songs such as “I Love Taiwanese Girls (我愛台妹）” and “Mr. Almost (差不多先生）”.
MC Jin is a Miami-born Asian-American rapper who gained fame in American freestyle battles. He snapped his rival’s 6-game freestyle winning streak on BET’s 106 & Park show, then proceeded to win 7 freestyle battles in a row, landing himself a spot in the hall of fame of the show and popularizing freestyles. Later, Jin became the first Asian rapper to be signed to a major American record label, releasing a studio album with Ruff Ryders. However, the album was not a success, and Jin hit an all-time low. Jin returned to Hong Kong later in the decade and began underground rapping. With his previous experience and exceptional skills, he quickly gained fame and recognition, becoming a great influence in the area. Jin is now often idolized by Asian rappers, as he proved that Asian rappers can survive in the Western world.
The 2010s: More Western influence
Jay Chou is a Taiwanese pop artist. Handsome and talented, he quickly took over the media in mainland China. Though he was criticized for mumbling, he created great work combining traditional Chinese and Western elements, which were recognized in Southeast Asia, and even America.
Jeffrey Kung belongs to the family tree of the great philosopher Confucius. Raised in Taiwan, Kung’s biggest interest was hip-hop, as he grew up listening to Eminem, Nas, among others. Taking advantage of his superior background, Kung founded the first Chinese hip-hop podcast, Hip-Hop Park. The show is now aired weekly on China International Radio (FM 88.5 in Guangzhou). Kung states that the show started with 80% of its music to be English, while he’s aiming for 80% of the content to become Chinese.
2017-now: The Rap of China and Government Restrictions
During the summer of 2017, China’s biggest video streaming platform iQiyi produced a reality show on Chinese rappers competing in various aspects of rapping. The show consisted of 12 episodes and took the media by storm. Until now, the show amassed over 2.5 billion views on various platforms. The guest judges, Wilbert Pan, Kris Wu, Chang-Chen Yue, and MC Hotdog, select rappers they find potential in and train them to win the final contest. During the show, there is often dissing and beefing, and most participants demonstrate extremely arrogant personalities. Finally, two rappers, PG One and GAI, shared the first place because the judges could not determine whose raps were better.
The show brought approximately 200 million more listeners to hip-hop in mainland China, and catchphrases such as Kris Wu’s “Can you freestyle? (你有freestyle吗?)” became memes on social media. PG One gained 4 million followers on Weibo. Even a failed freestyle was turned into a song. On the other hand, giant controversies also surround the show and its contenders. Initially, the show was accused to copy Korea’s Show me the Money, a similar hip-hop reality show. PG One, one of the winners, received huge backlash after he was exposed to referencing drugs and prostitutes in his previous song, Christmas Eve. As a result, his music was banned from Chinese streaming services, and at one point, Baidu censored results about him. PG One released a statement on Weibo apologizing for his lyrics, and claimed he was incorrectly influenced by African-American culture. However, he was again exposed for being involved in a celebrity actress’ marriage. GAI was attending another reality show called I am a Singer, competing with other artists of different genres. Somehow, GAI withdrew from the show, due to “upper pressure”. VAVA, a female rapper, was similarly censored from another show.
The Continuance: Chengdu & Chongqing – China’s Memphis & Atlanta
Despite the government putting in some effort to limit hip-hop culture in China, people from the Szechuan region are continuing underground hip-hop, heavily influenced by the Atlanta trap sound invented by T.I.. Atlanta and Memphis have given birth to notable artists such as T.I., Future, and the Three 6 Mafia. As trap is emerging into pop, underground rappers in Chengdu and Chongqing also rely on the unique genre.
GAI, one of the champions of The Rap of China, was once a local Chongqing trapper. A significant number of contestants in The Rap of China are also from that area. Masiwei (马思唯) is a Chengdu rapper whose single “Flava in Your Ear” landed on Snoop Dogg’s “Underground Heat” show. He realized his potential and proceeded to find fellow prominent Chengdu rappers to create the Higher Brothers. The Higher Brothers are now signed by 88rising, an Asian self-media company focusing on hip-hop artists of Asian descent. Some of their signed artists include Rich Brian, Joji (Filthy Frank), and Keith Ape. Technically, the Higher Brothers are the only rappers from mainland China that are making an international impact. They deliver raps with a Szechuan dialect, an aggressive tone, and solid flows. Atlanta producers, Roget and Richie Souf, produced their first studio album Black Cab, which contained multiple international hits. Its lead single, “Made in China” featuring Famous Dex, depicts Chinese underground culture and boasts about China making all the products in the world. The music video has 10 million views on the 88rising YouTube channel and received very positive feedback from American rappers, some even expressing interest to collaborate with them. Another single titled “WeChat” with over 5 million views talks about the Chinese social app and features Korean sensation Keith Ape. Currently, they are on tour in North America. Definitely check them out if you haven’t before.
In short, hip-hop and its culture are taking over China. In less than 2 decades, hip-hop has become the most dominant genre, and its artists are influencing ordinary pedestrians to commit to its culture. Personally, I don’t think this is a good development, and I have no problem with the government putting some limitations to hip-hop. I wrote an article about how hip-hop nowadays is unhealthy as it has twisted some of the cores to the culture. Also, please check out Gabriel’s article on hype culture because it is heavily related to modern hip-hop.
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