Academic Journals
Amar, Nathanel. “‘Do You Freestyle?’1.” China Perspectives, vol. 2018, no. 1-2, 2018, pp.
107–113., https://doi.org/10.4000/chinaperspectives.7888.
This journal article gave a thorough illustration of rap production censorship in China from its first emergence as an underground culture to now as a mainstream popular culture. The first part of the journal integrates the history of Hip-hop in China and censorship. For example, it analyzes the lyrics of some music from the blacklist of 120 songs published by the Chinese Ministry of Culture. Then, with the rising popularity of artists such as Gai, PGone, VAVA, groups such as Higher Brothers, and labels such as CDC, the SAPPRFT(National Radio and Television Administration) puts more rigid censorship on Hip-Hop music.
This journal provides me with a detailed analysis of the censorship of Chinese Hip-hop from its very beginning. I will use it in my introduction to introduce the history of hip-hop music and in my censorship part of the research. Since this article also mentioned Higher Brothers, Gai, and Mc. Webber, who are important figures in my research, I will also combine this article with the other sources I am using.
Fung, Anthony Y. “Western Style, Chinese Pop: Jay Chou's Rap and Hip-Hop in China.” Asian
Music, vol. 39, no. 1, 2007, pp. 69–80., https://doi.org/10.1353/amu.2007.0047. Accessed 2022.
The journal gave a detailed analysis of how Jay Chou’s rap could be so supported by the Chinese government/authorities and also popular among the citizens from three different perspectives: 1. Jay Chou is an icon of the “Y generation” 2. The political economy benefit Jay Chou is able to bring 3. His music is an integrated cultural product.
In Zhao YuPei and Zhongxuan Lin’s journal “‘Jianghu Flow’: Examining Cultural Resonance in the Rap of China”, they mentioned three big events that brought hip-hop formally into China, in which the first one is Jay Chou’s music. I plan to use this journal when I am introducing the history of Chinese hip-hop, analyze and compare Jay Chou’s music production with other rappers such as Leehom Wang and Gai, and talk about his political success as I analyze the Chinese censorship in rap.
Zhao Yupei, and Zhongxuan Lin. “‘Jianghu Flow’: Examining Cultural Resonance in the Rap of
China.” Continuum, vol. 34, no. 4, 2020, pp. 601–614.https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312. 2020.1757039.
This journal aimed to analyze the “jianghu flow” of rap music in China by discussing different perspectives of two different artists-- Gai and PGone, who are both champions in The Rap of China. The journal seeks to find answers to how the first generation of reality-show-rappers keep the authenticity and the dual expectation of “keep real” and maintain the alignment with mainstream Chinese cultural and political values under censorship.
Gai is now supported by the Chinese mainstream media compared to PGone and is forever banned by the Chinese government for spreading discriminative languages and drugs. The journal analyzes why and how Gai is able to survive under censorship and criticizes whether his actions correspond to the authenticity of rap music. Integrate with the “Hip-hop Declaration of Freedom”, I will analyze Gai’s music and share my opinion on whether Gai is an authentic rapper. Also, this journal provides me with important information on the history of Chinese hip-hop, detailed analyzes, and historical reference to Gai’s lyrics, and resonates with Nib’s interview with his opinion on the “jianghu flow” music.
Books
Perkins, William Eric. “The Rap Attack: an introduction.” Droppin' Science: Critical Essays on
Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture, Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1996, pp. 1–20.
“The Rap Attack: an introduction” is a part of Perkins’ book <Droppin’ Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture>. This chapter gave detailed information on the origin of hip-hop culture. From Cab Calloway, the grandfather of rap music, to Bambaataa who created “Plant Rock” and paved the way for the introduction of funk, techno, and drum synthesizer into rap music, and from the Bronx to South Central Los Angeles where gangsta rap raised, Perkins gave well-researched information of Hip-Hop’s creation, technology improvement, and its commercialization.
This book gave me a thorough understanding of Hip-Hop culture origin. After understanding the history and culture of Hip-Hop, I can then make a valuable comparison between the original African-American Hip-hop and the newly flourishing Chinese Hip-Hop phenomenon. I will use it in the introduction of my research to provide an overview of Hip-Hop culture.
Schloss, Joseph G. “Chapter 6: Elements of Style: Aesthetics of Hip-Hop Composition.” Making
Beats: The Art of Sample-Based Hip-Hop: with a New Afterword, Wesleyan University Press, Middletown, CT, 2014, pp. 135–168.
In this chapter (Chapter 6: Elements of Style: Aesthetics of Hip-Hop Composition), Schloss gave a thorough interpretation of Hip-Hop beats from the perspective of the underlying structure of hip-hop beats, the internal characteristics of individual samples, the relationships that samples take on when juxtaposed, and shared assumptions and contextual cues that imbue any given choice with significance. He introduced the history and cultural meaning behind the invention of looping, riffs, groove, and “signifying”.
Schloss also included many of his interviews with famous rappers and producers. His interview with Mr.Supreme about rap music structure and morals resonates with my interview with Csir, as both rappers declared that there is no specific spirit that rap needs to express. I will use the broad introduction of rap beats as my guideline to analyze Chinese rappers’ music and use the two interviews for hip-hop culture analysis.
Documentaries
Wang, Jimmy, director. Underground Chinese Hip-Hop. Flixhouse, 2011.
This film documented the life of an OG multi-national rap group Yin Tsang while Hip-hop rapping still remains an underground culture in China. Dawei, a freestyle rapper inspired by and became friends with Yin Tsang after a live show introduced us to the group. The rest of the documentary talked about how each member got interested in rapping, what their spirits are when composing lyrics and beats, and their struggles with money, fame, and censorship.
This film is never a typical phenomenon now after the reality show The Rap of China officially brought hip-hop into the mainstream media. However, it is a wonderful display of the life of the OG hip-hoppers in Chinese such as Csir and Nib who were introduced to hip-hop in early 2000. From this documentary, I can better understand my interviewer’s life in the past and am able to analyze some of their beliefs based on what they have experienced.
Interview
Csir (Mc.肆, 王晓磊), OG Beijing Rapper, Hip-hop culture communicator, Hip-hop program
planner, 44 years old, 2022.3.1
In my interview with Csir, we mainly talked about his earlier life (his experience as a B-boy and underground rapper in the early 21st century), his idea about the spirit of Hip-Hop and rap music, his idea about the Hip-hop industry as popular culture and his thoughts on the new generation of rappers. When I ask him about rap music as a weapon to show the spirit of protest, he provides a new perspective and states that Hip-hoppers and rappers are different and that the initial spirit of hip-hop is not for protest.
Talking to Csir, I received a very subjective, authentic life experience of Chinese OG rappers’ life. The cynical personality he showed me also proved that he is a person who has thought a lot and has a lot to express, which is the reason he chose to be a rapper. Combined with the documentary <Underground Chinese Hip-hop>, I will have a thorough and imaginative life of rappers in the early age of Chinese Hip-Hop. I will also use the recording within my podcast.
Neo, student, rapper under the original label “P.C.G”(紫猫棒 Zimaobang), 2022.2.27
My interview with Neo contains topics such as how he was introduced to rap music, how he and his friends started the label, and how he thinks about the reality show environment of Hip-hop music after “The Rap of China”. Neo and his friends have been invited to many music festivals and auditioned for many fashion shows about Hip-hop (both DJ and rapping), so he got a personal experience and his words are credible.
Original label in China that is student-produced and without any capital support is really hard to achieve the fame P.C.G got before Covid. In the interview, Neo also stated his thoughts on the Chinese label industry, which is quite different from what Mai said. Therefore, I would compare the perspectives from New to Mai and use the recording in my podcast.
Nib(奶爸), director of label G.O.P(耍家帮 shujiabang), 2022.3.1
Nib, just like Csir, is an OG of the Chinese Hip-Hop industry. However, Nib went on a very different life journey compared to Csir. In my interview with Nib, we talked about his life experiences as a DJ, rapper, breaking competition organizer, founder of G.O.P Hip-hop online discussion platform, and finally the director of the label G.O.P. He shared his view of being a guide for younger generation rappers, especially after what he experienced as an underground hip-hopper. He has a rigid five rules set for his students signed under the label, which I can see as his sense of responsibility as the leader.
Furthermore, Nib contributed his idea to the success of Gai as one of the few rappers that are supported by the mainstream media in China under harsh censorship. His statement about Gai and his “Jianghu flow” C-trap resonates with Zhao Yupei’s journal article. I will combine these two articles and Gai’s music to analyze Gai’s success.
Mai, manager of the label BKStore, 2022.3.12.
BKStore is the label created by CheChe(车澈), pre-vice-president of IQIYI, one of the biggest online video platforms in China. Mr.Mai is his cooperator. The member of BKStore was selected from the reality show called <New Generation Hip-Hop Project>(少年说唱企划) in the summer of 2021. Mai, as the musician manager, shared his experience in the hip-hop industry as popular culture and a business opportunity. He first talked about the composition of BKStore, from rappers to graphic design to fashion brand clothes to the management departments. Then, he declared his intention of this label and their expectations of the rappers. When I ask him for some advice if getting into the music industry, he shared some positive and negative perspectives on the music industry.
BKStore is very different from G.O.P or P.C.G as a label that has strong capital support. I will use this interview to compare these three labels and show the diversity of the Chinese hip-hop industry. Also, what Mai told me about the phenomenon of the Chinese music industry is also important to be shared in my research.
Long-form Articles
Chen, Tanya. “What Happened to the First Asian American Rapper Signed to a Major Label?
Looking Back on the AZN Pride Movement with MC Jin.” BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, 30 May 2021, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tanyachen/mc-jin-learn-chinese-stop-the-hatred-interview
Mc. Jin or Jin Au-Yeung, an American-born Chinese rapper who after winning seven battle weeks in a roll on the “Freestyle Friday”, became the first Asian rapper signed by a major label in the U.S-- Ruff Ryders Entertainment and published his first record “Learn Chinese”. This article provide me with a thorough introduction of Jin’s life story, about how he was born as a child in a Chinese restaurant, how he struggled as a kid and the rap music helped him relax and escape, how he started freestyling, get signed to a major label, being attack by racist comments, struggling to balance between his fame and identity, and how he cares about racial equality problems and teach his kids about these.
This article is very helpful for me to compare Jin with Leehom Wang who though is also an ABC, but came from totally different family backgrounds and education and therefore has made different kinds of music than Jin. Also, Jin’s special attention to racial equity and his music <Stop the Hatred> is an example for me to use, in which this article also gave an analysis.
Fan, Shuhong. “The History of Rap in China, Part 1: Early Roots and Iron Mics (1993-2009).”
RADII, 19 June 2019, https://radiichina.com/the-history-of-rap-in-china-part-1-early-roots-and-iron-mics-1993-2009/.
This article is part 1 of a detailed chronologically analyzed Chinese hip-hop history. Part 1 serves for years 1993 to 2009, when hip-hop still remains an underground minority culture in China. From <Someone>, the first album that has “China Rap” title on it, to LMF, MC HotDog, to Yin-Ts’ang, MC. Jin, CDC, then to In3, Fan Shuhong illustrated Chinese hip-hop’s evolution. Furthermore, she also mentioned how Taiwan rappers influenced rap music in mainland China and the role of censorship played at the start of the 21st century.
This article is good background information for me. I will use this article in my intro to introducing Chinese hip-hop. Also, musicians or groups such as Yin-Ts’ang, MC. Jin and CDC are also mentioned in my other sources such as the documentary, I will combine these resources together to make detailed analysis of Chinese hip-hop music.
Fan, Shuhong. “The History of Rap in China, Part 2: Hip Hop Goes Mainstream (2010-2019).”
RADII, 26 Aug. 2019, https://radiichina.com/the-history-of-rap-in-china-part-2-hip-hop-goes-mainstream-2010-2019/.
As part 2 of the detailed chronologically analyzed of Chinese hip-hop history, Fan Shuhong focused on the era between 2010 to 2019, especially the “Rap of China” that totally changed the Hip-hop industry in China in just one night in the summer of 2017. She mentioned the last “Iron Mic” in China and the rising of “8 miles underground”, another rap battle competition in China after “Iron Mic” that is also where most rappers that attended “The Rap of China” came from. Besides history, she also analyzes the Chinese censorship of rappers and their music after hip-hop became a mainstream culture.
This part of the article resonated with Amar Nathanael's journal about Chinese hip-hop censorship and Mai’s interview about different Chinese Hip-hop styles. I will use this article in my introduction for background information.
Wong, He Ting. “Chinked-out: Leehom Wang and Music of the Huaren Diaspora.”
D-Scholarship, University of Pittsburgh, 2015, http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/25606/1/MA_thesis_HTWong2.pdf.
As Wong’s MA thesis, this paper focused on Leehom Wang’s music and his self-created “Chink-out” Chinese Hip-Hop genre, and the Huaren Diaspora phenomenon implicated behind his music. Wong first gave an detailed introduction of Weehom Wang’s personal background and music history and then he separate the paper into three sections: 1. introduction of Leehom Wang’s “Chink-out” music and the concept of zhongguofeng(Chinese style); 2. Analysis of music elements of “Chink-out” music; 3. Discussion of the diasporic issues of Chinked-Out in the huaren diaspora based on an analysis of the lyrics of Chinked-Out.
I will use this article when I introduce Leehom Wang and his “Chink-out” music. Since the article also discussed issues of indentity as an Asian-American, which also related to MC.Jin, I would like to combine this article with Mc.Jin’s description and talk about how huaren use Hip-Hop music to express themselves.
Primary resources
Higher Brothers. “Higher Brothers - Young Master (Official Music ... - Youtube.” Youtube, 2017,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23p11nppcyo.
Higher Brothers are one of the most famous Chinese rap groups now in China. There are four members in this group: DZ Know(also known as KnowKnow), Psy. P, Melo, and Masiwei. Unlike Gai, Csir, or PGone, Higher Brothers went out of their way to the international hip-hop stage due to their American-styled hip-hop beats, lyrics, and visual presentation. Young Master, published in 2017, illustrates themselves as playboys, braggarts about money, women, and authority.
In my interview with Nib, he once mentioned the difference between Gai and Higher Brothers. He stated that they have different styles, one is more American, and one is more Chinese culture integrated and they have different kinds of fans. I believe <Young Master> is good evidence for me to analyze and compare with the “Jianghu flow” c-trap by Gai, and to also show the diversity of the Chinese Hip-hop industry.
HHH, <圣诞节（christmas Eve）>. “红花会陪你过圣诞节【红花会 - Youtube.” Youtube,
2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaoJIQjgvZY.
HHH was a famous Chinese rap label established in 2011 and dissolved in 2018. HHH stands for Hong Hua Hui (红花会), and its main members include PGone(winner of The Rap of China), K999(蛋壳 刘嘉裕, the founder), GlockBae(贝贝 李京泽), etc. HHH dissolved after PGone’s scandal of sleeping with a famous married female actress Li Xiaolu(李小璐) and after GlockieBae cut off his right little finger during a Livestream. <圣诞节(Christmas Eve)> is one of the most well-known music of HHH, but not in a good way. <Christmas Eve> contains a line sung by PGone that obviously implied drugs and a line that implied his fair with Li Xiaolu. This caused the attention of Chinese media authority, and soon the music was banned throughout China.
<Christmas Eve> is a good example of the baseline of Chinese hip-hop censorship: drugs are not tolerable in China. Also, from PGone and GlockieBae’s private life, we can see the underground history of Chinese hip-hop. I will use this source with Jung’s “Jianghu flow” journal and compare PGone’s journal as a rapper with Gai.
Leehom Wang王力宏 . “王力宏 Leehom Wang - 蓋世英雄.” Youtube, 3 Oct. 2009,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OycJrzHfmc. Accessed 2022.
Leehom Wang is one of the most famous Chinese American musicians. Graduated from Berklee College of Music, he is known as the “genius music kid” in China. <Heroes of the Earth>, the second album of his “Chink-out” Chinese hip-hop that aims to eliminate racism and provoke ethnic pride, has shown Leehom Wang’s mission as an artist from its lyrical, melodic, and visual perspectives. Melodically, Leehom Wang integrates Chinese traditional instruments with hip-hop drum beats and electric guitar. Visually, Leehom Wang created a scene with people breaking in the front while Beijing Opera actors performed behind. Lyrically, Leehom Wang invited Mc. Jin raps in Cantonese, and Kai(a famous Chinese Beijing Opera artist) sings Beijing Opera. This music piece is an ingenious fusion of two seemingly disparate cultures.
Leehom Wang and MC Jin are both important figures in introducing Hip-hop to China. Different from Gai, PG One, or Csir, Wang and Jin with their intercultural backgrounds as ABCs (American-born Chinese), provide a different style of music. I will use this source when introducing Leehom Wang and analyze his work based on the concept of “chink-out” and this piece specifically.
The Temple of Hip-hop. “Hip Hop Declaration of Peace.” Hip-Hop Declaration of Peace, 9 Dec.
2010, https://thetempleofhiphop.wordpress.com/hip-hop-declaration-of-peace/.
Signed by various organizations such as Temple of Hip-hop, Ribbons International, UNESCO, and 300 more hip-hop activists pioneers, and UN delegates, the Hip-hop Declaration of Peace was presented to the UN on May 16th, 2001. This document recognized hip-hop as an international culture, created a set of principles for all hip-hoppers and corporations that were based on hip-hop spirit on how to form and sustain the peaceful character of the culture and the world. The declaration is meant to show hip-hop as a positive phenomenon for people to gain self-empowerment and self-value rather than spreading or encouraging a negative image of hip-hop as something that corrupts the younger generation.
Since Csir has mentioned this declaration. I want to analyze and relate his words with the declaration: analyze how his mindset was influenced by these principles, and criticize Chinese rap music based on these principles. From the interview, we can see that Csir is a cynical person. However, he repeatedly mentioned that he respects all kinds of rappers and rap music and stated that hip-hoppers are different from rappers. His attitude corresponds with the fourth principle: Hip-hop is a term that describes our independent collective consciousness.
Wyclef, Jean. “MC Jin & Wyclef Jean - Stop the Hatred (Official ... - Youtube.” Youtube, 2021,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUsWpoezfpY.
MC. Jin(Jin Au-Yeung 欧阳靖), a famous ABC rapper, stood out to the audience by winning the Freestyle Friday champion seven weeks in a row in 2002 and soon being signed by the Ruff Ryders Entertainment in 2003. In 2021, MC. Jin and Wycles published <Stop the Hatred>. By using explicit words, they told the story of Jin’s grandma, expressing their helplessness, disappointment, and hope toward the series of crimes against the AAPL(Asian American Pacific Islander) community in the year 2020 due to Covid.
Musicians like Jin and Wycles use Hip-hop as a weapon to fight against social injustices, which is one of the spirits of hip-hop culture. I will use and analyze this music through the lens of lyrics, melody, and visual presentations to illustrate how Chinese musicians integrated their culture with the spirit of Hip-hop and to fight against social discrimination and violence. Meanwhile, Leehom Wang and Mc. Jin, two ABC hip-hoppers, though both share the intercultural identity, have different ways of expressing themselves. I will also compare their works to show.
Zhou, Yan(Gai). “【舞台纯享】 GAI周延《兰花草》时空交织下的希望梦境，一开口就是
内个味儿 | 中国潮音 | 大张伟/毛不易/薛之谦/张靓颖/张亚东 | 优酷综艺 Youku Show.” YouTube, YouTube, 16 Dec. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR96qigL_8A.
<兰花草>(Lan Hua Cao) is originally a poem written by famous Chinese poet Hu Shi. 2020, Gai recomposed the lyrics, created a piece of rap music based on the poem, and performed this piece for the first time in the Chinese fashion show “CZR: I’m Singer-Songwriter”. (The source is not from this fashion show but is the only complete video I can find online). The music used hip-hop as a foundation, Chinese culture as a structure, and his own experience as the spirit.
Gai is a representative musician in the Chinese Hip-hop industry that is good at integrating Chinese culture into rap music. In his music, you can barely see lyrics similar to the Americans’. I plan to use his music first to provide an example for one of my interviews with Nib in which he mentioned and shared his opinions on Gai. Second, I will use his music to compare with Know Know and Leehom Wang, two other famous Chinese rappers to show the diversity in the Chinese hip-hop industry.