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Music of China Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Mergefrom. ... The Hong Kong hip hop scene first began in 1995 with the formation of LMF which was the first rap/rock group signed by a major record label, Warner Music. ... Image File history File links Mergefrom. ... Taiwanese hip hop music started in the early 1990s, popularized by early hip hop trio L.A. Boyz. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC - 256 BC). ...
Timeline
Genre
Modern	C-pop:(Cantopop/Mandopop) Rock Hip hop
Traditional	Opera Yayue Instrumental (musicology)
National	Historical Anthems Patriotic / Revolutionary PRC: "March of the Volunteers" ROC: "Three Principles of the People"
Media	Radio stations
Charts
Festivals	Midi Modern Music Festival
Regional traditions
Anhui - Fujian - Gansu - Guangdong - Guangxi - Guizhou - Hainan - Hebei - Heilongjiang - Henan - Hong Kong - Hunan - Hubei - Inner Mongolia - Jiangsu - Jiangxi - Jilin - Liaoning - Macau - Manchuria - Qinghai - Shandong - Shaanxi - Shanxi - Sichuan - Tibet - Xinjiang - Yunnan - Zhejiang
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Chinese hip hop (Chinese: 嘻哈; pinyin xīha) is a relatively new phenomenon in Chinese music. The Chinese term for rap is shuōchàng (Simplified Chinese: 说唱; literally "narrative," actually the name of a traditional genre of narrative singing)，see Chinese rap. Although hip-hop has been around for several decades in the United States and around the world, the hip-hop scene in China is just beginning to blossom; “hip-hop in Beijing emerged around the year 2000, but its roots stretch back to the late 1980s” (Steele, 2006) ^[1]. This is a timeline that show the development of Chinese music by genre and region. ... C-pop is an abbreviation for Chinese pop. ... Cantopop (Chinese: 粵語流行曲) is a colloquial portmanteau for Cantonese popular music. It is also referred to as HK-pop, short for Hong Kong popular music. It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop. ... Mandopop (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a colloquial abbreviation for Mandarin popular music. It is also referred to as Mandapop. ... Chinese Rock (中国摇滚, pinyin: Zhōngguó yáogÇ”n; also 中国摇滚音乐, Zhōngguó yáogÇ”n yÄ«nyuè, lit. ... Emperor Xuan-Zong of Tang (left) and his Consort Yang Yuhuan (right) portrayed in a Chinese Opera 19th century Chinese opera Chinese opera costumes Some athletic jump Chinese opera is a popular form of drama in China. ... Yayue (雅樂; literally elegant music) is a form of Chinese classical music that was performed at imperial courts until at least the 12th century. ... Traditional Chinese musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A number of Chinese official and unofficial national anthems were made around the early 20th century, only two remain in use: the Three Principles of the People (Republic of China (Taiwan)) and the Peoples Republic of Chinas national anthem (The March of the Volunteers). The article below lists... Guoyue (国乐; literally national music) is a modernized form of Chinese traditional music written or adapted for some form of grand presentation, usually through an orchestra. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... March of the Volunteers (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is the national anthem of the Peoples Republic of China, written in the midst of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... Manuscript of the speech at the opening ceremony of the Whampoa Military Academy, handwriting by Dr. Sun Yat-sen National Anthem of the Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: 中華民國國歌, Simplified Chinese: 中华民国国歌, Pinyin: Zhōnghuá Míngúo gúogÄ“), is the current national anthem of the Republic of China (ROC). ... This is a list of radio stations that broadcast in the Chinese language. ... Midi Modern Music Festival is Chinas largest rock music festival, based in Beijing, since 1997 the festival is held every year during the May holiday (May 1st - May 3rd) with some breaks due to government problems in 2003 and 2004 (both times hold in October). ... Anhui is a province of China, known musically for a wide array of folk and classical styles. ... Fujian is a Chinese province. ... Gansu is a region in northwest China. ... In modern times, the Chinese province of Guangdong has become known for Guangdong music (later Guangdong folk tunes), a synthesis of a number of local folk music styles (like Kun opera), intended as an accompaniment for the regions folk operas when it arose along the Pearl River delta in... Guangxi is a region of China, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. ... Guizhou is a province of China. ... Hebei is a province of China, known for its orchestral wind ensembles and the Huangmei opera. ... Heilongjiang is a Chinese province, whose capital city, Harbin, is regarded as a center for musical innovation in China and is a major concert center [1]. The city boasts one of the most renowned symphony orchestras in the country, and also celebrates Harbin Summer Music Festival. ... Henan is a central province of China, known for an unusual way of playing the guzheng; the technique, known as you yao, consistings of using the right hand to pluck the strings, starting from the movable bridge to the fixed bridge, while using the left hand to press the strings... Hubei is a province of China, known for the Huangmei and Chu opera styles and a wide array of folk songs; Huangmei opera is especially renowned, and has spread to Shanghai, Beijing and Anhui, among other places. ... Inner Mongolia is a province of China, with traditions related to Tuvan music and Mongolian music. ... Jiangxi is a southeastern province of China. ... Jilin is a northeastern province of China. ... Manchuria is a region of China, inhabited by the Manchu and other ethnic groups. ... Qinghai is a province of China inhabited by Tibetans, Mongolians and others. ... Shaanxi is a province of China that has a long history of folk music. ... Shaanxi is a province of China that has a long history of folk music. ... Sichuan is a province of China which has a long history of both folk and classical music. ... Tibet is a region of China, culturally very distinct from the rest of China. ... Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is dominated by Uighurs, a Turkic people related to others from Central Asia. ... Yunnan is a province in southeast China. ... Music of China appears to date back to the dawn of Chinese civilization, and documents and artifacts provide evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC _ 256 BC). ... Shuochang (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally spoken song) is a form of traditional Chinese storytelling (or, more properly, story-singing), with many regional subgenres. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Origins and Development

Main article: Hong Kong hip hop

The first Chinese hip hop came from Taiwan, where artists such as MC HotDog started the trend and spread to Hong Kong, where LMF was very successful and spread the trend to Mainland China. The Hong Kong hip hop scene first began in 1995 with the formation of LMF which was the first rap/rock group signed by a major record label, Warner Music. ... MC HotDog (born Chung-Jen Yao, Chinese: , Taiwanese: , Pinyin: , November 27, 1978, Taipei) is a Taiwanese rap artist known for his use of explicit lyrics in his songs. ... Lazy Mutha Fucka is a Hip-hop/indie band in Hong Kong, also known as LMF. The band was founded in 1993. ... ...

Some of the earliest influences of hip-hop in Beijing came from movies such as Wild Style which was released in 1982, and Breakin’ which was released in 1984 (Steele 2006). Wild Style is a movie about the tensions between a graffiti writer’s passion for his art and his personal life. However, this plot is not why most people watch the movie and why it had such a big influence on the hip-hop scene of China. The movie is known as the hip-hop flick; “full of great subway shots, break dancing, freestyle MCing and rare footage of one of the godfathers of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash, pulling off an awesome scratch-mix set on a pair of ancient turntables” (IMDb, 2008) ^[2]. The other movie, Breakin’, is another hip-hop themed movie featuring break dancing. Copies of these movies got to Beijing, China and eventually elsewhere in China via trade and travel with Japan and Hong Kong bringing hip-hop culture to the country (Steele, 2006). Years later, when Eminem’s movie 8 Mile came out in 2002, the art of freestyling was popularized in China (Foreign Policy, 2007) ^[3]. Movies have played a major role in fostering the growth the hip-hop culture in China; from the music itself, to dance, to the art of graffiti, to the style of dress. For other uses, see Wild Style (disambiguation). ...

There were a few people that brought hip-hop culture with them from the United States to China. One of these people was Kyle Ching; “an American who came from L.A. to China to chase China’s business boom, is working on the debut album of ‘Red Star’, a Shanghai based, multinational hip-hop trio” (Trindle, 2006) ^[4]. Another person who helped to bring hip-hop to China was Dana Burton. Burton, an American, arrived in China in 1999 fresh out of college to bring hip-hop to the Middle Kingdom and now, eight years later, some call him the godfather of hip-hop in the most populous country in the world (Foreign Policy, 2007). While in Shanghai, Burton made connections at a club and in time was allowed to play more and more hip-hop in the club. During this time, hip-hop began to develop a following at the club and eventually, a new club was created to play only hip-hop. Since then, more clubs playing exclusively hip-hop music have emerged (Foreign Policy, 2007). In addition to spreading hip-hop music in clubs, Burton also started the Iron Mic competition in 2001; an annual rap battle which encouraged more freestyling and less karaoke style performances (Foreign Policy, 2007). Today, Burton has quite the following in China; with “more than 300 Chinese rappers, DJs, dancers, and graffiti artists” (Chang, 2007). Burton has had an enormous impact on the development of the hip-hop scene in China. These people and others have brought hip-hop’s influence with them when they went to China.

Governmental influence was a big set back to the development of hip-hop in China; because “in the wake of the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989, interest in hip-hop waned as the government attempted to revitalize reverence for traditional Chinese culture and socialism” (Steele, 2006). Another reason for hip-hops slow popularization in China is because not only are there “far fewer radio stations in China than in the U.S.,” but in addition, “the government still keeps a tight hold on radio licenses” (Trindle, 2007). As a result, it is difficult to get hip-hop radio air-play time. Despite the government’s interventions, hip-hop is slowly become a bigger part of Chinese culture; this is because the Chinese people have resisted the government in some ways. The sale of dakou CDs on the black markets of Beijing were important to the influence of hip-hop on Chinese music; “dakou CDs were surplus CDs created in the West that were supposed to be destroyed but were instead smuggled into China and sold on the black market” (Steele, 2006). Another way that the youth are resisting the government is through their lyrics in which they blatantly ignore the government; “they’re rapping about being involved with the mafia, or being underground, or doing drugs. They don’t really rap about the government. But they take it to another level,” (Foreign Policy, 2007). Despites its obstacles, hip-hop is slowly becoming a popular musical genre in China.

There have been many efforts to create an environment in China for hip-hop. One of these efforts includes “The Lab”. The Lab is a “free studio to foster hip-hop culture and teach aspiring young MCs about the types of music that don’t make it onto the radio” (Trindle, 2007).

On weekdays The Lab is open to the public, and anyone can jam on the several pairs of 1200s set up there. V-Nutz, a Shanghai native, and his partner, Fortune, say they will be always on hand to give pointers or share a friendly chat. Every Saturday sees another aspect of hip hop or pop culture take centre-stage; live graffiti performances, MC showcases and turntablism displays from Shanghai's arts and music community have already been scheduled (Wong, 2007).

The Lab is a revolutionary concept in terms of giving everyone in Shanghai the opportunity to try their hand at hip-hop music, learn, listen, network, and do so much more.

Mainland China

The hip hop scene in Mainland China, compared to many other Asian and Western countries, is still small and underdeveloped. Artists such as Black Bomb (黑棒), Dragon Tongue (龙门阵) and Yin Tsang (隐藏) are leading the genre and gaining popularity with young people on the Mainland. Other popular artists and groups include Dai Bing, MP4, Kungfoo Impulsion (功夫冲动), Sha Zhou (沙洲), and the now-disbanded LMF. However, Chinese hip hop has not yet become part of China's mainstream popular culture. Lazy Mutha Fucka is a Hip-hop/indie band in Hong Kong, also known as LMF. The band was founded in 1993. ...

United States

A few rappers of Chinese heritage have achieved renown in the United States, the most recent of whom is the Miami-born Jin, who raps in both English and Cantonese.^video Another Chinese American rap group was Mountain Brothers, based in Philadelphia in the 1990s; the group rapped in English. This article is about the city in Florida. ... Jin Au-Yeung (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Āu Yèuhng Jihng) also known as Jin, Jin tha MC, The Emcee, and 100 Grand Jin is an American rapper born on June 4, 1982. ... A Chinese American is an American who is of ethnic Chinese descent. ... The Mountain Brothers were a Philly-based hip-hop group consisting of three Asian American rappers. ... For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ...

Style

When asked about China’s hip-hop style, Chinese DJ Gary Wang notes: "I would say we don’t have a Chinese style yet. If you really want me to say, what is Chinese style, I would say it's young, local kids really enjoy Western things right now. Then maybe after 10 or 15 years, maybe they can have their own style." (Trindle, 2007). One of the most obvious examples of this external influence is the language in which hip-hop is often performed. In China, English is often the language in which the music is performed. Because the scene is relatively young, some of the music that is performed can be considered “imitation”. In an interview with Foreign Policy, Burton mentioned:

"The few rappers I met [initially] were rapping in English. I’d say, ‘Let me hear you rap’, and they’d just do a karaoke thing, repeating a few lines of Eminem or Naughty by Nature. As an American that was so odd for me; you can’t say anyone else’s rhymes, you just don’t do that. But it’s the culture here. They like karaoke and doing someone else’s songs." (Foreign Policy, 2007).

A reason why people often performed in English was because many believed that Chinese was not a language suitable for rapping, in fact, “people said, straight up, you can’t rap in Chinese, Chinese does not work for rap… Chinese is not suitable for rap music because it’s tonal.” (Trindle, 2007). While following the general rules of American rap, Chinese rap differs in that the formation of sentences in Chinese varies drastically from that of English and other European languages, one of the main differences being that Chinese is a tonal language. As a result of this belief, the art of Chinese rap was not developed for a long time. However, today there is a huge push for the localization of Chinese hip-hop and to create a Chinese style. A big part of the localization of Chinese hip-hop “is encouraging Chinese rappers to rap in Chinese” (Trindle, 2007). The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... European languages are the object of Eurolinguistics. ... A Tonal language is a language that uses tone to distinguish words. ...

In more recent years, the use of Chinese in hip-hop music has increased. In fact, all different Chinese dialects are now being used. For example, one underground Chinese artist Hu Xuan recorded all of the tracks on his album in Kunminghua, the local dialect spoken in the area of Kunming (Go Kunming, 2007).

"One rapper spits out words in a distinctive Beijing accent, scolding the other for not speaking proper Mandarin. His opponent from Hong Kong snaps back to the beat in a trilingual torrent of Cantoneses, English, and Mandarin, dissing the Beijing rapper for not representing the people." ^[5]

Style and Gender

The United States and China are oceans apart and have completely different historical backgrounds, but both are countries which are home to diverse ethnic groups with integrated cultures, and both boast vast territories and hardworking and intelligent peoples. There are big differences between China and the United States, which will naturally bring about some confrontations and frictions; however, it is just these differences that have produced great curiosity and attraction for each other. This notion of cultural competition gave rise to a the hip-hop movement in the late 20th century in American, and now the movement has expanded and has been distributed to many countries around the world including China. Chinese music has adopted American hip-hop and has transformed it in to an expression different from its origins. The process of global commoditization and consumerism has expanded the many possible permutations of Hip-Hop music. This paradigm shift results primarily from the ontological adaptations of hip-hop as an expressive form.

Notwithstanding, Chinese culture contrasts with many American values in terms of cultural and social arrangements, the need to express oneself, and reach the larger global public through that expression remains equitable in both countries. The juxtaposition of the two styles can be compared to the comparison of their painting styles. In Americans & Chinese Passage to Difference, Francis L. K. Hsu writes: “In western art the focus is on man or woman as an individual. In Chinese art the important thing is the individual’s place in the external scheme of things. In addition, American art often reflects the inner tension of the individual; this concern is practically absent from Chinese art”. To better understand the influence of the hip-hop scene in China it is imperative that we explore the qualities of this art form that give it shape, life and substance.

A factor that is rarely taken into consideration is the social and economic conditions that many American hip-hop artists come from. As a consequence of 500 years of white supremacy, systematic & institutional racism, the Black community in America has become destitute and dismal. Broken homes, drug infested neighborhoods, lack of well paying jobs, police misconduct & inadequate educational facilities are the standard for many of the communities that Hip-Hop artists are from. Insight into the theoretical framework of Hip-hop is illustrated by Theresa A. Martinez’s article Popular Cultural as Oppositional Culture. Martinez claims: “It is the central argument of this paper that present day African American popular culture that a present day African American popular cultural expression is yet another form of oppositional culture in the face of perceived institutional discrimination, racial formation, and urban decay... [It] was an ardent form of resistance and a definite expression of oppositional culture, bringing to light long perceived problems in our nation’s inner cities…”

In essence, the origin of the cultural expression known as Hip-hop is rooted in the civil discontent of a marginalized group. In the American context this art form is usually saturated with lyrics and visual depictions that emphasize the struggle of this minority group. A disconnect arises when the transnational exportation of this medium occurs, as this product as succumbs to globalization, and has been packaged and diffused through china. However, the main difference is that China does not define race in the context of American race discourse, in addition African American “blackness” is not something that is prevalent in their culture.

Notwithstanding, China has its fair share of social inequality as Gregory Lee writes: “Today China is suffering more and more from social and economic problems that once were only associated with traditional capitalist economies, and whenever there are social problems in China, in absolute terms of human victims, they assume enormous proportions. When the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, China had a population of 400 million. Now China has a population of 1,400 million, over three times the population of forty years ago”.

However, it is interesting that even though China has the condition that allowed for Hip-Hop to become so aggressive in the U.S. it has become a positive unifying force that holds at its center themes and value of a more endearing nature. It is the thesis of this paper that Chinese hip-hop is different from American hip-hop in that it deals with love, admiration of hip-hop as a musical form, and is infused with the monotony of everyday life, through the performance of gender.

From Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Alice Cooper, musicians have long tried to project a "bad boy" image, often to help attract public interest in their music. Traditional Hip-Hop themes depict notions of society that are often considered illegitimate, and counter mainstream. Discontent is depicted as a form of rebellion again hegemonic structures. For the purpose of this paper, Chamillionaire will be used as an archetypical example of the violent hip-hop referred to in the introduction. In his song Hip-Hop Police, Chamillionaire conveys two social inequalities, imposed congruently. The antagonists are both censorship and police, and each strive to oppress his agency. His video depicts two men who are suddenly profiled by the police and after a misunderstanding become suspects in a murder investigation. Images of swat-teams, police line-ups, profanity, and allusions to murder are repeatedly made to metaphorically protest the social intolerance of hip-hop. The story Chamillionaire depicts in many ways can be regarded as analogous to the hardships many marginalized individuals face, in their everyday lives.

Although Chamillionaire projects a hard image that is typical of American hip-hop artists, Dragon Tongues, a Chinese rap group, has been referred to as “polite rappers”. They are looking to inject Chinese culture into the Western style of music. In a video featured on YouTube the group rapped about their love for Chinese cooking than the more familiar western gangster themes. When interviewed the group expressed that they enjoyed rapping about “daily life, daily struggles… Emotion.” In addition a group member emphasized that their rap was “organic” because it lack the profanity commonly associated with a form of hip-hop called gangster rap. Lastly, a third member of the group stated “we rap about love, first love, love and peace” and that they keep it real. In the same fashion that the themes in American hip-hop are infused with rebellious lyrics and images, the themes in Chinese music tell us that these that love, peace, are the elements for which the artist are calling for. Surely these themes may sound generic, but it is most appliciable in thinking about the charaterist most prized by Chinese culture, honor and respect, elements that have cold emotional condentations.

But what to make of this emphasize on something not only counter American mainstream, but also counter hegemonic masculinity? The performance of gender is paramount in understanding the motivation for the soft quality of Chinese hip-hop lyrics. American popular culture is notoriously male-centered. For Asian Americans the situation appears to be reversed, which may be yet another reflection of the power of the dominant culture. Love has become a prevalent theme in Chinese Hip-Hop, because of the feminization that has imbued on to males in china. The stereotype that Chinese men are inferior is prevalent in American society. In his book Racial Castration, David L. Eng writes: "The west thinks of itself as masculine --big guns, big industry, big money—- so the East is feminine -—weak, delicate, poor-- […] In Looking for My Penis, Richard Fung summarizes the phenomenon even more bluntly: Asian and Anus are conflated [terms]”.

As a supplement to this notion of inferior masculinity Michael S. Liao writes in The Asian American Experience: “Asian masculinity is subtle, conveyed through artistic expressions. The aggressive, tough notions of masculinity are regarded as unrefined and an indicator of poor education and lower class. When I came to the United States, my practice of concession in the classroom was seen as a sign of timidity. My proper respect for elders and teachers was seen as an eagerness to please. My non-aggressive response ad silent endurance of harassments was seen as a sign of weakness. The traditional Asian notions of masculinity instilled in me were perceived unfavorably in the American context.”

This misconception is due primarily to the differences in culture norms and culture representations, but its impact, is perhaps why Chinese resort to the toughness of Hip-Hop and rap to covey the aspects of their lives that has caused them to be perceived as emasculated. What Americans fail to observe is a philosophical division between East and West frameworks of thought. As a culture that is rooted in love and great respect, the Chinese have no other options that to harness the testosterone injected Hip-Hop to secure any anxious masculinity. The need to be ontologically recongized as manly is is a struggle embedded in the discontent that Chinese men face, thus is why Chinese hip-hop so closely conforms to the American Style aestetically

Hip-Hop is so strongly admired by its ability of providing an outlet for masculinity. In the American context, Hip-Hop has been adapted to serve as a platform for hyper masculinity or a medium for men (mostly) to illustrate the struggles they have faced in both their own life as well as the music industry, or a many arts do, they create fictitious accounts of these narratives in an effort to convey status, or hegemonic masculinity. In a youtube video by D-Evil feat Ossy labeled “Chinese Hip-Hop”, the video illustrated elements of American hip-hop that depict the aforementioned conveyance of hyper-masculinity. In the video Chinese men are dress in a Hip-Hop style, this includes baggy pants, loose fitting shirt, a fitted cap, and excessive and extravagant jewelry. The video is mostly in Chinese but is punctuate with segments of American idiomatic expressions. Its is interesting to note that although the video is Chinese and appears to be made in China, it features an unknown African American artist, who is repeatedly cameod, and raps a few lyrics. In another video featured on youtube by the name of “Chinese hip-hop sexi lady, touxin haidao” a female artist sings what appears to be a love song. In this video they again convey many of the idiosyncrasies mentioned in the first video commonly associated to American Hip-Hop, but what is different of this video is that the women in this video are more provocative, and are objectified similarly to the women of American Videos. Mimicry is a form of flattery; however Chinese Hip-Hope idolizes the norms of American Hip-Hop while breaking notions of inferior masculinity.

Chinese Hip-hop is also used as a form of expressing the monotony of everyday life. Chinese culture is very much alive; however it also remains stagnant in the sense that the past is still imbedded in the present. Ansestory and history are elements of Chinese culture that are centralized in that culture. In an article in the New York Times, Nicolas D. Kristof writes “Most Chinese are taught in school that theirs is a glorious cultural inheritance, but since late in the last century a heretical strain of intellectual thought has attributed China's lack of economic and democratic development to flaws in its culture.” What occurs is the following, in a society that is deprived of cultural innovation it is not uncommon that feelings of monotony are expressed, or that the monotonous aspect of the ancestor and culture are taken and revitalized with an imported medium, such as Hip-Hop. This becomes evident in Kristof’s article where he also states, “Chinese civilization is stagnant and needs to be refreshed by foreign influences, is the most powerful statement of this heretical strain so far. It has come to symbolize the debate about how China should modernize and whether it should cherish or discard certain values and symbols of the nation's past” . It is this longing for cultural refreshment that has embraced Hip-Hop with open arms. Examples of the aforementioned monotony are illustrated in another youtube video yet again a food themed Hip-Hop Song. In “Morton in China, Chinese Hip-Hop” . In this video the lyrics to the song are also related to the praise of Chinese cuisine, but but when interviewed, the group was asked why their lyrics were not more radical, to which the group responded that they weren’t allowed to be radical if they expected to make money off their music. The assumption here is that the “they” the artist referred to is the government, as it is a socialist country. The tight control of the media has definitely been at great contributor to the capsulated consciousness and culture evident in China today. However, it is important to recognize that the adaption of Hip-Hop illustrates the resistance to the government, while the content of the music conveys the conformity of the culture and governmental values. Notwithstanding, monotony is present but there are efforts to diversify Chinese society. In a speech by the Chinese minister of culture he addressed some of the accomplishments as wells as some of he needs of the culture in Chinese society. He writes, “The harmonious society that we're striving to build is one which respects the interests and appeals of all social groups, where people can fully realize their potential, get what they deserve, and live a well-off, peaceful and happy life. In terms of culture, this ideal boils down to safeguarding basic cultural rights and interests of all citizens, and addressing the multi-level and diverse needs for culture of all members of the society.”The fact that the Chinese government recognizes the lack of diversity in China, allows for the exploration of the notion that Hip-Hop as a cultural form is not fueled by the tension imbued in American Hip-op but more so acts as a release for the producers of this art form. The inclusiveness reflected by Chinese hip-hop, allows for the celebration of differences and a resistance against sameness, and without such differences, the world might become more peaceful, but at the same time, to a large extent, it would lose its glories and fall into monotony. Gender comes in to play, because Chinese men wish to convey something that is different from tradition, something that will allow them the cultural space to assert dominance while tailoring their lyrics to abide to the rich history of respect for elders and proliferation of tradition.

The difference between American hip-hop and Chinese hip-hop is rooted in the cultures of these strikingly different societies. Chinese hip-hop has taken form as a more positive approach will dealing with societal short comings of China, in contrast American Hip-Hop conveys a similar ideology but it is articulated in a way that can be perceived to be detrimental to American values. The themes in Chinese hip seem to be center more on the culture and less on the self. The struggle with the performance of gender and the illustrations of hegemonic masculinity is evident and many of the pieces examined. Love, Admiration, and Monotony are some of the driving themes in Chinese Hip-Hop, and perhaps they are rooted in traditions of the past, but nonetheless this style of expression gives Hip-Hop a new context for which one can further analysis social conditions of this particular country. In the wake of its globalization it become apparent that this product has taken a distinct form in China, but it is still rooted in illustrating aspects of society that are not commonly addressed.^{[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]}

Interestingly, Chinese rap groups talk about very traditional topics such as food and cooking. In the commonly used entertainment media source known-as “YouTube”, ^[17] there are videos of other Chinese rappers. In the video “Merton in China”, there are two Chinese boys being interviewed by Paul Merton, who wants to know what they rap about. The two boys state that they are rapping about Chinese food and Merton comments that rap music is typically controversial because it discusses radical topics. Merton is insinuating that the topic of food isn’t exactly radical. The young man mentions that in China you cannot get too radical with your message because there is a good deal of social censorship. One young man states you have to “compromise with the system”, unlike American rappers who are governed by free speech and use music to speak out about social injustice. Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), better known by the stage name Paul Merton, is an English actor, comedian and writer. ...

Artists

There are countless different Chinese hip-hop artists from all different regions of China, each with their own style and own dialect of speech. From Hu Xuan in Kunming, to Red Star in Shanghai, to Dumdue in Guangzhou, to Yin Ts’ang in Beijing.

References

1. ^ Steele, Angela Diane. Zai Beijing: A Cultural Study of Hip Hop. 2006. 9 April 2008 <http://dialogue.stanford.edu/zaibeijing.html>.
2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084904/
3. ^ “How a Muslim Convert from Detroit Became the Godfather of Chinese Hip-Hop.” Foreign Policy. Oct. 2007. 9 April 2008 <http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4023>
4. ^ Trindle, Jamila. “Made in China: Hip-Hop Moves East.” National Public Radio: Music 13 Dec. 2007. 8 April 2008 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17204661>.
5. ^ Chang, Jeff. “It’s a Hip-hop World.” Foreign Policy 163, Nov/Dec 2007, 58-65<ref>. This is during a competition called Iron Mic and was created by an American named Dana Burton. The US is helping China and Chinese rappers get more play time through the internet and podcasts. "But Ping Ke, a former radio DJ who quit because he was bored playing the same songs over and over again, says that the Internet has changed everything. Now he can not only podcast, but also listen to radio stations from all over the world." http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17204661 === Breakdancing === [[Breakdancing]], called ''jiēwǔ'' ([[Simplified Chinese]]: [[wikt:街舞|街舞]]) in Chinese, which translates directly to "street dance." The term ''jiēwǔ'' [[wikt:街舞|街舞]] can be applied more generally to all 'hip-hop dance,' where-as the term ''pīlìwǔ'' 霹雳舞 (literally, thunder dance) can be applied more specifically to break dancing, although the term ''jiēwǔ'' [[wikt:街舞|街舞]] is more popular. Break dancing has been going on sporadically in China since the [[1980s]], but has never gained much attention. More recently, following the [[Korean wave]], where Western-oriented Korean influence has played a role in Chinese pop culture development, it has been increasing its popularity amongst young Chinese people. As in the United States, each regional breakdancing (or Bboy) scene is slightly different. Hip-hop culture came earliest to Guangzhou (Canton,) so its Bboy scene is consequently the deepest rooted. It spread next to Shanghai, where B-boying first became systematized with many local break dance schools. Beijing on the other hand is seen as being hit the most by the [[Korean wave]]. Hence their style is influenced most strongly by the South Korean Bboy scene and many people in the country agree that its scene is most developed. <ref>[http://bbs.zsu.edu.cn/bbscon?board=Play&file=M.1200196989.A 街舞文化的起源与发展 - 逸仙时空BBS<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-5">'''[[#cite_ref-5|^]]''' Eng, David Racial Castration: Managing Masculinity in Asian America (Perverse Modernities) N.C.: Duke Univ. Press. 2001</li> <li id="cite_note-6">'''[[#cite_ref-6|^]]''' Jiazheng, Sun Chinese Culture Today: Aspirations and Dreams (Speech) November 23, 2005</li> <li id="cite_note-7">'''[[#cite_ref-7|^]]''' Hsu , Francis L. K. Americans & Chinese passage to Difference page 20</li> <li id="cite_note-8">'''[[#cite_ref-8|^]]''' Kristof, Nicolas China Calls TV Tale Subversive SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES Published: October 2, 1989 </li> <li id="cite_note-9">'''[[#cite_ref-9|^]]''' Lee, Gregory The 'East Is Red' Goes Pop: Commodification, Hybridity and Nationalism in Chinese Popular Song and Its Televisual Performance Popular Music, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan., 1995), pp. 95-110 Published by: Cambridge University Press</li> <li id="cite_note-10">'''[[#cite_ref-10|^]]''' Martinesz, Theresa Popular Cultural as Oppositional Cultural Sociological Perspectives, Vol. 40, No. 2 (1997), pp. 265-286 Published by: University of California Press.</li> <li id="cite_note-11">'''[[#cite_ref-11|^]]''' Chamillionaire - Hip Hop Police http://youtube.com/watch?v=If8e1x-6Uds</li> <li id="cite_note-12">'''[[#cite_ref-12|^]]''' Merton in China Chinese Hip Hop http://youtube.com/watch?v=prt5OTalPN4</li> <li id="cite_note-13">'''[[#cite_ref-13|^]]''' Chinese Hip-Hop http://youtube.com/watch?v=QZ_AFW6BHpQ</li> <li id="cite_note-14">'''[[#cite_ref-14|^]]''' Hip-hop sexi lady, touxin haidao http://youtube.com/watch?v=FddcFdQQfB0</li> <li id="cite_note-15">'''[[#cite_ref-15|^]]''' D-Evil feat Ossy / Chinese Hip-Hop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ_AFW6BHpQ</li> <li id="cite_note-16">'''[[#cite_ref-16|^]]''' http://youtube.com/watch?v=prt5OTalPN4</li></ol></ref>

   External links

   • YHOOD Top 10 Chinese Hip Hop
   • Article about Chinese American hip hop

   Video

   • Profile of Qingdao rapper Sha Zhou (沙洲)

   See also

   • Hong Kong hip hop
   • Taiwanese hip hop

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