Raprezent!
Representing the Asian Hip Hop Rap Artist.
Scantily dressed women gyrating suggestively to raps about booty and bling. Rappers getting arrested on gun charges. Given what’s in the media, we could be forgiven for thinking that hip hop is all about sex, money and violence.
For a true aficionado, however, Hip Hop is a state of mind based on creativity and self-expression. It’s a culture that transcends borders, one manifested in music, dance, art and fashion. And what music! DJs performing wizardry on turntables, and rappers (MCs) rhyming about issues that matter.
In Asia, “real” Hip Hop tends to remain underground while more commercial R&B and pop-flavored fare sells. It’s been a challenge for local rap artists as audiences tend not pay too much attention to lyrics. Dig a little bit deeper, however, and you’ll find some gems out there.
The more than 20-year-old Japanese scene is huge – apparently there are more Hip Hop artists signed to major labels there than in the US. It’s also very diverse, from the controversial K-Dub Shine with his pull-no-punches socio-political commentary to the more abstract stylings of Boss the MC (aka Ill-Bostino) from Tha Blue Herb, who also often raps for the legendary trip-hop DJ Krush.
Hip Hop is still evolving in Southeast Asia but watch out for a new breed of MCs rapping in their mother tongue instead of adopting American slang. Ahli Fiqir, for one, draws inspiration from the region’s rich ethnic musical and poetic forms. Produced by Malaysians, the group comprises three Singaporean vocalists and an Indonesian turntablist. It’s no easy task, coming up with lyrics that flow in any language, but Ahli Fiqir’s dikir barat (traditional call-and-response chanting) background probably helps. These young musicians have been critically acclaimed for intelligent Malay rap that draws attention to issues relevant to Southeast Asian youth. Laid over an innovative blend of catchy urban and Malay rhythms, it sounds mighty fine too.
Two thousand miles away in Mumbai, one of India’s biggest Hip Hop artists BlaaZe (pronounced “Blah-Zay”) recently collaborated with Chinese-American recording artist Coco Lee on her new single ‘No Doubt’. He still has to churn out commercial Bollywood hits to pay the bills but, when it comes to his own music, BlaaZe has his own Hip Hop agenda. Rapping in both Tamil and English, he clearly voices his perspectives on day-to-day struggles, political shortcomings and religious intolerance.
Unfortunately that’s the aspect of Hip Hop that most often gets ignored by commercial music – that of consciousness-raising and seeking to make a difference. As BlaaZe says, “The whole concept of Rap is to make people aware. To be able to make a difference by making people aware through the messages you portray. Good or bad, it’s your point of view and as a rapper, God gives you the ability to keep going on about issues that may or may not be heard or noticed otherwise. And to leave something behind ... not just to dance to but to actually listen and pay attention to”.
So the next time you come across an Asian rap song, listen up. The lyrics may actually strike a chord and tell you something about the Asian social context. And even if you don’t understand the language, it will still sound good.
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Article contributed to Asia! Magazine Backpage
written by Jean P. Fung
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Scantily dressed women gyrating suggestively to raps about booty and bling. Rappers getting arrested on gun charges. Given what’s in the media, we could be forgiven for thinking that hip hop is all about sex, money and violence.
For a true aficionado, however, Hip Hop is a state of mind based on creativity and self-expression. It’s a culture that transcends borders, one manifested in music, dance, art and fashion. And what music! DJs performing wizardry on turntables, and rappers (MCs) rhyming about issues that matter.
In Asia, “real” Hip Hop tends to remain underground while more commercial R&B and pop-flavored fare sells. It’s been a challenge for local rap artists as audiences tend not pay too much attention to lyrics. Dig a little bit deeper, however, and you’ll find some gems out there.
The more than 20-year-old Japanese scene is huge – apparently there are more Hip Hop artists signed to major labels there than in the US. It’s also very diverse, from the controversial K-Dub Shine with his pull-no-punches socio-political commentary to the more abstract stylings of Boss the MC (aka Ill-Bostino) from Tha Blue Herb, who also often raps for the legendary trip-hop DJ Krush.
Hip Hop is still evolving in Southeast Asia but watch out for a new breed of MCs rapping in their mother tongue instead of adopting American slang. Ahli Fiqir, for one, draws inspiration from the region’s rich ethnic musical and poetic forms. Produced by Malaysians, the group comprises three Singaporean vocalists and an Indonesian turntablist. It’s no easy task, coming up with lyrics that flow in any language, but Ahli Fiqir’s dikir barat (traditional call-and-response chanting) background probably helps. These young musicians have been critically acclaimed for intelligent Malay rap that draws attention to issues relevant to Southeast Asian youth. Laid over an innovative blend of catchy urban and Malay rhythms, it sounds mighty fine too.
Two thousand miles away in Mumbai, one of India’s biggest Hip Hop artists BlaaZe (pronounced “Blah-Zay”) recently collaborated with Chinese-American recording artist Coco Lee on her new single ‘No Doubt’. He still has to churn out commercial Bollywood hits to pay the bills but, when it comes to his own music, BlaaZe has his own Hip Hop agenda. Rapping in both Tamil and English, he clearly voices his perspectives on day-to-day struggles, political shortcomings and religious intolerance.
Unfortunately that’s the aspect of Hip Hop that most often gets ignored by commercial music – that of consciousness-raising and seeking to make a difference. As BlaaZe says, “The whole concept of Rap is to make people aware. To be able to make a difference by making people aware through the messages you portray. Good or bad, it’s your point of view and as a rapper, God gives you the ability to keep going on about issues that may or may not be heard or noticed otherwise. And to leave something behind ... not just to dance to but to actually listen and pay attention to”.
So the next time you come across an Asian rap song, listen up. The lyrics may actually strike a chord and tell you something about the Asian social context. And even if you don’t understand the language, it will still sound good.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article contributed to Asia! Magazine Backpage
written by Jean P. Fung
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