Some Beijing Hip-Hop
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Beijing Hip-hop Act 阴三儿 In3
So it turns out, hip-hop MCs do actually exist in China, they are just hard to find.
Despite a blossoming rock scene here in Beijing, hip-hop has yet to really take root among Chinese youth. Hip-hop shows in well-known venues (actual Chinese hip-hop shows— not some DJ playing Eminem) come only once every couple of months. But if you try hard enough, you’ll find some legitimate MCs who are sharing a piece of the Beijing experience through their lyrics.
Now to the meat of the post, here is some Beijing-grown hip-hop for your enjoyment:
C.O.U. (CHN Organic Union)
Chinese Jazz Hip-hop made in Beijing. I think producer Kirby Lee is excellent. I have their album, which is a little rough around the edges (especially when they start using English), but full of the same jazzy beats and reflective lyrics.
爽子 Shuang Zi
爽子 – 挂念 – Gua Nian (Concern)
Another MC from Beijing, you can check out a lot more of his songs along with full lyrics at SongTaste.
阴三儿 (In3) – Pictured
阴三儿 – 北京晚报 (Beijing Evening Report)
阴三儿 – 老师好 (Hello Teacher —Locals favorite)
阴三儿 – 黑 (Black)
阴三儿 – 没钱没朋友 (No Money No Friends)
Old Beijing hip-hop band that raps about regular life in Beijing. Their lyrics are hilarious and almost excessively dirty (which is typical of Beijing people). Maybe one of the most heard-about hip-hop acts in China.
大狗 (From Wuhan)
Recently I checked out MC DaGou (大狗 trans: Big Dog) at local venue YuGong YiShan, and though I thoroughly enjoyed myself, the crowd was kind of sparse and seemed almost afraid to get near the stage. I thought 大狗 represented a lot of what hip-hop should be, but you can judge for yourself:
MC DaGou (大狗 Big Dog) of Wuhan performs “Zai Lu Shang” (在路上 On The Road)
隐藏 – 在北京 (trans: In Beijing) You might find this funny if you are a foreigner living in Beijing… maybe
Aight, that’s it for now. Till next time,
-Pin
P.S. Please correct my grammar, it’s been going to shit since I moved out here…