Chinese Hip-Hop: The Use of Diss, and the Representing of Youth Culture

Abstract

This essay takes a Chinese music TV programme Zhongguo You Xiha (The Rap of China) to discuss the Hip-Hop music in China. It states that the rising of the Hip-Hop in China is actually a cross-cultural phenomenon. On the one side, Chinese Hip-Hop keeps the idea of expression as its core philosophy. The sustainable economic development and the open-door policy in China, to some extent, have created an expansion of personal freedom in socio-economic life, allowing Chinese artists to express their feelings, emotions, attitudes, and, to make their voices heard. On the other side of the coin, Chinese rapping or dancing acts as a multicultural phenomenon, mixed with both the Eastern (Japanese and Korean) and the Western (American) styles. It appears as a new form of musical expression, functioning as a pop culture rather than a political one. Furthermore, Chinese Hip-Hop has been particularly attracted to Chinese youth. In other words, Chinese young rappers have potentially adopted Hip-Hop as a youth culture to fulfill their personal interests and needs.