stories | culture 乜都拗

乜 都 拗

Debate emerges over the authenticity of the movement’s positive and negative vibes

By Ben Sin Illustrations by May Sum

muse 瞄 40 41 stories | Hip hop culture 乜都拗

n a summer night at a party in Lan It looks like the right hand, ‘Love,’ is finished. But Kwai Fong, local rap group 廿四 hold on, the right hand is coming back. Yeah, he’s 饒舌就是好辯，好辯就是不肯啞忍、拒 味 (24 Herbs) takes the stage at hot got the left hand on the ropes now. That’s right. Onightspot Cliq to a raucous ovation. Ooh, it’s the devastating right hand and ‘Hate’ is 絕做沈默的羔羊。這不只是一種音樂風 The group’s main English-language rapper is hurt. ‘Hate’ is down. ‘Hate’ knocked out by ‘Love!’” Brandon Ho, who wears thick black-rimmed The name Radio Raheem is borrowed from glasses and a tilted baseball cap. He’s 35, but looks a fictional character in the 1989 Spike Lee film, 格，更是一種反抗策略和鬥爭手段。它 younger, like many of the twenty-somethings in Do The Right Thing. The film told a powerful the audience. “Yo, we’re going to unveil a new story about racial conflict in a rapidly changing 後來怎樣被建制和流行音樂工業收編利 song,” says Ho, better known by his moniker neighborhood in City. In the movie, the Ghost Style. The crowd, a mix of local, Western white owner of one of the last white food outlets 用，成為它們的生財工具，那又是另一 and young people, roars in unison. Ho and the in the neighborhood tells Radio Raheem to turn rest of the 24 Herbs nod their heads collectively. his down. That request has tragic 個似曾相識的故事 With a beat and tune reminiscent of Latin music, consequences for Radio and for the neighborhood. the crew proceeds to rap “Hu Ge Cle Va Ge, I Li Ke Hip hop began in in the 1970s. But over the last couple of years, hip hop most of time. An American-born-Chinese, Jin Cle Va Ge,” over and over. For a few years, it stayed in the poor sections has – seemingly out of the blue – emerged into went to a school that was predominately African “What is this, Spanish?” asks one onlooker. of New York and within the African American mainstream culture. Suddenly, you American and Latino. “The hip hop experience Hu Ge isn’t in fact a language. It is English words community who saw it as a way of speaking cannot walk the streets without seeing evidence dominated my life as a kid,” Jin says as he sips a split up into syllables, and it’s a joke created by out against racism and poverty and of speaking of hip hop. This year, American-born-Chinese latte at Starbucks. “I mean, y’all gotta understand, 24 Herbs – what they’re singing about is HUGE up for themselves. It came to consist of four art rapper MC Jin was seen on billboards promoting this is my life.” It’s easy to see the influence in CLEAVAGE, but for the song they have broken the forms – , , DJing and . Vita lemon tea and Yahoo, and he hosted his own everything about MC Jin – from the way he words up into “Hu Ge Cle Va Ge.” Eventually, the creativity of the art form spread TV show on Cable TV; local rap duo 農夫 (FAMA) talks to the way he walks. He frequently uses Soon enough it becomes apparent to everyone became the face of the MTR ad campaign; graffiti expressions such as “yo” and “y’all.” There’s a in the crowd what the crew is really singing. appeared all over Hong Kong – from the walls of swagger – head tilt, lots of hand gestures – that “They’re singing about liking huge cleavage,” says construction buildings in Kwun Tong to the alleys can be described as “hip hop” for those who are a fan in a 24 Herbs cap, smiling and nodding his alongside Hollywood Road; slimming company politically correct, or “black” for those who aren’t. head to the beat. 纖舞坊 (Slim-me Dance) used hip hop dance as In 2001, the then 19-year-old Jin moved to The theme of the song Hu Ge – that is, the a way to promote weight loss; Le French May New York, where he dropped out of school and crew’s love of women’s cleavage – is typical of bought over a hip hop performance as part of its pursued a career in hip hop. Recording his own the group, and typical of the songs that generate program for the second year in a row; and at least mix tape and selling it outside hip hop clubs, he controversy in rap music. For the past decade, one contestant in both the Mr and Miss Hong gained a following and eventually made his way locally and internationally, one of the major Kong competitions performed a hip hop routine onto a battle show on the Black criticisms against rap music has been its perceived as their special talent. From the way young people Entertainment Television channel. As a Chinese negativity towards women. dress to the way they talk, hip hop has seeped into guy rapping against blacks on a channel dedicated The women in the crowd on this night don’t the culture. to the black community, Jin was taunted on a seem to mind, as they playfully sing along. But is it really hip hop? People in the industry in nightly basis. But the positive Jin didn’t let the But the music video for the song, featuring Hong Kong have two polarized and contradictory negativity get to him. Refusing to dwell on it, he scantily clad women dancing alongside crew throughout the US. By the 1980s, hip hop was opinions. succintly states: “Racism isn’t a hip hop issue. It’s a members as they rap and make hand gestures part of mainstream culture. Many credit Do The In the US, many factors – including shootings societal issue.” around their chests, has caused controversy. Right Thing, the song Walk This Way by rap group and murders involving rival rappers – have meant His performance on the show eventually won Comments posted on the group’s YouTube page Run DMC and rock band Aerosmith for pushing that hip-hop culture has been subject to intense him respect among his peers, and a year later, are split between positive and negative, and Radio hip hop into mainstream consciousness. scrutiny and criticism. In a sense, Radio Raheem, he signed with rap label Ruff Ryders – making Television Hong Kong (RTHK) banned Hu Ge from As the art forms and cultures continue to spread who preached about love and hate – positivity and him the first Asian rapper to be signed to a major its airwaves in the first few weeks after its release. to other parts of the world, many detractors negativity – is a metaphor for hip hop. label. It is a feat Jin plays down since he never Controversy is nothing new in rap, or more believe that the original purpose and meaning The problem with the hip hop scene in Hong looks at skin color. “Ya see, I was always just doing specifically, hip hop. From the very beginning, of hip hop – promoting unity and giving the Kong is similar to the credibility problem hip hop my thing,” he says, becoming serious. “I never some people have loved it. And some people have underprivileged a voice – have been forgotten. faced after it spread across mainstream America – thought about myself being Chinese or that most hated it. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when hip hop made was it really unique anymore? Had it simply been rappers were black. I didn’t care about all that.” “Let me tell you the story of love and hate,” its way to Hong Kong. Elements of rap could be co-opted for commercial reasons? To some, the Despite his American roots, Jin has always says Radio Raheem, a tall, bulky black man who found in group 軟硬天師 (Softhard)’s idea of hip hop in a well-off city like Hong Kong maintained a connection to Hong Kong. His carries a large boom box radio with rap music music in the early 1990s. But it is widely believed seems like an oxymoron. parents are former Hong Kong natives and blaring out. “It’s a tale of good and evil. Love and that LMF (Lazy Mutha Fucka), an underground Currently, the best known hip hopper in the city is the language of choice at home. Jin hate.” On each hand, Raheem wears gold brass indie group, was the city’s true hip hop pioneer. is arguably the most positive one. Since bursting says he grew up watching TVB serials and idolizes knuckle rings that read “Love” and “Hate.” Although LMF was influential and moderately onto the Hong Kong scene more than a year ago, 周星馳 (Stephen Chow). So when the chance He continues, “One hand is always fighting the successful in the 1990s and early 2000s, they 27-year-old MC Jin – whose real name is 歐陽 came to make a career transition to Hong Kong, other hand, and the left hand is kicking much ass. never broke into the mainstream. 靖 (Jin Au-yeung) – has had a smile on his face he took it. “Thanks to Catch Music Group, I had

muse 瞄 16 17 stories | Hip hop culture 乜都拗

this opportunity to come to Hong Kong and work on my Cantonese album.” Anywhere else in Jin arrived in Hong Kong in 2008 and went straight to work. With his first Cantonese album the world our lyrics ABC released last year and constant appearances on TVB shows and magazines, Jin – sporting a tattoo of his on his neck, pierced would catch on, but in ear, and hip hop swagger – became the face of hip hop in mainstream local culture. Hong kong they don't “I think Jin is a good representation of what hip hop could be in Hong Kong,” says renowned understand local music producer 陳奐仁 (Hanjin Tan), one of the first producers to infuse hip hop elements into Cantopop music – most notably on ’s 2001 hit song 愛是懷疑 (Love Suspicion). “Not only is he a strong performer, but he’s positive – which is different from how rap has been viewed and negatively stereotyped in the past.” Tan makes a good point – the first true hip hop group in Hong Kong, LMF, were considered vulgar and outspoken. Lyrics such as 嘩條姣婆著低胸 衫 但佢D身材就夠哂板 麻煩你整過件衫 唔該你 執執對荷包蛋 (“they say the skank is wearing a lowcut top, but her body is flat like an ironing board, please fix your shirt, and perk up your flat chest”), which combine Cantonese slang and an impressive number that measured up to the sexual innuendo, won them popularity among sales volume of mainstream artists at the time. young fans, but didn’t help them get radio play. “We literally distributed the albums ourselves. We However, core member MC Yan doesn’t think the rented a van and drove around the city with the group was a negative influence. albums,” he says. “We were not trying to be rebels or radical for Yan may be cynical about mainstream culture, the sake of being bad,” explains Yan, whose real but it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t a major part name is 陳廣仁 (Chan Kwong-yan). The 37-year- of bringing hip hop culture to Hong Kong – he old certainly looks and acts like a rebel: long infamously spray-painted graffiti on the Great hair and goatee coupled with the demeanor of a Wall a few years ago, and LMF’s lyrics – mostly hippie. Yan says that hip hop – at its core – is about written by him – are the subject of study at the being a rebel and a radical. “That’s only because Hong Kong Baptist University. the world has so many problems, being radical “Professor Stephen Chu at the university has with our culture helps balance it out.” studied our lyrics because they relate to urban Yan believes that problems in Hong Kong youth,” says Yan. “Our lyrics are different from include materialism, commercialism and lack of the norm. Anywhere else in the world our lyrics musical knowledge. He thought that by rapping would catch on, but in Hong Kong, where most about local culture, knowing one’s identity, and people listen to manufactured bubble-gum crap, appreciating what he believes is “real music,” he they don’t understand.” could enrich the city’s musical tastes and educate Though hip hop is now more prominent – at listeners. least on a recognition level – than ever in the LMF performed a fusion of rap and rock in city, Yan retains his negative view. He’s an underground shows. While their lyrics contained old-school hip hop purist who doesn’t like the many expletives (one of their biggest hits was commercialization of the culture and believes that named 冚家拎 Hum Ga Ling), the songs deal hip hop’s roots should not be forgotten. with social issues, such as living in public housing “Hong Kong is not developed enough culturally and the meaning of being a Chinese. “We weren’t or musically to have a true hip hop culture,” he singing about bubble gum love,” Yan says with a says, pointing to the stacks of Chinese and English roll of his eyes. literature – with subjects ranging from hip hop In 1998, their self-released, independent debut history to pro-democracy movements – that fill a album, called simply LMF, sold 100,000 copies, room in his Fanling flat. “I studied hip hop. How

muse 瞄 18 19 stories | Hip hop culture 乜都拗

people think is hip hop music today in Hong Hong Kong is not Kong isn’t hip hop music, it’s pop music.” LMF disbanded in 2003, but two members, Kit and developed enough Phat, went on to form 24 Herbs. Others agree with Yan. “As a hip hop purist culturally or myself, I must say the supposed hip hop scene in Hong Kong never amounted to much,” says the webmaster of popular blog hongkonghustle.com, musically to have a who would only identify himself as Nat. Originally a DJ from New York who has worked with famous true hip hop culture hip hop acts such as A Tribe Called Quest and Wu Tang Clan, Nat believes Hong Kong is a tough place for niche cultures to grow due to the lack of space. “In New York or even in China, I could find bars or lounges that play music that’s different from the norm. But in Hong Kong, it’s hard for a venue to do that because rent is so expensive – they must conform and play what’s popular. They can’t take the risk of trying something different.”

or 28-year-old 馬正遠 (Jaeson Ma), hip hop goes far beyond entertainment. Growing up in San FJose, California, Ma’s life resembled the lyrical content of 1990s gangster rap. “I came from a broken home, hung around the streets and wanted respect,” he says. “I got involved with some very bad things.” The bad things included joining a gang, dealing drugs and theft. At age 16, Ma was making a living dealing drugs and doing inventory work at a clothing store. “I worked at a store that sold Armani suits, I started stealing them and selling them on the side,” Ma many people in this city actually study it?” says with regret today. “Even though I was making Although LMF landed a record contract with money and supposedly living the life, I felt empty. Warner Music in 2001, Yan says the group started At the time I didn’t know why yet.” a sub-label because it didn’t want the Warner Ma’s life would change forever one afternoon name associated with LMF’s controversial – when he arrived home to see police cars parked and different – music. “This city isn’t educated outside. His scam had been discovered and Ma enough on music. Just look at the music industry was a prime suspect. Ma turned to his mother, a – they promote idols, not music. Everything is devout Christian, and asked for advice. “I asked manufactured and put out like canned food.” her what would Jesus do in my situation and she Hong Kong’s idol-driven music industry, where told me Jesus would turn himself in,” he says. looks matter more than musical talent, has been “I didn’t say anything but I felt the conviction of the target of criticism by most indie acts in Hong God hit me then. I told my mother ‘even if I get Kong, be they rock or rap. But while many have arrested, I’m going to get my act together and accepted that this is the way the mainstream return to God.’” music scene will always be, Yan is venomous. “I Ma turned himself in to the police and hope the Hong Kong music scene dies,” he says. cooperated. After six months and several trials, “Then all that crap can go away and we’ll have the judge – impressed by his honesty and change only indie movements.” of heart – spared him jail time. “I knew then I had Even though he was once part of one, Yan to turn to God,” he says excitedly. doesn’t have much faith in underground indie He joined a church made up of fellow street movements. He says the LMF phenomenon lasted kids, and together they used hip hop as a form as long as it could but eventually fizzled because of expression. “We did bible studies in rap and the hip hop scene was too weak locally. “What freestyle, it turned into a hip hop church,” he says.

muse 瞄 20 21 stories | Hip hop culture 乜都拗

最好的饒舌音樂未必憤怒，卻肯定勇 敢─勇於詰問制度的不公義和不合 理，也勇於挑戰社會施加於他們身上 的壓迫和剝削

The main reason Ma hadn’t previously followed We all need to be thankful for life. his mother’s faith was because he thought church Whether life has been good or hard. was boring – a bunch of rules and restrictions. Know that every life is worth living. He realized that kids may not like to listen to a traditional sermon, but that if it was done in hip With Jin rapping in Cantonese and Ma cutting hop form they might accept it more readily. “I in with English verses, the two felt the song could decided to go to bible college to become a pastor.” really reach the masses because of the appeal of For the past five years, Ma has dedicated his hip hop music. life to serving his faith, even making regular “Hip hop didn’t start out with violence and trips to Hong Kong as part of a “Campus Revival gangs, it was originally about love, faith and Program.” but about a year and half ago, Ma had hope,” says Ma. “I think the another life-changing experience. “I dreamt one scene right now is on the fringe. The key is for night I had a calling. It was a calling for me to Hong Kongers to understand hip hop the way it return to music,” Ma says. “I think music is the relates to Hong Kong.” language of our culture. It influences the way Ma feels that positivity is key to hip hop. It’s people talk and behave. I felt that God wanted me why he believes MC Jin’s positivity is a good thing, to return to music, so I made a demo tape, which although he also understands why hip hop can was .” sometimes be so negative. “Commercialism made Ma’s “hip hop pastor” image has prompted hip hop negative,” he says. “I think that’s what Hong Kong media, such as Eastweek magazine, to sells. But we must not fall into temptation and dub him「潮爆」牧師 (trendy/hip pastor). His music shouldn’t be this way.” involvement with 陳冠希 (Edison Chen) in 2008 周紀雋 (Kevin Chau), 27, better known as only boosted that view. MC Goldmountain, is a rapper and beat maker for In February of 2008, Ma met pop star Edison Union 852, a group dedicated to making urban Chen through a mutual friend. Chen was in the music in Hong Kong. At his studio in Causeway midst of his infamous sex photo scandal and Ma Bay, computers, mixers, keyboards, touchpad helped the singer “repent his sins and turn to samplers, are placed on one side with Star Wars God.” The media picked up on the story, with action figures and other collectibles on the other. one tabloid publishing photos of Ma dressed in a “This is where the magic happens,” exclaims hip hop style T-shirt and tilted baseball cap and Chau, who in addition to performing at shows with a caption saying: “Ma and Chen have the around the region, produces hip hop beats for same clothing style.” Since Chen has long been Cantopop artists. considered to be heavily influenced by hip hop Having produced beats, composed songs, and (he has released several rap songs), the two have even provided vocals for artists such as 黎明 (Leon increased the trendiness of the hip hop look in Lai), 衞詩 (Jill Vidal) and 古巨基 (Leo Ku), Chau local culture. and the rest of his Union crew realized that in Later in 2008, Ma returned to Hong Kong for order to do what they want, they must in some another mission: to campaign for the release of ways conform. “To be honest, I don’t really like the movie《美麗．人生》(Bella), a romantic Cantopop,” says Chau. “But what I’ve learned is drama with a heavy pro-life theme. As a Christian, that Cantopop is the driving force in this industry. Ma felt the movie contained a message worth Instead of fighting it – go with the flow. That’s the spreading, and as a hip hop lover, he knew the only way you can improve and change it.” perfect way to promote the movie: At the premiere Chau’s dilemma is echoed around the city. of Bella, Ma performed a duet with MC Jin. The “What Jin is doing is cool and all but that’s not song, titled Thank You, contained the lyrics: really hip hop,” says 24 Herb’s Brandon Ho, who believes the use of hip hop symbols on TV and on

muse 瞄 22 23 stories | Hip hop culture 乜都拗

if he has to do it in a restricted manner. Chau, a Hip hop isn't about native English speaker, has been working on his Cantonese raps. “Some say Cantonese is hard to rap in, I say nonsense,” he says. “Each Cantonese race, it's about the word has nine tones of pronunciation – if that’s not a rhymer’s paradise, I don’t know what is.” beat and the soul Despite the contradictory opinions – the positivity and negativity, the love and hate – hip hop has embedded itself in Hong Kong’s culture. The field may be small, and the material may not match the origins of hip hop the way purists billboards are too commercial to be considered believe it should, but for people such as Jaeson Ma true hip hop. “They’re like a Cantopop mutation and MC Jin, Hong Kong’s version of hip hop has of hip hop.” positively impacted people’s lives. Ma believes hip But what about Ho’s own group, 24 Herbs? “I hop has helped him spread his gospel effectively. can’t speak for everyone, but I’m really just trying MC Jin believes that hip hop can bridge the racial to make music that I enjoy without trying too hard and class divides. to fit into a specific mold so it can be marketed,” Purists such as MC Yan and Nat will never he says. accept what is happening in the city as real hip The extent of 24 Herb’s success is debatable. hop. Yan does believe in – just not They’re well known enough to be a household in Hong Kong. “The Mainland’s hip hop scene can name, but their album sales can’t match those of work, you know why?” he asks, his eyes widening. Cantopop artists like 謝安琪 (Kay Tse) or 麥浚龍 “It’s because capitalism just started in China, (Juno Mak). But attend any party sponsored by they’re just starting to break free and be liberated. Hong Kong social website Alivenotdead.com or What they’re facing up there is like what black walk around the streets of Mong Kok and you’re people faced in the 1970s in the US. A cultural bound to see plenty 24 Herbs trucker caps. movement is waiting to happen!” Ho, who got into hip hop as a teen growing up But back in Hong Kong, where momentum in Montreal, was initially intrigued by the “cool” for cultural change is not as strong, Ho thinks aspect of the culture. “I remember seeing Run people just want to have fun. “I think people like DMC, all three guys had matching black jumpsuits our music because we don’t take ourselves too and white Adidas sneakers, that was so cool,” he seriously. You can nod your head to our music.” says. “Everyone really just wants to be cool.” Ho adds: “Hip hop can be anything – you can Ho adds though that as he studied the music he have two guys standing in a park doing a freestyle realized that hip hop is a lifestyle and a culture. flow and that’s hip hop. You can have a guy sitting He was so consumed by it that when he came to home nodding his head to a beat and that’s hip Hong Kong in 1997, he immediately wanted to hop. It shouldn’t be about this and that. In the be a part of it. “There were really only two music end it’s about expressing yourself. It’s about damn scenes in 1997. There was mainstream Cantopop time we had that in Hong Kong.” and a tiny indie rock scene.” So Ho started making beats on his own. Of course, he ran into skeptics. “People asked me, ‘Why are you making black music?’ And I’d just roll my eyes at them for being ignorant. Hip hop isn’t about race, it’s about the beat and the soul.” Ho says 陳子聰 (Conroy Chan), now a member of 24 Herbs and one of Ghost Style’s bandmates, approached him with the idea of forming 24 Herbs: “At the time, LMF had been gone for a couple of years and there was nothing around, so I figured the time was ripe. Right now, we’re at a point where we can make a living, but we want to get bigger.” Ben Sin is a freelance features writer with a strong passion - some say obsession - for sports, movies, Kevin Chau of Union 852 claims he doesn’t and music . . . generally in that order. He writes have dreams of getting bigger. He just wants to about film and music forMuse and the South China do what he enjoys – create hip hop music . . . even Morning Post, and blogs about music at http://www. alivenotdead.com/bensin. muse 24