Hip Hopping Across Shanghai

Sometimes I have great sympathy for the parts of my body that I overwork. Today's pity award goes to my eyes. Despite their drooping and slight reddish color, I can't let them retire for the evening just yet. Nah. There's too much work to be done. I've been working tirelessly, scouring the internet and academic journals to get data for my investigation on Chinese hip-hop. My quest to uncover the reality behind this emerging Chinese phenomenon is officially underway.

The focus of this study is on foreign participation in local Shanghainese hip-hop. The development of hip-hop identity and visibility is in it's early stages in Shanghai. Compared to places like Korea, Chinese hip-hop has quite a way to go to reach substantial recognition in society. Many foreigners have come to China (for various reasons) to function as "hip-hop ambassadors" of sorts, supporting and promoting the transformation of local hip-hop into a viable and respectable art form in the eyes of the Chinese public.

Today was a productive day in that I had the honor of speaking with the gracious MC Mojo from the explosive Shanghai-based, multicultural hip-hop group, Redstar. Mojo is a fluent Chinese-speaking, African-American MC with roots in Brooklyn, NY (go Brooklyn!). I was also pleasantly greeted with an extra surprise today, Mojo's wife Zoe. Zoe was more than happy to input her 2 cents into the interview; her ideas were well-received. She even offered to babysit Amira for me. hehehe Thanks Mojo and Zoe.

I want to go into more depth about hip-hop in China, and I'm sure there's plenty of room in the blog for my rambling on the matter. But for now, I'll need to go and attend to the multiple parts of my body that are pleading for rest and relief from a truly tiresome yet fulfilling day.

Tomorrow Amira and I are heading way off to the outskirts of Shanghai (Hangzhou) for a much needed escape from the big city. Hip hop is following me to Hangzhou too as I've been invited to another event tomorrow. Or maybe I'm following it? Either way, it's cool.

PEACE