The Rap of China TV Show is a Hit
China’s rap scene has been surging in recent years. The country’s rap capital, Chengdu, boasts an exciting amount of talent, including sensation group the Higher Brothers.
But how do young and aspiring artists make their way into the growing Chinese rap landscape?
One way is through the television show “The Rap of China” (中國有嘻哈).
So, What is the “Rap of China”?
Based in Beijing, the show began airing its first season in June of 2017. The format of which closely resembles the South Korean hit show “Show Me The Money”. It is produced by China’s media powerhouse iQiyi.
Originally headed by producers and famous rappers Kris Wu (oof), Will Pan, MC HotDog, and Chang Chen-yue, the show has seen a considerable amount of success. These big-name stars helped bring in the needed engagement numbers to solidify the show’s spot on the platform.
The show is a platform for musicians to showcase their hip-hop skills via an on-stage performance in front of judges. Upon being approved they will be placed into one of the producers, or judges, teams. They move on each week to perform until one musician is standing.
Throughout the show’s four seasons we have seen over 60 competitors, some of which have stood out from the rest of the crowd. So who are some of the best rappers that you should check out after you finish reading?
Rap of China Standouts
ICE 楊長青
Yang Changqing 楊長青, better known as ICE, is one of the show’s major standouts. He originally found success in the show’s second season in 2018, placing third.
After his appearance on the show, he continued to win the 2018 Musical Festival Most Popular Rapper Award. He was able to continue this success by becoming a hallmark in the Chinese rap scene.
VAVA 娃娃
Hailing from Ya’an, Sichuan, Vava, meaning Doll, appeared on the first season of The Rap of China. Throughout the season she solidified herself as the top woman in Chinese rap when she placed fourth overall.
Afterward, she released her first album “21” in October of 2017. She followed up with TV appearances on “Happy Camp” until the Chinese government blocked many hip-hop artists and people with tattoos from appearing on television.
Since then, she has released two more albums and has remained in the spotlight.
MC HotDog 熱狗
Widely regarded as the “Godfather” of Chinese rap, MC HotDog has had his hands in the rap game for over two decades.
Originally from Taiwan, he has cultivated the hip-hop scene longer than most appearing on the show have been alive. Unlike ICE and Vava, HotDog has been a producer on the show for all of its seasons.
MC HotDog’s history is far too deep to cover in this small portion, so instead, I will be releasing a full dive into his life and career in the next coming weeks. You won’t want to miss it.
Rap of China Season 5 (2022)
The fifth season is coming back after a two-year hiatus for the show. In a special format, The Rap of China Season 5 will host a 24-person All-Stars roster, bringing back fan favorites from previous seasons. The roster, including ICE and Vava, is packed full of amazing talent.
An official release date is yet to be announced, but you can watch clips of the show via the official iQiyi youtube channel, or watch entire episodes on the iQiyi app.
Overall the official hashtag for the Rap of China 5 roster reached above 90 million views on Weibo, a popular Chinese social media app, within two days. If this is any indicator, Season 5 is poised to be a hit yet again.
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