Nation's fading tongues find voice in rap revival

Listen to the fans

By 2017, rap music had burst onto the cultural scene in China, as the viral reality TV show The Rap of China thrust the musical genre into the nation's mainstream pop culture. Clips from the show attracted a staggering 3 billion online views.

Its sequel and similar rap shows have kept the scene flourishing, producing a growing number of rap stars, enthusiasts and fans.

The New Music Industry Observer placed the album Everybody loves hip-hop, released under the label Mintone Records, in second place on its all-time chart.

Mainly performed in Sichuan and Yunnan dialects, the album was co-created by rapper Xia Zhiyu and musician Jin Yuhan, or Dizkar. Other rap parts in the dialects of Beijing, Cantonese, Guizhou and Tibetan language are featured on the recording.

Xia, 37, said he used to lack confidence in speaking the dialect of his birthplace — Baolun town, Guangyuan, Sichuan province. Now living in Sichuan's Chengdu, Xia often reflects his life experiences in his works.

His previous album Young Fresh Chin II, released in 2023, is highly acclaimed for stories based on his past, that reflect challenging times and a youth's personal growth.

"My hometown is located at the junction of three provinces, with gold and coal mines. There is a large floating population and many hard life stories amid the chaos. They gave me inspiration to create, and I hope to shed light on them," said Xia.

For 32-year-old Jin, Kunming's pleasant weather, slow pace of life and locals' philosophy of "going with the flow of nature" are reflected in his free and inclusive music.

"If it were 15 or 10 years ago, I might be worried if dialect rap songs can connect with others. But now, we can hear fans rap with us in shows across the nation. We are creating our own hip-hop," said Jin.