Made in China

That choice proved auspicious. The internationally acclaimed Higher Brothers are, indeed, traveling the world. Saving humanity is on hold, at least for now.

If hip-hop isn’t your music, or you don’t live in China, a quick update: Last year, Higher Brothers – Psy. P, DZknow, Melo and MaSiWei – were named hip-hop artist of the year by NetEase, one of China’s top music-streaming platforms. Since forming in 2016, the subversive quartet has played to sold-out crowds in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and starred in ad campaigns for top brands such as Adidas, Sprite, Guess and Nike. In late February, they released their second album, Five Stars, featuring major Western rappers ScHoolboy Q, J.I.D, Soulja Boy, Denzel Curry and Ski Mask the Slump God (looking forward to hearing the story behind that name).

America got a taste of the Brothers in the spring of 2018, with their Journey to the West mini tour, named after a 16th-century classic Chinese novel. An EP of the same name was released simultaneously. They will be back this year, during a world tour that begins in May. If their popularity does cross over in the West, it will be a first. Despite billions of dollars invested into manufacturing homegrown pop stars, Beijing has failed to export a single popular music act beyond Asia. As one university fan summed up the national enthusiasm (and hope) surrounding the Higher Brothers: “China FTW!”

Listen to the group’s debut album, Black Cab, released in May 2017, and the musical globe shrinks: Chinese pride, WeChat (China’s biggest social media platform) and Mandarin conflate with English words, trap beats and nods to Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky and Migos.

The Richie Souf–produced track “Made in China” was intended specifically to answer the question: Can the Chinese even do rap? The bawdy satire, specifically mocking Western reactions to the Brothers (and featured during the end credits of HBO comedy Silicon Valley last year) proved that, yes, yes they can. “I was so mad. I watch TV shows, and people in America have a lot of things made in China,” says Psy. P. “I used that anger to make a song. The intro [sets it up]. And then, for the rest of the song, I’ll show you how we rap.”

The “Made in China” video, viewed 15 million times to date, was followed by a profile-boosting reaction video that included Migos, Lil Yachty and Playboi Carti. “I don’t think I ever wanted to be Chinese more than this moment,” American rapper Kyle commented, saying of DZknow, “Yo, he’s like the Chinese Biggie.” Rapper Xavier Wulf extolled the quartet’s emphasis on Chinese culture, saying, “That’s what sticks. That’s what makes this s**t amazing.”

The Chinese government is less enthusiastic about the country’s growing hip-hop culture. The West might be embracing Chinese artists of all stripes (such as Ai Weiwei, actress Fan Bingbing, designer Chen Peng, rapper Awkwafina and everyone else in the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians), but at home many of them face oppressive censorship, and particularly homegrown rappers; the pressure to appease Beijing is intense. In January 2018, China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television banned hip-hop culture and anyone with visible tattoos from media. According to Chinese news outlet Sina, regulators now “specifically require that programs should not [depict] hip-hop culture, subculture and dispirited culture” in a bid to crack down on “low-taste content.”

So how do artists in a genre that promotes authenticity above all else survive government scrutiny? Some better than others. While Chinese rappers PG One and GAI have been sanctioned, the Higher Brothers – despite subversive lyrics and a “scumbro” aesthetic – have avoided censure. One popular theory: Their material unintentionally supports Communist Party propaganda. But there isn’t much evidence to support that.

Still, the Higher Brothers are deft at keeping it inoffensively real. They aren’t, for example, interested in tweaking Beijing over its control of the press. When talking to a Western reporter, they stick to enthusiastic generalities. American audiences, says Melo, might not understand Chinese, “but they are all different colors and backgrounds. They bring their energy and their feel to the live performances.” Maybe they should run for office?

[SŁOWNICZEK]

in search of a tag – w poszukiwaniu nazwy

ensuing series – późniejszy serial

auspicious – pomyślny

internationally acclaimed – uznany na całym świecie

on hold – wstrzymane

subversive quartet – wywrotowy/buntowniczy kwartet

featuring – z gościnnym udziałem

release simultaneously – wydać w tym samym czasie

conflate – mieszać się

trap beats – beaty typowe dla muzyki trap

nod – tutaj: hołd lub nawiązanie do twórczości innego artysty

bawdy satire – rubaszna/wulgarna satyra

mock – wyśmiewać

extoll – wychwalać

embrace – tutaj: akceptować

appease – przypodobać się

dispirited culture – ponura kultura

in a bid to crack down on sth – z zamiarem ograniczenia

genre – gatunek

government scrutiny – kontrola ze strony rządu

“scumbro” aesthetic – styl „scumbro” (niechlujne noszenie niespójnej, niekiedy bardzo drogiej odzieży)

enthusiastic generalities – entuzjastyczne ogólniki

Task 1 (Poziom B2)

Listen to the recording and answer the following questions:

1. Where did the four Chinese rappers get the name of their band from, and why did they choose it?

2. How popular are the Higher Brothers in China and overseas?

3. In response to what did the band produce the track “Made in China”?

4. In what way would the band’s success in the West be a first for China?

5. What repressive measures were used against hip-hop culture in 2018 in China?

6. How do the Higher Brothers deal with government scrutiny?

Task 2

Watch the video and answer the following questions:

1. Where does the band work?

2. How do the Higher Brothers promote their music?

3. How do they cope with the YouTube ban in China?

4. Which country are the Higher Brothers most popular in?

5. How did Sean Miyashiro get hooked up with the band?

6. What are Sean and the Higher Brothers trying to change?

Task 3

Describe the issue presented in the article. Use the expressions listed below. They will help you give structure to the text analysis.

Key words:

hip-hop

the Higher Brothers

Made in China

censorship

Collocations with positive meaning:

massively popular

internationally acclaimed

national enthusiasm

enthusiastic generalities

Collocations with negative meaning:

subversive quartet

bawdy satire

oppressive censorship

low-taste content

Action verb phrases:

avoid censorship

cross over in the West

embrace Chinese artists

promote authenticity

survive government scrutiny

Record your text analysis on a voice recorder or practice delivering your presentation in a group setting.

Examples:

On a humid day in 2016, four rappers…

One of them noticed…

They got inspired to write a song…

They wanted to become as famous as…

Task 4

Translate the sentences below using the suggested word or phrase. (See Key)

(named) W ubiegłym roku Higher Brothers zostali uznani za hiphopowego artystę roku przez NetEase, jedną z najlepszych muzycznych platform streamingowych w Chinach.

(got) Ameryka posmakowała Braci wiosną 2018 roku.

(begins) Wrócą w tym roku podczas światowej trasy, która rozpoczyna się w maju.

(cross over) Jeśli ich popularność wzrośnie na Zachodzie, będzie to coś nowego.

(manufacturing … export) Pomimo miliardów dolarów zainwestowanych w stworzenie rodzimych gwiazd popu nie udało się Pekinowi wyeksportować choćby jednego popularnego przedsięwzięcia muzycznego poza Azję.

You can use your translations in your presentation of the topic (in Task 6).

Task 5

Continue the translation using the suggested word or phrase. Remember: It’s not about translating these sentences perfectly – there are a number of possible ways to translate each sentence. This task aims to teach you TO THINK IN ENGLISH. By working on your translation of a sentence, you can change it to get closer to the sense of the original (see Key).

„Made in China” miało na celu odpowiedzieć na pytanie: czy Chińczycy even potrafią rapować?

Sprośna satyra, specifically kpiąca z zachodnich reakcji na Braci, udowodniła, że yes, yes they can.

„Nie sądzę, żebym kiedykolwiek chciał być Chińczykiem bardziej niż w tej chwili” – commented amerykański raper Kyle.

Chiński rząd jest mniej entuzjastycznie nastawiony about the country’s growing kultury hiphopowej.

Wielu chińskich artystów stoi w obliczu opresyjnej cenzury, a w szczególności homegrown rappers; presja to appease Pekinu jest silna.

You can use your translations in your presentation of the topic (in Task 6).

Task 6

Now it’s time to put forward your views on the issues. Record your speech on a voice recorder or practice presenting your opinion in a group setting. Consider the issues raised in the text from these viewpoints:

Cultural: The Higher Brothers

Chinese people do rap and…

They even want to cross over to America…

Artistic: Hip-hop

These are the artists in a genre that promotes

authenticity…

They tend to talk about…

Political: Censorship

Unfortunately, the Chinese government is trying to…

The officials call hip-hop „low-taste content” and want to…