From underground rap battles to prime-time television to a fall from grace, rap music and rap culture in China has come a long way. Beginning in the 1990s, the imported cassette tapes that made it through customs unscathed by officials went on to inspire a generation. This episode features commentary from our host, Clay, as well as rapper Bohan Phoenix and journalist Lauren Teixeira. They discuss the history and origins of rap music in the country and its entangled cultural inheritance in China, a timeline of how and where it was disseminated, why the government has shunned this type of music, and more.
This episode of Strangers in China was produced by Alec Pinero, and edited by Clay Baldo.
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