Hip-Hop


 * HIP-HOP IN ASIAN AMERICA **
 * []**

//The Asian American presence in Hip-Hop is an emerging presence fueled by MCs, DJs, Producers and Dancers. Although some artists have found mainstream success and have paved the way for other Asian American artists, most Asian American hip-hop artists are not highly visible. //

 Asian American will be defined, but not necessarily limited to Americans of Asian descent, inclusive of South, East, and Southeast Asian. This definition will also include multiracial people of Asian descent such as Nicki Minaj who is African and Indo-Trinidadian descent and Apl de ap who is of Pilipino and African American descent.

 *Please note that many of the artists mentioned such as Chops of Mountain Brothers can be represented in multiple categories.

 The genre of hip-hop has given a voice to other minority groups such as African-Americans and Latinos which was founded and situated culturally by people of these groups. With the exception of Jin, Nicki Minaj, Apl de ap and South Star very few Asian American MCs have found mainstream success. The lack of visibility of Asian American MCs can be seen as one of the major flaws of the music industry. The majority of Asian American MCs remain underground or behind the scenes.
 * MCs **

 Many of the Asian American MCs (while definitely not all) use hip-hop to express their racial, ethnic and cultural identities, but at the same time this racial identity as Asian American can be the focus of the media. Being one of the pioneers, if not the first successful mainstream Asian American MC, Jin had to deal with the focus on his race, in almost every interview his race is discussed. This is something he has had to grapple with. Apl de ap of the Black Eyed Peas uses “The APL song” and “Bebot” as a positive vehicle to explore his Filipino identity in songs that have become consumable for mainstream audiences. In fact, "the APL Song" has over one million YouTube views. Some artists like Jin in “Same Cry” also use these genres to align themselves with other minority groups in a way to create cross racial solidarity. Jin [|[http://www.sing365.com/music/Image.nsf/Jin-photo/C92A242B03E474EC48256ED00013DD43]] > South Star ( formerly of Smilez and South Star)- “Tell Me” []
 * Jin- “Same Cry” []
 * Nicki Minaj- “Massive Attack” []
 * Apl de ap ( of the Black Eyed Peas)- “The APL Song” []
 * Mila J
 * Bambu
 * Roscoe Umali
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Jamez
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Kero One
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Lyrics Born
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Dumbfoundead
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Shin B
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Denizen Kane
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Thai
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Lyrics Born
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Flowsik
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Jamez

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">DJs **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">DJ Qbert- []

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Some Asian Americans are finding more success in behind the scene work as producers rather than MCs which receive more media attention.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">PRODUCERS **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Chops ( of the Mountain Brothers)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Illmind
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Chad Hugo (of the Neptunes)- []

Far East Movement []
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">GROUPS **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Dame Four
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Mountain Brothers- “Galaxies” []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Native Guns
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Far East Movement -“Fetish” []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Asiatic Apostles
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Yellow Peril
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Seoul Brothers
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Magnetic North
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Blue Scholars
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Das Racist

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Hip Hop dance is a type of dance that many Asian Americans participate in and have had a great deal of mainstream success in. Although like hip hop music, hip hop dance has its roots in African-American and Latino culture, Asian Americans have come to have a great deal of success in this genre of dance. It can even be argued that the Asian American mainstream presence in hip hop dance is more visible than that in music. TV shows such as //America’s Best Dance Crew// have not only showcased this type of dance, but highlighted the Asian American presence in a positive way in this genre. The winners from all five seasons of America’s Best Dance Crew have been either entirely Asian American or have featured Asian American crew members.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">DANCE **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Poreotix []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Travis Wong- choreographer for ABDC among other venues

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> __Season Winners in order from season 1__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">JabbaWockeeZ
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Super Cr3w
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Quest Crew
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">We Are Heroes
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Poreotix- []

= = <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">· <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">[] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> · America's Best Dance Crew and Asian American Visibility <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> · [] =<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· America’s Best Dance Crew - <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">[] = <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· America’s Best Dance Crew- <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_Best_Dance_Crew] =<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· Asian-American Rapper Jin Makes Hip-Hop History- NPR = <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> · Deborah Wong, Speak It Louder “Just By Being There: Finding an Asian American Space in Recording Industry” <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> · Nicki Minaj- <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">[] =<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· Oliver Wang Asian Americans and hip-hop [|h][|ttp://asianweek.com/111298/coverstory.html] = <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· Oliver Wang, Rapping and Repping Asian: Race, Authenticity, and the Asian American MC <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> · Oliver Wang, “These are the Breaks” <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> · Rachael Devitt, "Lost in Translation: Filipino Diaspora(s), Postcolonial Hip Hop..."Contentless" Black Eyed Peas" =<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· “Top Ten Greatest Asian American Rappers of All Time” =
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">FURTHER RESOURCES **