The primary objective of my research is to conduct a comprehensive examination of Hip Hop culture in China. This examination begins by providing essential background information on the history, dissemination, acculturation, internal variations, divergences, and complexity of hip-hop within the Chinese context. This foundational knowledge serves as the basis for further analysis, focusing on Hip Hop in China as both a lived experiential process and a methodological lens for dissecting the discursive modes of communication employed to articulate resistance. The methodology used in this research draws from my two years of immersive experience as a DJ in China (2017–2019), ongoing involvement in the music scene (2019–2023), and formal fieldwork conducted during the summer of 2022. During the initial two stages, I conducted informal interviews, gathered ethnographic data, and began assembling an archive of underground, emerging, and marginalized Chinese Hip Hop works. My research orientation specifically focuses on individuals and groups who often go unnoticed, to highlight on the one hand, their grassroots efforts in diffusing and nurturing Hip Hop culture in China and, on the other hand, the marginalized voices stemming from censorship, limited opportunities, and other societal pressures unique to this context.

During the formal fieldwork phase, I interviewed many Hip Hop musicians and audiences, selecting subjects based on their demographic characteristics and professional backgrounds. These interviewees encompassed a broad spectrum of individuals within the Chinese Hip Hop landscape, ranging from pioneering figures to emerging talents, early-generation rappers to high-school beat-makers, middle-class native Beijingers, and outlanders navigating the city’s corporate world. This comprehensive approach ensured a multifaceted exploration of Hip Hop in the Chinese context. The interviews conducted during the formal fieldwork took various forms, including structured interviews guided by pre-established questions, spontaneous informal interviews that occurred unexpectedly, and interactive interviews characterized by a collaborative probing process between the researcher and the participant. As Carolyn Ellis (2011) describes, interactive interviews involve a joint exploration of issues that naturally arise during conversation, allowing for a deeper understanding of specific topics.

Furthermore, in alignment with the principles of autoethnography, I occasionally employed reflexive, dyadic interviews. These interviews aimed to delve into the meaning-making processes and emotional dynamics that unfolded during the interview. Such interviews were reserved for exceptional situations, notably when sensitive topics prompted emotional responses from either the researcher or the participant.

This documentary holds significant value as an audio-visual accompaniment to my dissertation, offering a vivid portrayal of the people and locations central to my research. The documentary delivers a foundational overview through a careful division of extensive background information into distinct thematic segments. These thematic segments serve as a crucial framework for my written dissertation’s detailed exploration and analysis. The visual medium allows for a dynamic and immersive experience, providing viewers with a tangible sense of the individuals and settings that constitute the focal points of my inquiry. Incorporating a camera into the documentary’s production process yields significant ethnographic data. The contrast between speech captured on camera and off-camera discourse is a valuable source of insights, especially concerning performativity. This dichotomy illuminates the influence of governmental and cultural control on individuals and the consequent hurdles faced by the subaltern function of Hip Hop in China, primarily due to the impact of Chinese political ideology and related policies. Ultimately, these factors constrain free expression and Hip Hop’s potential as a tool for resistance. In this analytical endeavor, my acute awareness of codes, equivocality, and the vernacular, rooted in my role as a complete-member-researcher, offers practical sociolinguistic guidance. This nuanced perspective informs the depth of my written analysis, enabling a comprehensive exploration of the intricate dynamics between official narratives and individual responses and the complex interplay between art, cultural identity, and political agendas within the sociocultural landscape of Chinese Hip Hop.

Reference

Ellis, Carolyn. “Exploring Loss through Autoethnographic Inquiry: Autoethnographic Stories, Co-Constructed Narratives, and Interactive Interviews.” In Perspectives on Loss: A Sourcebook, edited by J. H. Harvey, 49–61. Philadelphia: Brunner/Mazel, 1998.

Meng Ren

A DJ of conscious grooves since 2017, Meng Ren is deeply immersed in the underground music scene in China. After winning the Presser Graduate Music Award during her Ph.D. studies in ethnomusicology at the University of North Texas, she rented a second-hand Panasonic. She headed back home to China, documenting the dreams and struggles of those around her. Meng Ren is a first-time filmmaker, learning the arts from her creative producer, Husain Amer, by doing it all with her heart and soul.