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This is a fascinating piece by @violazhouyi: Why China’s hip-hop stars are staying silent on Black Lives Matter. (h/t @suilee) https://www.inkstonenews.com/arts/why-chinas-hip-hop-stars-are-staying-silent-black-lives-matter/article/3089730
I’m still trying to get my head around this part. A *Chinese hip-hop group* makes a song called “I Can’t Breathe” to ... own American supporters of the Hong Kong protest movement?
Too many good quotes to share, but this one from Beijing-based rapper Sun Bayi is especially illustrative of how in China, a Black art form originally aimed at challenging the status quo has instead become a tool for reinforcing it.
The transformation of hip hop into something “non-historical” in China is an act that erases Black people and Black history, pure and simple. Wish there were more reflection among Chinese rappers — who actively profit from this erasure — on the role they’re playing here.
Also interesting how in China, the few hip-hop artists voicing support for Black Lives Matter are the lesser-known ones, as @violazhouyi writes. Meanwhile, in South Korea, even wildly successful K-pop groups like BTS are showing support for the movement against anti-Black racism.
For more on how K-pop groups and their fans have mobilized around Black Lives Matter, read this great piece by @hyunsuinseoul: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/11/surprised-seeing-k-pop-fans-stand-up-black-lives-matter-you-shouldnt-be/
