Video: Hong Kong Slam Jam with MC Yan
It's not an exaggeration to say that MC Yan is the godfather of Chinese hip hop. When he returned to Hong Kong in the early 1990s, after living for seven years in Paris, he became one of the first people to rap in Cantonese, taking advantage of the language's natural richness and capacity for wordplay.
In 1993, he joined LMF, a group of musicians and MCs whose hard-edged lyrics excoriated Hong Kong's government and raised questions about the city's post-colonial identity. In 1998, LMF released its first album, which went on to sell more than 100,000 copies, a rare feat in a music industry dominated by major-label Cantopop idols.
After LMF disbanded in 2003, MC Yan followed his own path, working on conceptual art projects and music in his studio near Sha Tau Kok. He's still deeply involved in Hong Kong's fledgling hip hop scene, collaborating with underground MCs like Ghost Style. Mainstream hip hop groups like FAMA give MC Yan and LMF credit for inspiring them.
MC Yan is also behind Hong Kong's first internet radio, Radio Dada, clothing line Ning Si Bu Qu, and the world's furthest grafitti tag.
Find out more about LMF and their reunion tour at What's that sound? LMF.
CNNGo Comment Policy: CNN encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. All comments should be relevant to the topic and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. You are solely responsible for your own comments, the consequences of posting those comments, and the consequences of any reliance by you on the comments of others. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying and other information you provide via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNNGo Privacy Statement.
Comments are moderated by CNNGo, in accordance with the CNNGo Comment Policy above, and may not appear on this blog until they have been reviewed and deemed appropriate for posting. Also, due to the volume of comments we receive, not all comments will be posted.
Listings
- Drink / Chill
CentralPrice $$Joyce is not here: For the frustrated artistCharming neighborhood hangout for the artistically inclined...more - Shop
CentralPrice $$$Eu Yan Sang: Doctor doctorTraditional apothecary, updated...more - Play / culture
KowloonPrice $$$$Martha Sherpa's Cooking School: Serious amateurs onlyCooking classes that are not for your average culinary tourist...more












User Comments and Reviews
What do you think?
Leave a comment or submit a review. You have to be logged in to comment.