What is "Shanghai Rap"?
As the term implies, it means to rap in the Shanghai dialect, which is "in" among young people in town nowadays. Sounds interesting, huh? "Compared with Mandarin, I think Shanghai dialect is more suitable to be adapted to rap," says Robin, 27, whose real name is Shi Lifeng and who works in the automotive industry.
"There is a variety in terms of tones and rhythms in Shanghai dialect. It is also very 'soft,' making it easier to be adapted to fit the music."
Robin is the leader of "Poom Poom," a dynamic local hip-hop and rap band. He and his fellow singers are considered to be the pioneers of the Shanghai Rap scene. Recently they have signed with an international music company and their first album -- a collection of their previous works and those of three other local rap bands -- is to be released sometime next month.
"We are too lucky," he says proudly, with a smile. When Robin and band members, Pimp Q (Pan Qi), TanGKing (Tang Jun) and A-Ken (Zhang Junwei), formed "Poom Poom'' in 2003, they never imagined they would "go so far, so quick.''
"It's like a dream,'' says A-Ken, the only girl in the band. "I still remember last year we have made three wishes for the band. The first was to get more performance experience, the second was to appear on TV and the third was to sign with a music company. "In less than one year, all the dreams came true.''
Born in 1978, Robin is always regarded as an "old man'' by the other three, who are still students (the youngest, TanGKing, was born in 1986). In one year and a half, the four hip-hop lovers have created nearly 20 rap songs in Shanghai dialect and have already developed a loyal fan base. "At first we simply recorded songs at home and then sent them over to the Internet,'' Robin recalls.
"To our surprise, almost every song was very well received. That gives us the confidence and motivity to continue the work.''
In his opinion, the reason why their music is liked so much is that they are always trying to portray "true life.'' "Our inspirations all come from life,'' he says. "For example, our first song, Hui Jia Zhong Tian (Go Back Home to Be a Peasant) complains about those 'stars' who have pretty faces only but can't sing at all.
However, when such so-called singers give a concert, so many people spend more than 1,000 yuan (US$120) on a ticket. We felt it is ridiculous and thus created the song.'' Their topics also cover relationship, music, money, house, car, and even, football games in China.
"The audiences always laugh when they listen to our songs because what we have written are things they are familiar with, things that always happen in their lives,'' Robin says.
"There are people who consider rap as low level because they think rap relates to nothing but sex, violence and dirty words -- which is definitely wrong. There are also people who listen to rap but are only interested in the dirty words. "We want these people to carefully listen to our music and pay more attention to the contents. There is always 'soul' in rap.''
These young people are quite optimistic about the market response to their new album. They believe it will sell well. "There are millions of people in Shanghai and in nearby Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces where people speak sdialects imilar to ours,'' says TanGKing.
"Anyway we don't care about how much money we will make from the CD but we do care how many people will listen to our songs.'' Chen Leiqing, the founder of ShanghaiNing.mom, a local Website established to boost the culture of the younger generation in the city, said that Poom Poom's success is not due to luck and he sees a bright future for the quartet.
Two years ago, Chen has already discovered the huge potential of Shanghai Rap and he soon set up a forum on his Website to popularize the unique musical form.
Today in the city, it is said that some people are worried about the future of Shanghai dialect as school students are required to speak Mandarin. The declining use of Shanghai dialect has meant some young Shanghainese are not able to speak Shanghai dialect well.
"However, if you check the Website and you will find such worries are unnecessary. Young people are eager to express themselves in Shanghai dialect. All the words and expressions on our Website are written in Shanghai dialect,'' Chen says.
The 28-year-old Shanghai native emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 11. In July 2003, feeling bored by his life of a Silicon Valley engineer, he set up "ShanghaiNing,'' meaning ``Shanghai native'' in Shanghai dialect, just for fun.
"When I was in the States, I used to chat online with my friends here in Shanghai. I found they preferred to type Shanghai dialect while chatting instead of Mandarin. That inspired me a lot,'' he says. "Gradually I have also learned how to type Shanghai dialect and one day, bang, the idea of establishing a Website in Shanghai dialect came to me.''
Today, Chen devotes most of his time and energy on the Website, in Shanghai. He says the Website already has 65,000 registered members. The number of unregistered browsers is even greater. Alongside "Dia Nu Nu'' (Cute Baby Girl), a beauty contest for members, Shanghai Rap is perhaps the hottest forum on "ShanghaiNing.''
"Young people like these songs. They think it's cool that people can sing a song in a dialect,'' he explains.
"Responses come quickly every time when we put on a new song, which greatly impressed us.'' With all this encouragement, Chen started to organize hip-hop parties in local bars and he has invited singers to perform at the parties for Website members.
The feedback was wonderful. Last summer's "Shanghai Hip-hop'' party in the Fusion Club proved to be a great success with nearly 700 people attending. It was at that party that "Poom Poom'' and some other bands caught the attention of a world famous recording company which later signed a contract with them.
Chen says the second hip-hop party of large scale is currently under preparation, which is about to launch this summer. "We have already invited many established local rap bands to the party, such as 'Poom Poom','' he says. "Meanwhile, we are looking forward to seeing more and more new talent.''
Chen spares no effort in helping promote young amateur rap lovers. On "ShanghaiNing,'' people always find new works of unknown singers and bands shown conspicuously.
The latest update on the Website, "Shanghai Bus,'' is by
"Mosaic,'' made up of Redaddend (Hong Jiacheng), Boooo (Wang Lou) and Answer (Xu Duo), three 18-year-old students. The band was set up only one month ago after Redaddend's birthday. The first song, 4.20 Redaddend is written and sung by Redaddend as an 18th birthday present to himself.
"If only you listen to our songs, you will soon find the differences,'' says Redaddend, eagerly. "We have added more Western music elements to our songs but they are by no means imitations of Western artists. We have our own ideas and we use our own language. "The lyrics always come to me in a sudden so I simply grab them,'' he says.
"It's all about inspiration. It's all about nature.'' The three schoolmates often practice at one of their places. They also listen to music together. Their idol is, undoubtedly, Eminem. "Eminem's 8 Miles made a great impact on me, '' Redaddend recalls.
"He is so cool in the movie. After watching the movie I started to collect his albums as many as possible, and then those of other famous hip-hop artists such as G-Unit, Chingy and Jan Rule. We listen to their music on and on and are super entranced with it.''
It took him only 10 days from writing to recording his first song. He spent two and a half hours in a professional recording studio and finished the song all by himself at a cost of 500 yuan. "Actually we have already written another two songs but we are in lack of money to go to the recording studio again,'' Boooo says.
"Our pocket money is far from being enough.''
"Although we're not making singing rap as a means of living, we really wish there will be people help us in offering more performing opportunities so that we can earn money to continue our work,'' Answer adds.
"We have so many ideas in our mind that we really want to realize them.''
Redaddend says: "We are willing to devote our lives to this music only because we do love rap. It's not like following the fashion or something like that. "Even if one day, there were only three of us in the world, we would still love the music and we would still rap'' -- and in Shanghai dialect -- of course.
(Shanghai Daily June 15, 2005)
