Rap’s a very polymorphic music genre. It ranges from raw and minimalist, to well-polished more complex forms, from tunes sung by kids in suburb streets, to ferocious gangsta rap, to songs spit out by young yuppies from downtown. This release is another kind, the very first rap album in Shanghainese. Not only well produced - signed by Sony-BMG after all – it’s also enjoyable at first contact even for those not grasping the subtleties of the Shanghai dialect. Heavy bass, plenty of swear words, cool female vocals and catchy choruses – with odd English bits – Shanghai Rap features an array of talented and young local artists, Bamboo Crew, Blakk Bubble, Pimp Q et al. Heavily influenced by the North-American Mcs (Eminem, DR.Dre, 50cent and the likes), many Shanghai artists copy their styles or sometimes even sample their tunes, yet still manage to deliver sweet, pop-ish rap. It may not be gangsta-style, but its home-style at least.
Sony-BMG
Available at http://shanghaining.com/features/SHrap/


(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue