Asian American Identity in Hip Hop
Oxford Dictionary defines “identity” as “ the fact of being who or what a
person or thing is.” Merriam-Webster defines “identity” as “the qualities,
beliefs, etc. that make a particular person or group different from others.” I
can buy into both of these definitions; however, I feel that at times, these
are two very different ideas. Oxford has a very ambiguous, open-ended
definition and Merriam-Webster goes a little deeper in the soil. Although, I
feel that regardless of where you came from, who you came from, where you’re
going or who you’re going there with, the only thing that defines a person’s
identity is: themselves. We are each granted the ability to embody whatever
identity we feel is our own; too often is race, ethnicity, culture and origin
synonymously categorized with identity- not denying that those characteristics
may contribute to a person’s identity; nevertheless, they should not be the
basis of defining a person. Oliver Wang discusses the Asian American struggle
to find their identity in Hip Hop culture as being neither ebony nor ivory;
Asians and Asian Americans fell in between the cracks. Breaking stereotypes is
a continuous longstanding battle, is there room in Hip-Hop for the various
ethnicities? Is Hip-Hop solely reserved for the African American with a “Fuck
You” gangsta attitude, baby mama drama, coming from no money and a bad home?
The answer appears to be obvious, “No, it’s 2014 we’re evolved,” but are we?
Wang discusses how Asian Americans rappers attempted to break into the
Hip Hop culture by proclaiming their ethnicity in their rhymes and ultimately
utilizing rap as a tool “to stir up
controversy and talk about important issues,” deeply inspired by Public Enemy. Davis
Yee (“D-Yee”) notes that Asian Americans were considered “invisible” in the rap
community, slowly many others like him rose to the occasion with a hunger of
creating controversy and political agitation. Wang illustrates how these Asian
American rap groups mainly preached political controversy, identity politics
i.e. isolation and displacement of Asian Americans in American society.
Therefore, confining themselves to circulating music with essentially only the
Asian American community, not reaching out to other ethnicities and ironically,
perpetuating their isolation from the hip hop culture and music scene.
One of the most prominent Asian American rap groups, The Mountain
Brothers, is especially noted in Wang’s article regarding their break from
identity politics and shift into “a different kind of identity allegiance: as
hip hop artists” (Wang 209). Wang notes that other artists like The Mountain
Brothers in the mid-1990’s also began to make this transition in identity did
not suppress their Asian American identity, they simply did not “highlight” on
it. Chris Wang, of The Mountain Brothers, comments that their music is meant
for people who “can understand, comprehend and enjoy the level of complexity
and creativity involved in our lyrics and music” (Wang 208). It was this shift
from emphasis and passion for identity politics to aesthetics of hip hop music
that ultimately broke Asian American hip-hop into the hip hop culture. When
these rap groups dropped the identity politics in their music, it broadened
their fan base and opened the doors to mainstream success. When it became about
the music, and not so much focused on the outcasted Asian Americans in hip hop
culture, is when hip-hop culture welcomed them in.
One could argue that by no longer “highlighting” on their Asian American
ethnicity in their music, they are abandoning their roots- therefore, NOT
finding Asian Americans a foothold in hip-hop culture. Evidence suggests, by suppressing
their ethnicity in their music, it opened their music up to the public and hip-hop
community, not solely the Asian public. As Wang mentions The Mountain Brothers
new identity allegiance as hip-hop artists, I can’t help but agree. When Asian
American rappers shifted their focus on their music and talent, their ethnicity
didn’t matter anymore. Good music is good music, regardless of who’s making it.
The true hip-hop heads were their main demographic, only proving that once they
got down to their passion for the hip-hop aesthetic, they were able to find the
identity they were so yearning for. Ironic, isn’t it? Instead of proclaiming
their identity by their origin and ethnicity, all they needed to do was
proclaim and exemplify their qualities and beliefs that make them different
from everyone else, just like Merriam-Webster put it.
No comments:
Post a Comment