Rising Sichuanese MC Vava Dishes on the State of Chinese Rap Ahead of Nov 26 Tango Gig

After breaking into the mainstream as one of the participants on the hit reality TV show The Rap of China (中國有嘻哈, zhōngguó yǒu xīhā), Vava is now stepping out on her own, with a new album called 21 and an upcoming tour that will see her perform at Tango on Nov 26.

The timing, of course, couldn't be better for the 21-year-old Sichuan-born MC. After all, Chinese hip-hop is red hot these days, thanks to the popularity of The Rap of China and the breakout success of star MC's like Higher Brothers, who are gaining attention both at home and abroad. This couldn't be a better time to be a burgeoning young rapper in a scene that, until very recently, was pushed to the margins in China. Still, that environment is rife with unique and nuanced challenges for a young MC like Vava, something she tells us more about below ahead of her gig at Tango. 

How did you get into hip-hop in the first place?
I dabbled in pop music before, and then had the opportunity to meet producer Double G in Shenzhen. We messed around in the studio a lot, and I experimented with musical production under his guidance. I think he could see from the outset that I had raw talent and a strong sense of rhythm. So he invited me to Shanghai to join his team, which kickstarted my career in hip-hop.

Each genre of music has its own unique charms. But I think hip-hop afford its artists more freedom, creative space allows us to build our own brands. This suits my personality very well, and several talented producers have been helping me to perfect my style. It's such an invigorating genre to work in because it keeps you hungry. It's so competitive, and it pushes artists to renew themselves and progress constantly.

Tell us about your new album.
Well, I called it 21 because I'm trying to summarize my life up to my current age, which of course is 21, if you hadn't already guessed [laughs]. I want to impart my view of the world, detail my struggles, and more with this new LP. Oh, and one more thing related to the title: the album contains 21 songs.

And what about the production? How do the instrumentals complement your lyrics?
I'm proud to say that my producer, Double G, blended in a lot of interesting elements like Peking Opera and classical pipa playing, along with more contemporary trap rhythms.

What are your plans for the tour, especially the stage setup? Will there be choreographed backup dancers, video backdrops, and a lot of other elaborate elements?
At first, I considered hiring a high-end stage designer. But we'll be performing at pretty basic live houses throughout this tour, and the venues in each city can't really unify or be consistent. So it has been difficult for us to settle on a consistent stage setup, which is a shame. Nevertheless, we will adjust our measures to local conditions at each venue, and work to convey my original vision for the shows as best we can. So I'm confident that the shows will still be great!

I'm very eager for the tour because I want to not only promote my album, but also boost the presence of hip-hop in China. But most of all, I want to give back to the fans and have more interaction with them, because my fans truly are so lovely.

What do you think of the current state of hip-hop in China?
It has certainly gained more international attention, and it has more platforms and more fans. So I'm very optimistic. We have had many happy milestones as rappers in China as of late, and I think the environment and atmosphere will only get better and better, because there's clearly a huge appetite for this music. 

Hip-hop is finally gaining attention here because the scene's elder artists quietly built it up for a long time, and it is now finally ready to burst. China, of course, has had hip-hop for a long time, there just weren't many mainstream platforms for it. But I think many people were charmed by The Rap of China, and it had a big audience. I think this kind of phenomenon isn't perfect, but it at least let you have a new awareness of the genre among the masses now, which is a start that you can build on.

What's it like to be a female rapper in China now? The genre is notorious for having misogynistic elements, in the US at least, but recently female MCs like Nicki Minaj have attained a lot of clout and have really empowered themselves. What do you see happening in China's hip-hop scene in that regard? 
I don't feel that female MC's face that much gender discrimination in China. There are definitely some issues with identity politics, and there is some inherent tension from that. After all, hip-hop's roots are in the African-American community, and now we Chinese MC's are co-opting that style, which can make for potential issues that we all have to be mindful of, when it comes to cultural appropriation and things like that.

And I think it's great that Nicki Minaj can now stand out and be assertive. It's a very inspiring thing for young female MCs like me to see. I think the most important thing for us to do in the Chinese hip-hop community, though, is blend many styles and elements together, and pay homage to those that came before us while also developing styles that are new and our own, instead of just copying what's already been done. After all, we need to develop our own rap pioneers and our own distinctive hip-hop environment.

Vava will perform at Tango on Nov 26 at 7.30pm. Tickets are RMB 300-380, RMB 260-320 (advance). For more information click here or see the poster above.

Photos: Baidu, y.qq.com, juksy