"Chinese Beats" and "Learn Chinese"

According to Oliver Wang’s article “Rapping and Repping Asian,” Jin has been called “the Golden Child” perhaps largely due to his success and exposure in the hip hop world. Since hip hop is an industry that has closer ties with the African American community, both Jin and other rappers such as Eminem have had a more difficult time being accepted. One reason for their success, according to Wang, is that “both played up their racial difference as a way to disarm potential critics.”

Listening to Jin’s tracks “Chinese Beats” and “Learn Chinese,” both tracks display the fact that he is Chinese very openly and address and attack some of the prejudices against being Chinese. In “Chinese Beats,” Jin displays his power and influence since the track is mainly about how he does not approve of the beats or material that he is presented with. Unlike the stereotypical images of the Asian male, Jin really asserts himself in this song and voices his opinions. By doing so, he portrays an image that is the opposite of the passive, demasculinized Asian male.

In “Learn Chinese,” Jin does add certain “Asian” elements within the music. The rhythm of this song is especially interesting. They seem to be syncopated, which is a common expectation of Eastern Music that is not necessarily true. However, in closer examination, the beats are not actually syncopated, it just sounds that way. The issue is in the 3rd beat as the rhythm goes 1, 2, 3+, 4. At times the 3rd beat is de-emphasized by using a quieter percussion instrument or left out all together. Other times, the 3rd beat is emphasized with a louder instrument. This unexpected twist creates an illusion that the beats are syncopated when they are actually fairly straightforward. This song also includes certain Asian elements such as the use of pentatonic scales in certain riffs. What’s also interesting is that the song was produced by Wyclef, so this is another example supporting the idea that non-African American rappers need African American producers to be successful.

Jin’s ethnic background is made obvious in these songs. Wang’s analysis only focuses on the lyrics and not the music itself. He states that in a way, Jin kills “the archetype of the Chinese delivery boy in favor of a hypermasculine Chinatown gangsta.” Wang also says that Jin may have portrayed Chinatown in a negative manner since he emphasizes the dangerous aspects of the neighborhood, a stigma that residents of Chinatown have been trying to get rid of for years.

I agree with Wang in that Jin does come across as hypermasculine through the use of sexual images such as. I also agree with Wang in that Jin falls into “problematic constructions of black masculinity” by rapping about being a gangster in a dangerous neighborhood. However, Jin does combat the discriminations and stereotypes placed against him and does include some aspects of his ethnicity in his music.

As for the negative images, hip hop music is a genre that portrays hypermasculinity, violence, and is demeaning to women. So unless people decide to stop buying music with these negative images and the genre changes, successful hip hop artists and artists who are trying to become successful will continue to make music with these themes.