The hip-hop generation in China: resistance, taste and hierarchy

Until a few years ago, it was inconceivable that hip-hop would feature on any Chinese mainstream platform. However, what began in China as a mostly underground musical phenomenon in the 80s, has nowadays made it to unprecedented mainstream popularity with billions of online viewers. Despite this extraordinary development, little research has explored how Chinese hip-hop fans and rappers perceive and live the changes brought about by the sudden popularity experienced by Chinese hip-hop culture.

This thesis examines these developing trends after the rise in popularity achieved since 2017. Through the concepts of resistance, taste and hierarchy, the thesis explores how Chinese rappers and fans understand, interpret and embody the emerging practices of hip-hop in China in their musical and subcultural domains, and how these practices differ from the traditional western understanding attached to hip-hop. By drawing from the debate on resistance and power by Foucault and De Certeau, the concept of cultural openness of Ollivier, the use of music in everyday life by DeNora, the notion of cool and the concept of subcultural capital by Thornton and Hodkinson, this thesis explores the research issues of how Chinese hip-hop followers define resistance, what are the taste trends of Chinese hip-hop followers and how subcultural capital is embodied by Chinese hip-hop communities to create stratification.

Based on semi-structured interviews with 42 participants, which include hip-hop consumers, MCs, and rappers, the thesis reveals, firstly, that Chinese hip-hop followers resist the traditional notion of subcultural resistance, hence redefining the concept of resistance itself. Secondly, although hip-hop musical choices suggest a considerable degree of openness to cultural diversity by the interviewees, there exists a bottom line that excludes vulgar hip-hop. Finally, members of Chinese hip-hop communities create cultural hierarchies and position themselves in the hip-hop community based on their perceived level of subcultural capital, engagement, and commitment to the culture.