I’ve been interested in Chinese rap for a long time, not only because rap’s traditional focus on social problems and dirty lyrics seem to clash with Chinese political constraints, but linguistically the Chinese language has so many homonyms and rhymes one would think rapping would have endless variety. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a rapper guest on The Sound Stage… until now.
Shuangzi 爽子 is synonymous with Beijing rap, and has been spitting across the capital for years. Perhaps the Chinese Jay-Z, his sound has matured over the course of his career, and he has been known to tackle social issues in his lyrics. No stranger to blending musical styles, Shuangzi and his “Porcelain” band incorporate rock and folk sounds to form the smooth backbeats behind his articulate rhymes.
