“Separate the skilled from the wannabes.”
Taiwanese hip hop pioneers Dwagie, Razor Chian, PoeTek, and Leo Wang team up for “憑什麼” (“Why”), which premiered during 大嘻哈時代 The Rappers, MTV Taiwan’s rap talent show, where the four are mentors. The track serves as a reminder of sorts to aspiring rap stars on why they joined in the first place.
A first of its kind in Taiwan, The Rappers follows the format of the sudden surge of rap talent shows in Asia, including The Rapper in Thailand, Rap Viet in Vietnam, and most prominently, Rap of China. The show aims to “lead the next future of Chinese rap” under the guidance of four veterans in the scene. Within 30 days of announcing the show in January, it has received 1,200 applications, which were whittled down to a select few in February, held in two separate announcements in Kaohsiung and Taipei.
All four mentors have had extensive experience in Taiwan’s hip hop industry. Dwagie has over two decades of making hip hop music and today remains to be the only Taiwanese rapper who appeared in TIME magazine. Even before bagging the role on The Rappers, he’s already active in mentoring young rappers not just in honing their skill, but also when it comes to social awareness, environmental protection, and caring for stray animals.
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Razor Chian is a prominent lyricist, composer, and music producer in Taiwan. In 2018, he produced Jolin Tsai’s Ugly Beauty album. Its lead single, “Rose Boy,” won the 30th Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year.
Taipei born-and-raised rapper PoeTek is best known for his scholarly approach to rapping. An alumnus of the prestigious National Taiwan University, he applies Mandarin phonology to his rhymes, especially when battling. He represented Taiwan in the 2018 edition of SXSW in Austin, Texas. Most recently, he released “88BARS.”
The award-winning Leo Wang came from the underground rap scene and successfully crossed over, with several accolades under his belt, including the 30th Golden Melody Award for Best Male Singer in Mandarin in 2019 and was named the Golden Song King in 2019.
The Rappers airs on MTV Taiwan, YouTube, and other local platforms.
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Watch the music video for “憑什麼” (“Why”), below:
