Beat Junkies member DJ Rhettmatic, whose career has spanned nearly 30 years, recently sat down with HardKnockTV to discuss Asian Americans and their role in Hip Hop.
The storied deejay discussed trying to gain respect early on. “For me, coming up…I used to have a cat kinda hating, like ‘What is this Asian, what it is this Chinese dude doing?’ The coolest part was, you had to show and prove. For my generation, you had to really show and prove. Once you showed and proved, show you got heart, got skills and all that stuff, and you went through all the trenches, they respect you.”
Rhettmatic also addressed difficulties arising within his community, not just outside of it. “If you go into the Asian scenes, they’re really into Hip Hop, but sometimes, they just don’t go beyond that. For Filipinos…we were known for being good imitators, but never good originators… In order to get respect, you had to break out of that bubble and go into that ‘hardcore’ scene. You can be popular in that scene, but that doesn’t mean nothing if you don’t really branch out. It was even kinda crazy… I even got hated on by my own people, saying, ‘What are you doing, you trying to be black? What are you, a fligger?'”
“We had to work ten times harder. The irony now is that …the Filipino community is now much more supportive,” he added.
“It was like, ‘You’re an Asian American Hip Hopper,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m a Hip Hopper that happens to be Asian American.'”
Watch the interview below:
Hip-hop has issues with race period. There’s so much focus on how the person looks, their background and all that shit..
True, hip-hop is in its core the tale of the black experience, but if that experience is intriguing and in parts relatable to other races, then what’s the beef? Why be so salty?
Other people from your race hating on you and saying “you’re trying to act black?” is understandable, because they’re ignorant to the genre. But blacks themselves hating on some asian cause he respects and appreciates the genre is beyond me.. Why would you hate on him? You should be flattered that an asian guy is interested in a genre that your people fathered..
So yeah, fck outta here with all that race bullshit.
blacks are the most overprotective and racist when it comes to this, they dont wanna ‘share’ that culture to the ‘white man’…gtfoh.
it’s straight up a race thing, so like rhettmatic says, u gotta show and prove…u gotta be 10 times better than the other black guy who raps jus cuz ur not black. makes me wonder sometimes, why i fell in love with a culture with so much hate…
Anonymous,
First, Hip Hop is part of the culture. It’s not THE culture.
Second, if you claim to love this cultural aspect, then you understand the overprotection, especially when the outright appropriation and lack of respect for the creators.
Finally, check your racism at the door. Last I have experienced, Asians are not quite friendly to others that are non-white as well.
@honeybrown have u met all asians? Theres about 4million Filipinos living in the U.S
saying Hip Hop is not for every race is going against Hip Hop itself. there’s so much love in this culture. people don’t get in to Hip Hop to be cool or to dress a certain way or to fit in. Real Hip Hop heads gradually experience their life change as they fall in love harder with the culture. that happened to me when i was a kid and it would be fucking wrong to say that only a certain group of people can enjoy that. that’s reverse racism. you have to realize that there are more people around the world who are non-black who know a lot more about hip hop than the average american nowadays. if you go to netherlands or london or paris man all that shit they play in the radio in the states or even the ones being posted in sites.. its way too commercial over there.. the culture itself and the music itself goes way deeper than just the people being constantly posted on the same sites. think about it.
by the way
rhettmatic aint gotta say shit
this dude is a legend
him Qbert and Babu easily stand in line in the list of probably the best DJ’s that ever touched the wheels and they are all filipino.
rhettmatic i salute you and everyone else that went against the grain at that time. i can only imagine how hard it was especially during the period yall came up in.
Far East Movement is the best group ever. All these other rappers suck.
“Fligger”? That’s pretty funny. Every rap concert I go to, here in the UK has its fair shear of Asian birds. I guess they’re not feelin’ Necro, though, as I never see any there. Anyway, along with Sarah Love, Miss Info’s my favourite B-Girl.
The Asians and Europeans actually appreciate the culture of Hip-Hop. Black Americans take it for granted and don’t give a damn. The break dancing, graffiti, and DJing is being kept relevant by Asians and Europeans.
I can appreciate that some artists want to really branch out in the Hip hop genre, however I’m not sure going more hard core is the way.
My biggest problem with Hip Hop music is that although the tune is catchy, I generally find the lyrics repulsive. Why emulate the current african american hard core hiphop? Why copy the misogyny and the violence and the nihilism? I don’t know about filipino’s but it really runs counter to east asian culture. I say make good music, but don’t go “hard core”, whatever heck that means. I don’t support african american music with misogynistic music that glorifies violence, both sexual and otherwise. I wouldn’t support the same kind of music by asians either.
@Anonymous
FYI, black folks are overprotective of hip-hop and rap because white folks stole,ripped off and profited from practically EVERY damn genre of music we ever created in this country (rock ‘n roll, jazz, R&B, you name it). So hell yeah, we’re protective of it. Before you go spouting off about how we’re supposedly so racist, do some research and find out the reason WHY that is–there are a whole bunch of books on the subject–look them up–start with THE DEATH OF RHYTHM & BLUES (it’s an old book, but a good start) Me,being African-American and having been a hip-hop fan for many years now, I could care less what color a rapper or DJ is because people from different cultures (from what I’ve heard over the years) always tend to bring something new to the table when it comes to new styles and unique ways of approaching hip-hop. I’ve heard rapping in Spanish, Arabic–in fact, there’s a Lebanese (Arabic) dude here in Detroit named Big A who raps in both English & Arabic, and he’s pretty good. He’s semi-retired now, though. I personally would love to hear some AA MCs get their rap on, but unfortunately the mainstream media can’t seem to accept them as anything other than novelties. I was all geeked to hear that that an AA youngster named Jin the Mc was going to blow up some years ago, but then his record company dropped the ball on him and that didn’t happen for whatever the reason. I’d also like to look up some stuff by the Mountain Brothers that I heard on YouTube—really good stuff I’ve never heard anywhere else. Anyway, we’ve all had our heads ingrained with so many steeotypes about what each person ought to be according to whatever their culture is, that it’s hard for us to shake that and just start accepting people across the board for however they can contribute to hip-hop,which is really all it should be about,besides the fact that white people pretty much dictate what type of hip-hop sells (hench the gangster rap stereotypes, which are old,tired, and played out as far as I’m concerned).
Now I’m all for getting along but let’s be serious.
Anywhere you go on this planet where African peoples have brought their cultural expressions hip hop music, Rock, Reggae, Blues, Jazz, House, Ska you name it, it’s coming from a people that have been scattered to the ends of the earth and music is the only thing in this western world that we can truly call our own it also binds us together, The lost tribes from Africa.
I’ve often asked this question and maybe you should ask this question yourselves, why is it only African people’s music that is co-opted by so many other peoples?
For those of you out there thinking this couture is about having a great time and not paying attention to suffering of the less furnite you are sadly mistaken.
Look at the root of all the musical genres African peoples in the west have created and see where they all began.
The problem is our music is coming from a place and experience that the average European will never understand and because of low employment and willingness to sell our own souls for profit Europeans and the world have gotten a taste of it.
Now I don’t mind if Asians and other groups jump in the mix because throughout history we’ve know oppression coming from Europeans, On the other hand when Europeans jump into the mix and claim hip hop as part of them, then we have a problem because Until these so called hip hopper put their neck on the line like other peoples have and help destroy the current system you’re not hip hop.
MURS – “And This Is For…”
Damn time’s done changed these thugs do what they like
Some of them be your friends to try and find a new wife
And still hit the block and slang rocks at night
But you could be dead wrong with your pockets right
Contrary to what the legendary B.I.G. had to say
You don’t have to sell drugs or make the NBA
It’s easy to get a grant and get an MBA
To achieve one goal there’s more than one way
Young people on the whole we have lost our way
I don’t care what it cost I’m not impressed my nigga
That throwback jersey is a dress my nigga
I remember diamonds used to be girl’s best friend
Enslaving Black children with them third world gems
I don’t care about your rims, kids ride Big Wheels
Up until they learn balance and it’s obvious you haven’t
With way more ego than you have true talent
Any white boy who thinks he knows my struggle
Cause he listens to Pac and his adrenaline doubles
Now I ain’t got problems with you being yourself
But when you front and use the N word, it just don’t help
I might not trip, and your friends’ll laugh at you
But I know some real niggaz that’ll straight up slap you
Now you could be down, but let’s act growed up
Cause we ain’t the same color when police show up
My culture’s not a trend, being Black is not in
But for you it’s just a phase you’re gonna have to transcend
While even if I tried, I could never blend in
To society’s mainstream, American dream
Yeah, it’s all one love, but remember one thing
This music is my life, not a cultural fling
It’s an expression of the soul when we dance and sing
And you are blessed to have a chance to even glance the scene
Man I do the same music, they stop coming to shows
It’s like they scared of the white boys in the front row
First I was like “so?” I’mma get my dough
But the numbers kept falling as my fan base would grow
And now I’m concerned so I gotta speak up
First the money was the only thing shutting me up
But now I don’t care, don’t support me, get mad
Why wouldn’t you abort me, my own people have
I feel I should have the scans white rappers have
It’s sad but that’s the way it is
What’s the reason that my album doesn’t sell like his?
And don’t front like you don’t why the hell that is
It’s because he’s white, you can relate to his face
Through the years you’ve been taught that Black is unsafe
Plus it’s only natural for your own to be embraced
Conscious or subconscious you can’t say that ain’t the case
Only reason it took so long to take place
Was up until now your only choice was 3rd Bass
Or others like Ice, wasn’t really that tight
Now you got some white dudes who can truly rock the mic
You relate to their stories cause you share that past
Question is, why would you listen to MURS’ Black ass?
I asked myself for a while but now I finally get it
Good music transcends all physical limits
It’s more than something that you hear, it’s something that you feel
When the author and experience and passion is real
Used to feel I should be silent, I was scared to do this song
But I want everyone aware of what is going on
Yes it is jazz and yes it is the blues
And yes it is the exact same way they did rock
But I refuse to watch the same thing happen to hip-hop
I refuse to watch that bullshit…
I have to say this in response to those comments about how all “African American” Hip-Hop comes down to is “misogyny” and how it glorifies sex and violence. And seriously, where does anyone get off saying that Europeans and Asians have more respect for something that is black? I’ve got news for you: That mainstream crap that does everything you mentioned above was not created for blacks. That crap was backed by the Europeans, that supposedly love it so much more than we blacks, who marketed it towards suburban white kids. That Asians kids jumped into the market were drawn to the same, oversexed images. Real Hip Hop is about the black experience, that crap in the media isn’t real Hip Hop. Honestly, I think such comments are one of the reasons why there where and still are tensions about non-blacks who try to get into the game: you appear to have a low image of who we are and what we’re trying to do yet you have no problem with trying to get into, and take over, our culture. I don’t have a problem with non-blacks getting into Hip Hop but don’t disrespect the culture that began it.