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File:Wangxiaolei1.JPGWang Xiaolei
Wang Xiaolei (Chinese: 王晓磊), also known as MC SIR (中文: MC肆)[1] and China SIR (中文: 中華肆),[2]is an Indie Rap artist from Beijing, China.[3] He is a member of an indie rap band, "大肆院Show Mic",[4] also known as MC肆&大肆院.
Contents
Early life
Wang Xiaolei's early life revolved around poverty; he was born into a poor family, with divorced parents. For most of his childhood, he was placed under the care of his grandfather.[5]
Hip-hop Life
Wang Xiaolei took an interest into African-American hip-hop culture as a teen. He associated his life in poverty to African-American youths in America. He learnt to rap at a young age, and eventually joined an indie group. He also spent years working as a DJ at various different Hip-hop nightclubs in Beijing.
Released Works
Wang Xiaolei has not released any albums on his own. However, he has released two mixtapes, titled 《中华肆China Sir Rising》 and 《我要赚钱mixtape》, and are commonly available in hip-hop music stores in China. On the 22nd September 2007, his rap group MC肆&大肆院 released an album, 《大肆院VOL.1》.[6][7] He is also known for collaborations with other artists.[8]
Internet Scam
Wang Xiaolei also fell victim to an Internet scam at one time, as he explained in an interview on PBS Frontline.[9] A friend introduced him to a girl on the internet, and since he was feeling lonely at the time, decided to ask the girl to come to Beijing with him. She replied that she required cash, and so Wang Xiaolei sent her a large sum of cash. Then, despite waiting several months, she never appeared. Although in the PBS production Young and Restless in China, the scammer's QQ number is briefly shown along with a photo, there have been no reports of other people's attempts in contacting the culprit, despite a strong Internet vigilantism culture in China.
Interview with PBS
Wang Xiaolei's more notable appearance is in an interview on the PBS Frontline production, Young and Restless in China. During the interview, he describes his youth and music style, and explains that Chinese society today is strongly capitalist, with a strong emphasis for people to make money in order to succeed in life.
Attitudes on Society
Wang Xiaolei stated in an interview:
"There are fights between groups. They piss each other off. But it's not as bad as in America. Things can get out of control easily there. (Gestures: bang bang bang.) People don't have guns in China. So they just argue. In the end we solve it peacefully. Because I don't like to fight. I don't think fighting can solve problems. It's 2006 now. You use your brain to solve problems."
He compares the society of modern China with that of the United States, taking into account issues such as violence and crime, which are present in China as well as other countries. Wang does not believe in the use of force, in which he would frequently see from his perspective of society.
Traffic Accident Incident
Wang Xiaolei was involved in a traffic accident in early 2008 and spent six months in hospital.[citation needed] As of Spring, he has fully recovered.
Discography
Mixtapes
- 《中华肆China Sir Rising》
- 《我要赚钱mixtape》
Albums
- 《大肆院VOL.1》
Music Style
Wang Xiaolei's distinctive rapping style mostly features on his stark lyrics describing poor life in China.[10] The state of his childhood plays a major role in his music style. Here is an example of his work (a sample from "我要赚钱" ("Make Money")):
Original Chinese:
美国没去过 跑车没有坐过
Gucci没穿过 美女没有爱过
别墅没住过 美酒没喝过
这也是你们想要的 别欺骗自我English Translation:
I never been to the U.S., never rode in a sports car
I never wore any Gucci or been loved by a pretty woman
I never lived in a house, never drank fine wine
Those are what you want, I'm not gonna fool myselfHis lyrics show strong dislike for the capitalist society in China, as since he was a child, he had been living in harsh conditions. All his music is in Mandarin Chinese, with occasional use of English words.
References
- ^ 大肆院-MC肆的BLOG
- ^ Wang Xiaolei's MySpace page
- ^ FRONTLINE: young and restless in china: nine stories | PBS
- ^ 2007迷笛音乐节--DJ嘻玩派mc肆简介
- ^ Wang Xiaolei | PRI's The World
- ^ 华人组合-MC肆&大肆院- 听好音乐 有好心情 好听音乐网
- ^ 专辑《大肆院VOL.1》歌曲列表
- ^ 秘密基地&大肆院&CHINASIR
- ^ Video Source
- ^ FRONTLINE: young and restless in china: listen to the music | PBS
Categories:- Chinese rappers
- Living people
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