*This work contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy*. Reggie visits Shanghai, China’s largest city, and Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, to explore the fault line between modern day Chinese culture, and strict censorship rules imposed by the government that are subject to change at a moment’s notice. Reggie visits Red8 Records, a record label based in Shanghai, to learn more about the thriving rap scene in China. In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has capitalised on the popularity of hip-hop to promote their own agenda, such as in the 2018 mini-series Marx Got It Right, which featured a rap with lyrics like ‘Communism is as sweet as honey’. While in Chengdu, Reggie meets popular rapper Li Yijie, whose proudly pro-China songs have won the support of millions of followers and even funding for some of his music videos from the Communist Youth League. For Li Yijie, hip-hop is about self-expression, rather than railing against the establishment. Also in Chengdu, Reggie meets internet sensation and dancing superstar Amy Zhu. Amy has been dancing since she was five years old, and her impressive moves rocketed her to internet stardom, culminating in an appearance on The Ellen Show. Finding a void at the heart of Chinese cultural expression, it is impossible for Reggie to consider today’s creativity without looking at Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution, a movement which threw China into years of political and social upheaval from 1966 until Mao’s death in 1976 and sought to eradicate much of its cultural heritage. Finally, Reggie finishes his time in Chengdu with a visit to the marriage market in People’s Park, one of many such gatherings that across the country that now exist for parents to ‘advertise’ their sons and daughters as future marriage material.
