Hip-hop takes a top spot in reality show

Kris Wu is one of the judges of the reality show The Rap of China.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"He didn't do very well. Perhaps he hasn't practiced much in years."

The performer released a rap online the day after he was eliminated criticizing the show.

The show's demo often portrays tension when competitors are taken out of the running.

But there's much more to the spirit of the series, producer Chen Wei says.

"There are various kinds of hip-hop," Chen says.

"It doesn't necessarily contain bad language. The genre shouldn't be misunderstood."

About 600 beats were created for the show, he says.

Many previous Chinese hip-hop songs used original lyrics over beats from overseas, violating copyrights.

"Hip-hop entered China about 20 years ago," Chen explains.

"But many Chinese rappers back then only mimicked English pronunciation and deliberately expressed gangsters' anger, which was actually irrelevant to our lives."

Chen is happy to see the works brought by competitors are full of original thoughts.

"They're about their own emotions, struggles and hometowns. They reflect people's Chinese Dream. They correct many stereotypes about youth."

Most competitors auditioned in Mandarin, but some also rapped in dialects.

Controversy surrounded a Chinese-American's elimination because his lyrics were in English.

IQiyi's content development head Wang Xiaohui expects the show will promote the genre long term.

"Hip-hop encourages people to be self-confident and creative," he explains.

"Young people can express their attitudes, values and understanding of life."

Wang says the show not only aims to entertain but also to spur a new trend in Chinese culture through the internet, and derivative products will be developed from The Rap of China.