De-Cyphering Hip-Hop

By Norman Galang

Songs about pain, depression and happiness relate to everyone, proving that art is a reflection of life. Hip-hop is widely perceived as an outlet to express these emotions, with songs commenting on the struggles and joys of life.

"I don't know what I would be doing without hip-hop."

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De-Cyphering Hip-Hop

Songs about pain, depression and happiness relate to everyone, proving that art is a reflection of life. Hip-hop is widely perceived as an outlet to express these emotions, with songs commenting on the struggles and joys of life.

The culture was created by black and Latino inner-city youth trying to express themselves artistically by speaking on discrimination and the harsh conditions that plagued the South Bronx in the 1970s, according to Ibram X. Kendi, a University of Florida professor, who will teach a history of hip-hop course in Spring 2016.

HipHop Group

Over 40 years later, hip-hop is one of the most influential genres of music,from emceeing, D.J.ing, fashion, dance and street art to everyday slang. Luis Caraballo-Burgos, a former UF professor who developed and instructed the course Sociology and Race in Hip-Hop, said that it’s hard to ignore the mass influence that hip-hop has sparked, especially Asian American community.

A Filipino American producer, !llmind, made beats for rap stars such as Drake, Kanye West and J. Cole. Dumbfoundead is a widely respected Korean American battle emcee. MC Jin is a Chinese American rapper who once signed a major record deal with Ruff Ryders and starred in the blockbuster cult-classic “2 Fast 2 Furious.” Tyga is a half Vietnamese and Jamaican artist who has made massive club hits such as “Rack City” and “Faded” featuring Lil Wayne, and signed Cambodian Cocaine.

Asian Americans have not only made a dent in rap music, but have solidified themselves in fashion as well..

Famous streetwear line Crooks & Castles, worn by the likes of Jay Z, 50 Cent and French Montana was created by Filipino friends Dennis Calvero and Emil Soriano.

A Bathing Ape, which is responsible for hipsters’ favorite camo-printed jackets, was created by a Japanese D.J. named Nigo, and has been made popular by artists such as Pharrell Williams and A$AP Rocky. It’s difficult to find a music video without one of their clothing items being donned by a famous rap figure.

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The most notable Asian hip-hoppers are the Jabbawockeez. Donning coke-white masks and gloves, the predominantly Filipino American clique made their fame on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” and are responsible for shining light on the dance element of the culture -- a core of the hip-hop Asian American community.

Ryan Finley, a 22-year-old avid dancer at UF, said that without hip-hop, Asian American students wouldn’t be as tight-knit as they are now.

“Dancing is like glue for everyone,” Finley said. “It helps bond our community.”

He said hip-hop has not only unified people of Asian descent, but has made him a better individual overall. During his late teens, there were many times when he would practice break-dancing instead of partying. Staying on his craft taught him discipline, progression and values that he wouldn’t have learned introduced to dance.

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Finley’s passion led him to apply to UF after finding out there were multiple hip-hop dance groups on campus. He graduated with his bachelor’s in sociology and is currently getting his master’s in management.

“I don’t know what I would be doing without hip-hop,” Finley said. “Probably living a more sheltered life -- not developing myself more as an individual.”

Others shared this sentient.

John Ferrer, a UF health science major and vice president of Apocalypse Dance Crew, said dancing not only made him more confident about expressing himself but also helped him get closer with his friends and expand his social circle.

He heard that before his time at UF, Asian American organizations weren’t as close with each other, and believes that dancing helped more students come together. During a workshop held by the Filipino Student Association, he saw active members from all different Asian American sub- organizations and realized how important dancing is to not only him, but UF in general.

“Being able to share the art with people is rewarding,” Ferrer said. “If I can make people happy by dancing with them or for them, that’s what makes me happy.”

For some Asian Americans, falling in love with hip-hop kept them away from bad environments that would have potentially endangered their future.

Yoshiya Kushibiki, a UF geology major, dance minor and president of The Hip Hop Collective, said gaining friends who shared the same love for hip-hop helped build a brotherhood-like rapport with fellow dancers who went out of their way to help him.

He grew up in a gang-ridden area of Orlando, Florida, and getting into dance prevented him from dabbling in dangerous situations.

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“If it wasn’t for some people who I met at hip-hop events, I would have walked my ass into a whole bunch of gangs, and Lord knows what would have happened,” Kushibiki said.

Out of all the elements of hip-hop, the Asian youth for the most part, tend to participate in the dance aspect of the culture. Kushibiki explained that dancing is simply more accessible. With graffiti, you constantly have to buy more spray paint to improve, and if you want to D.J., you have to buy expensive equipment.

“With dancing, you just get a pair of shoes, literally, and YouTube videos,” Kushibiki said. Growing up in a single-parent household, he was only able to work with what was at his disposal.

A lot of Asian Americans seem to be in love with the music, simply because they’re able to relate to the resistance that is often preached by rap artists.

Caraballo-Burgos said that rap music gives the Asian Americans youth an outlet to find a sense of self while sharing their pain.

“It is struggle music,” that people relate to, he said. “In particular, [to] our Filipino brothers and sisters because of all the experience with colonialism.”

Asian Americans’ love for hip- hop is strong, and it can be easy for them to identify with other minorities’ struggles. However most prefer to step into a cypher (people dancing in a circle) than step up to the mic.

Although there are a few Asian American emcees who get flashes of spotlight, none has broken into the mainstream and shined long enough to make a lasting mark.

There is simply too much pressure when being a rapper, Caraballo-Burgos said. If Iggy Azalea was a dope D.J. or breakdancer, no one would question her authenticity or appreciation for the culture. If Eminem was just a graffiti writer, no one would bring up the fact that he’s a white male appropriating a culture.

But the concept of cultural appropriation isn’t exclusively for white artists. Korean rapper Keith Ape put out a viral song titled “It G Ma” which was based on Atlanta rapper OG Maco’s hit-anthem “U Guessed It.” Maco claimed that whether Ape realizes it or not, the Asian artist was mocking black stereotypes by wearing heavy jackets and gold grills in their music video, when Maco’s version did not show any of these items.

Although the purpose is up for interpretation, Caraballo- Burgos said it’s difficult to prove someone’s intentions. Regardless if Ape’s aesthetic was for visual appeal or to make profit, there’s still a certain level of appreciation in order to pay homage to OG Maco.

Not all black artists feel the same strong sentiment about cultural appropriation. Bunduki Ramadan, aka Hip Hop Duke, is an underground Sudanese American rapper from Jacksonville, Florida, who admires other races participating in hip-hop and believes Asian “b-boys” or breakdancers show real appreciation for the art.

“Hip-hop has no color,” he said. “[Asians] hold up the culture to its respect for that.”

“It’s always beautiful when you can share your culture with somebody else,” Ramadan said. “Asians go hard.”

While hip-hop has its origins in the black and hispanic community, the culture is so big that it now belongs to the world, no longer occupying a single racial space. Finley, Ferrer and Kushibiki are proving one dance step at a time.

Empress Rising

Danny Nguyen's spring 2016 collection

Styled By: Kevin Huynh
Photos By: Jasmine-Wildflower Osmond
Model: Stephanie Wong
Makeup: Eunice Jin
Fashion assistant: Joey Gonzalez
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Gallery

Click to view the fashion gallery.

Empress Rising

Houston-based designer Danny Nguyen, from Danny Nguyen Couture, graciously loaned gowns from his Spring 2016 collection for Sparks’ first fashion spread. DNC specializes in customdesigned apparel, weddings and alterations for celebrity clients including Jeannie Mai and Amanda Lepore. Nguyen is known for taking motifs familiar with Asian dresses such as the Ao Dai and Qipao and giving them a sultry, modern Hollywood twist fit for any screen siren -- think floral appliques, metallic sequins and silk capes.

Nguyen got his start in fashion at an early age, acting as an apprentice to his mother in her tailor shop. They moved to the U.S. from Vietnam when he was 4 years old and after years of failed starts, he successfully launched DNC.

Nguyen said he designs his collections to have a cohesive theme, but likes each outfit to be like a character in a movie, which was our inspiration. Shot in the Asian rock garden in the Cofrin Asian Art wing of the Harn Museum of Art, we wanted to showcase gowns that were worthy enough to attend the Hollywood premiere of “The Hunger Games” but also look as if they were borrowed from Zhang Yimou’s “Curse of the Golden Flower.”

Minority Solidarity

By Kyra Clark

But Frederick Wong, a University of Florida healthcare administration graduate is involved with the Black Lives Matter movement by attending local rallies with his friends.

“We [Asian Americans] assimilate much better than other ethnic groups into this so-called greater American society,” Wong said. “I think we are going in the right direction with the focus being on the African Americans’ community because, as a whole, that one group needs the most help.”

Wong, who is of Chinese American heritage, said that although the Black Lives Matter movement is the focus of minority rights, he said he believes that the strength of this movement could eventually empower other minorities to gain their own rights in this country.

Throughout the years, groups of different minorities have joined sides with the movement in an example of unity, rallying in the name of justice for the black community

Nyla Duperval, president of the National Council of Negro Women at the University of Central Florida and a junior health informatics and information management major, sees this shared bond firsthand as she has been involved with programs on campus, such as the March for Justice, where a diverse student body came to participate

Nyla Duperval, president of the National Council of Negro Women at the University of Central Florida and a junior health informatics and information management major, sees this shared bond firsthand as she has been involved with programs on campus, such as the March for Justice, where a diverse student body came to participate

“The United States as a whole is not just one race or one ethnicity,” she said. “It is a melting pot, so definitely having all those aspects of that melting pot coming together is really going to make the movement even stronger than what it is now.”

When asked about her opinion on the importance of other minority ethnicities participating in the Black Lives Matter movement, Duperval said that minority involvement keeps people up-to-date on what’s going on. “I think it is a very important movement, especially right now with what’s going on

Seminole State College of Florida sociology professor Felix Padilla has published multiple books regarding social issues of minorities in America and finds the solidarity between Asian Americans and African Americans both productive and intriguing.

Padilla said that by having Asian Americans back up blacks in their fight against inequality, the Asian American community is undermining the model minority stereotype that is often used to disqualify minorities like blacks and Hispanics

“What I find so intriguing about the Asian American support for Black Lives Matter is that our society has labeled the Asian American community as the ‘model minority’ but by labeling the Asian American community under that label - it’s also a critique of the black and Hispanic communities,” Padilla said, referring to how the Asian American community has constantly been spotlighted as the ‘ideal’ minority through American culture.

“I think the Asian American community, by supporting Black Lives Matter and supporting other initiatives of people of color, are also making a statement,” Padilla said. “They’re saying, in many words, that ‘in spite of how you label us, we are not willing to remain outside the efforts of overcoming inequality.’”

The Asian American community continues to lend strong support to the efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement through rallies as well as creating its own means of support through the hashtag, #Asians4BlackLives, which emerged after the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

“I think it is beautiful,” Peter Yane, a UCF biomedical science freshman, said of the social media campaign. “This certainly has shown how long of a way a simple hashtag can influence an entire movement.”