China’s Hottest Rappers Want to Make It In the U.S. (HBO)

The Higher Brothers is a rap group from Chengdu, China, that is starting to gain popularity in the US. Dexter Thomas went to Chengdu to meet them.
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[@VICENews]

Watch Next: Japan is hoping Sailor Moon can fix its syphilis problem - bit.ly/2gmuxa3

[@vanessawhittaker6818]

100% for sure that's so many different genres 👍👍👍👍👍

[@oscarzafra7597]

"Black people watch Japanese cartoons we listen to hip hop, is same thing" True

[@lthelwell7774]

the irony is anime was inspired by american cartoon alot of the first anime series where virtual ripoffs of western products his comparison is dumb

[@jameiowe447]

Hmmmm who watches Japanese cartoons🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 white people watch that shit and lame Ass black skate boaders.. small percentage

[@lindakt3226]

@@lthelwell7774 well i mean other people have chinese tattoos, they listen to kpop and dress like kpop idols yk

[@cinnamonstar808]

no. One pays Netflix - The other get paid. there are no black dollars in any of this if Blacks create Japanese anime + Chinese are rappers = then its the same thing.

[@JustJimmyPERU]

@@lthelwell7774 Oh yeah? Take Kimba as an example... Was it a Lion king ripoff? His comparisson isn't dumb, you are...

[@Theminecraftgamer04]

Even the higher brothers know that every Black man watches anime

[@bigstunna2049]

Theminecraftgamer04 it's common knowledge now

[@LeanneGC101]

Theminecraftgamer04 I'm Asian as fxck and I grew up watching anime so I'm a freaking otaku but I didn't know that! 😭 But I'd regularly see videos of our black brethren cosplaying Naruto

[@Johnny-tz3yd]

LeanneGC101 ya bro naruto, dragon ball z, and avatar (more of a western anime but) were, and still are big in the America, and not just with black ppl; in fact imma go watch some Naruto rn! 👍

[@whatsup5914]

Jonathan McCue well anime can mean cartoon from Japan or could could be the art style which is why even the boondocks is called anime on Netflix because of art style but yeah

[@Narcrom]

hentai too

[@LimeLivesMatter]

"Black people watch Japanese cartoons" Wow...he's right

[@randomlolpie]

For real lmaoooo

[@srkn5721]

Lol Im black and i watch anime more than anything else on tv.

[@kaneda1674]

Dude... I just made this connection. All my black friends nerd out on anime. And I thought I was the weeb

[@dominantpersona3326]

The cultural appropriation argument is a joke.

[@Johnny-tz3yd]

NotHereNorThere that’s kind of a big generalization, I don’t give a shit about what skin color you are, or where your from; and most other people would agree with me. The problem are those few loud mouths who say retarded shit.

[@nicholaschoi7402]

Hip Hop has no boundaries

[@leeentertainmentchannel247]

Nicholas Choi the fuk u saying? Communist chinese and hip hop should not even be in the same sentence

[@Berlini47]

Lee Entertainment Channel L

[@ikeplumo3336]

Nicholas Choi what about racists

[@yueren2056]

Lee Entertainment Channel if racism and hip hop are in the same sentence, then communism could also be.

[@leeentertainmentchannel247]

yue ren u ever see any white supremacist rappers? U communist dogs are the same shit but the asian version. Go back to ur mao tse tsung chinese opera propaganda bullshit u fob fuk

[@PianoRootsMusic]

I've been a fan for so long, and now you tell me they're actually four broke guys who share a room and named themselves after a refrigerator company?

[@willcho7188]

Piano Roots Music Ummmmm.... yes?

[@suejern]

Basically yea

[@lyricalstyles]

Piano Roots Music thats how everyone starts out even all the greats unless they grew up rich with connections

[@AdamHilmannn]

Issa AC

[@liufred491]

lmao

[@Texazmane]

If u got bars, you got bars. Rap/hip hop doesn't discriminate. Music is an art form, so express yourself like N.W.A

[@KungPoBacon]

Texazmane real talk

[@benfacts6875]

You dope for that comment

[@OT_OTDway]

They don’t have bars tho

[@sskeed5237]

Yea it's like eminem, before he was famous they didn't want him in the rap game because hes whit but when he showed us talent they bowed down to him

[@carlosyanezmendoza3548]

You can hate them but you can't stop them from what they do

[@swordwithfragrance5187]

Carlos Yanez Mendoza u have 88 likes right now, 88rising lol

[@chunge8293]

Carlos Yanez Mendoza they are still underground without any prospects to be a real bigname rapper or what....... they dont even get enough attention to attract haters，man

[@bzh3231]

Chun Ge they do now

[@Johnny-tz3yd]

Chun Ge ya they’re getting a lot of exposure now

[@KillingJoy]

@@chunge8293 how about now in 2019?

[@super8nacho]

Real fans of higher brothers know that snorlax is the best out of them

[@fudutamatheegg8573]

super8nacho true

[@AdmiralAckbar97]

super8nacho q

[@ultravioletcats6691]

super8nacho Snorlax fucking rips it on every track

[@funnycnn]

No, Maswei is the best. He even got recommended by Snoop Dogg when he was young.

[@jasonchu4400]

funnycnn he got recommended from Snoop Dogg before the popularity

[@mushiterebi]

"black people watch japanese cartoons, we listen to hip hop. same thing" ----- word

[@TheKing-uu7jn]

I'm this close to liking your comment. But it's already at 69

[@sskeed5237]

@@TheKing-uu7jn I liked it😐

[@davidb5205]

It's really fascinating to see how Hip Hop has transformed from this underground genre from the South Bronx to a global influence (not just in China, K-Pop takes significant cues from Hip Hop culture). Of course, you'll have SJWs who shriek about cultural appropriation. But if anything, the fact that the culture transcends race, class, and language only speaks to its potency and is something to take pride in.

[@Wolfblaz13]

Very true!

[@alexorjustlex]

Preach d(￣◇￣)b

[@plokijuh5830]

Vice's position is exactly the opposite of that, it is NOT cultural appropriation, as noted by the conclusion. So I guess Vice aren't SJWs.

[@bigstunna2049]

David Boucard PREACH MY MAN SPEAK THE TRUTH

[@bigstunna2049]

plok ijuh vice is good at being neutral

[@justinterry2783]

how did maswei know i watch japanease cartoons

[@TheModernInvestor]

The crazy shit is they sound a LOT better than a lot of new rappers coming out of America throwing up signs and holding up guns. The flow sounds good, the rap is alright, I'd give them a chance, don't count them out because they're Asian.

[@marsl3589]

u racist

[@l441828872]

fancy seeing you here haha. Hope you're having a great day morning afternoon evening wherever you might be!

[@mashedpotatoes8580]

I speak Chinese. the way they pronounce Chinese cannot make it. it's just average.

[@davidpeng77]

they are speaking in dialect....

[@sesegood]

Stop.

[@user-sg6cp2zg3t]

They're so passionate about what they do, and they're GOOD. I'm so obsessed with them, so glad they came to my country. Dude their dreadlocks look so good btw. And I hope they make it real big out there

[@ownageDan]

the interviewers hairstyle is the best thing on vice. glorious.

[@iOmgTom]

Its awful

[@ForGlory1]

belix Gerald

[@knottsscary]

shit made laugh. i couldn’t take him serious

[@OMFGLOLROTFLWTF]

its honestly way too tall. i like flat tops but thats just ridiculous.

[@lilhigh836]

They made me feel proud to be a Chinese. They LIT

[@chrisdavis9063]

Their videos are always lit. Snorlax goes off every time 🔥🔥🔥

[@cuteraftel]

he lowkey carrying them in their songs ngl

[@holdmybeer]

Why all the hate. Vice comments are so fucking toxic.

[@dankmheems290]

They rappin' about their own shit it's not cultural appropriation at all. There's no cultural license to a century of hip hop influences. No one is banned from playing the guitar.

[@sesegood]

Man black people influence is awsome... I really love this.

[@straightshooterz]

chamka destina lol...if u call it black influence u must have Asian influence too with the chicken fried rice and salt n pepper shrimp?

[@debbie6526]

RooTz-Staffords Whats so funny about her comment tho 😒😒

[@snowhole2625]

武田 信玄 Should be a crime to be this based and redpilled

[@themac9677]

@@yoshida.takashi your entire race is a branch of the African race. We have artifacts in Africa that predate your entire fucking genome. Don't make me laugh. Out of Africans all other humans were born

[@MrHayada]

fr tho. Can y'all stop for a minute and appreciate that black culture is the most dominant in the world right now? Fucking rap became pop and that's good. People consuming and mimicking your culture is good. What y'all should stress is telling those who enjoy black culture to fucking treat black people as a strong catalyst for change and neglect their racial profiling and pathetic bigotry! Some disgusting people reject a person from a job just because he's black and then proceed to play Kendrick, Kanye and The Weeknd from their _"fav playlist"_ smfh Those people should sort their double standers issues and realize that it's the hardest for black people to reach up because there is prejudice from the lowest level of the ladder. Racism is still a thing and it'll never go away so we shouldn't dream of eliminating it. What we should do is try to at least be a fucking decent humans by not rejecting someone based on prejudice. Regardless of what they can bring to the table.

[@Jamaal4Jesus]

Hip Hop culture perpetuates negative stereotypes of blacks. Hip Hop needs to die.

[@jeffery8168]

I like the music. Vice news just isn't the right audience for this type of music.

[@JamesSmith-jq1ik]

Asians with dreadlocks - great idea tbh

[@jamesr5574]

I'm still not used to that, and I've watched a few of their music videos too.

[@RockZombieIAm]

But its just so unhealthy for their hair

[@jamesr5574]

How so Moana?

[@RockZombieIAm]

James R For Asians to achieve dreads they have to perm their naturally straight hair to make it dry or rough. Then the twist still won't hold so they also have to avoid washing it for a few days AND then dread it, and keep it unwashed again. The perm is unhealthy, the not washing is just gross for straight hair because it gets oily.

[@jamesr5574]

Far as I'm aware, there's different ways to dread your hair as one of my friends (hispanic background) has told me all he does is shampoo his hair to get his to dread the way they do. I've also seen a filipino guy with dreads in the philippines while i was visiting family...it was really weird and i never did find out how he did it.

[@repmidwest]

5:19 I've lived in China for four years now and Chinese and American Black culture really do have a lot in common. (The same goes for a lot of places that hip-hip culture takes hold. ) They both glamorize obscene displays of wealth because they historically have dealt with extreme poverty. They both don't really understand what high-end brands really mean, and they don't care, they just know it means wealth, and thats what they want to project. Both cultures do what they have to do in order to survive without hesitation, and over the generations, both have made those less scrupulous methods of survival glorified parts of their culture. If you've ever been to a Chinese city then you know that China is a dirty urban place. Its like a ghetto. Both American Black and Chinese people know what its like to grow up in that kind of environment. So they're not stealing a black hip-hop culture as much as they are adopting it because the ethos fits so well with their own lives.

[@droboyjr]

Don't insult Chinese culture

[@user-hv3bb3lh2r]

Oh, u are saying in a bad way. TBH. HB r living in one of top few biggest cities in china. Stop wasting time in china just for being a hater.

[@chadthefratboi1334]

David Smith well said bruh

[@gamertron0993]

Jerry A. White people be mad as hell when you they not apart of something

[@droboyjr]

TheWorldIsMines 100 yeah dey be, u know dem white folks is

[@stephenanguiano8027]

"Black people watch Japanese cartoons, we make hip hop"

[@jaxli4623]

海尔兄弟，雄起！！

[@turbospeeder]

JIAXIN LI 我觉得ok

[@Gokuzu]

Understandable, have a good day.

[@naftarygraysonmachengo4754]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIPaq5uFg7h9iJo

[@francofx]

The difference is that Higher Brothers are f***in Lit 🔥🔥🔥

[@StrongestCreatureOnEarth]

LOL They named themself after an appliance co. ... Im a new fan 🤣

[@kevinprasad2408]

Holy Shit ! The Higher Brothers are finally makin it big ! Been waiting for this moment for so long !!!

[@trustme2001]

I love seeing things like this. The more we learn from each other, the less hostile we will be towards one another.

[@bafeink2]

I'm not even in america but i want these boys to make it there..i've loved them ever since ZhongTV and even worked with them

[@jasonchu4400]

bafeink tube even worked..........."worked" with higher?????? GTFO of here

[@ForGlory1]

Salute!!!! I'm proud to see the hip hop culture to be embraced in Asia!!!!!!

[@kennyjamesmoses1984]

Oh shit I didn't know Gerald got a job with vice how ya boy Arnold been lol

[@jzmemories]

KZbin is banned in China?

[@juliuslamberger6403]

JZ No Copyright Music almost every social media like instagram and shit is

[@user-cu1kq5rr4l]

JZ No Copyright Music yep

[@sk9091]

JZ No Copyright Music But not in Hong Kong

[@sichenkang2663]

Instagram，twitter，KZbin，Facebook even Google were all banned in China

[@jzmemories]

that's good

[@samtharulr]

Recently got into Higher Brothers and tbh, I love them. I love that they sprinkled their own culture on a completely different one and made it work. "Appropriating __________ culture" is definitely becoming too loosely used. They never claimed to invent rap/hip-hop. And they're DIYing it. Super dope.

[@eyelandgal]

"Welcome to the the CDC house, that's the wifi code" - they're real ones.

[@glockwraith]

These dudes are fire

[@da1anonly000]

Saw these guys in a random bar in Shanghai a few months ago. Thought they were such weirdos, dressed like they were straight out of the 2006 hip hop era, walking around like they were hot shit. But believe it or not, they are very popular here in China.

[@Patrick-ub2du]

@5:22 Problem spotted when Higher Brother's answer "what do you think when people say youre stealing culture" by saying, it's the same as black people watching japanese cartoons.... black people aren't making any money off of japanese cartoons...It's not the same thing when blacks consume an episode of DBZ and they produce an entire style modeled off of the XXL freshman class. They admire black aesthetics and confidence, but they're rapping, in part, about the economic power of China. What we're seeing is more than cultural mimicry, it's rap being used to promote Asian cultural ideology.

[@yesimtakeoffcantstopmenow2663]

Patrick exactly like there was no fucking correlation to what he said at all. And these idiots in the comments are just agreeing with him like...wtf

[@jodaco3869]

Dude stfu it's so stupid to say that Asians can't make music that is based on black music

[@jodaco3869]

And they aren't rapping about the economic power of China, everyone knows china has poor parts they aren't changing theiimd because fucking higher brothers 'said so' you idiot

[@Trilltown]

Love how hiphop can really unite people of all different backgrounds and cultures! I've experienced this love in asia meeting underground rappers busking and I would hope more artists could be like this and learn hiphop not just use it as a style

[@pennnpi]

i‘m so proud of my hometown-ChengDu just because of HigherBrothers！

[@Dasloth92]

There have been several great Asian rappers that have come along through out the ages, and great Asian djs too. Idk why all the hate, i like the music, its different and not "cookie cutter" like so much of rap and hip hop today that all sounds the same.

[@SirSleepyBear]

Lol I actually have a couple of songs on them in my playlist. They have a song with famous dex

[@jiang6115]

一人血书请求给海尔请个英语老师

[@nicogu8753]

不要啊！就是这样的Chinglish才更带感！！

[@ellyw389]

有特点啊😂😂

[@gilliany.1539]

请什么请.. 我们都是红领巾 我们都是小翻译~

[@yayalee9238]

Nico GU chengdulish

[@LumetriYe]

马思唯现在英语飞起了

[@Radicalguy99]

They just finished their North America tour and I was lucky enough to attend their sold out show in Seattle. Everyone there seemed very happy, and they put on an incredible performance for everyone. It's clear that these guys are very passionate about their music and their fans, and they definetly going to go far in the hip hop scene, not just because they are some of the few asian artists and it's surprising to see chinese rappers, but because they actually have talent and are good at what they do. Music really has no boundaries.

[@superrrrliz]

The sold out concert in Atlanta was one of my favorite concerts in life. They made it to us.

[@chopzzz1556]

Asian rap culture is like the whole new level of Hip Hop

[@mimimtambo1131]

I wish them the best. they are the only artists I listen to in China.

[@bhfanaticosi]

Better than most US rappers out there

[@Hotsauceonmy]

Hell nah

[@Kush-gv7cw]

88rising need some female rap talent

[@ryanpates4861]

Kush 420 if you have free time, check out Karencitta (from Cebu, Philippines). the girl has mad flow and rhymes and mixes Tagalog, Cebuano, and English in her songs. enjoy. :)

[@oneaboveall1751]

they didnt copy or steal black culture, they get inspired, hence they create their own culture

[@jameiowe447]

You can't create something if you copy someone else. Copy the the hairstyles,copy the grills,copy the talk...

[@wholesome122]

Chinese rap and hip hop is so much more dope than their shitty ballads their government pushes. Tones sound terrible singing but in rap it's amazing

[@teddywang86]

SEAN MIYASHIRO = GENIUS

[@ccz5674]

I'm personally not a fan of rap but if this is their passion and if they can do it well then more power to them! I wish them all the best!

[@HaceSunnyDSol]

These guys are less triggered by comments that will create a firestorm among the asian american community if directed towards them. Props

[@reha4775]

They will make it ! ❤️Chengdu

[@TheJq32]

Love you higher brothers, come to the USA!!!!

[@OMACIHR]

Music Industry FACT: 88rising = Founder Sean Miyashiro = PIONEER = Signing..helping..Truly UNIQUE REAL ARTISTS like Sen Morimoto (Morimoto has 'Unlimited..UNIQUE TALENT & More..'). This connection USA..Japan..China..will keep growing..lots.. BTW: South Korea = getting closer..(6) in the 'Top 5' within the Global Music Market..

[@zMemphiszz]

They need to release that joint at 0:51 ASAP

[@TheSibeee]

Is it released yet?

[@AlexanderJaredSanchez]

5:16 learn the difference

[@necromax13]

Masiwei spitting science over there.

[@illfigure9270]

Chinese boys with braids 😭😭. Good shit

[@moomilskillz]

Sounds cool to me . Tbh I wanna hear some collabs.

[@sunvro8341]

I fucking love these guys. Mad respect for them all the way from new jersey

[@MrIcewarrior10]

Masi fucking wei

[@SuperAsianboy95]

About god damn time VICE :D It's #higherbrothers , It's #88rising , It's #doublehappiness

[@vinben13]

They made it

[@winterboy91]

I love higher brothers !!! Their songs is the bombz !!!!!!

[@tkzsfen]

defeat your enemies with your success!

[@Hamlet137475]

cool vid, have to say, i'm impressed with them and hope they can change chinese culture to be more open and accepting.

[@neteruhathor]

I LOVE to see it!! Is doesn't sound bad either!👌🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@yangyou4283]

Go Higher Brothers worldwide shit! We need more of this kind of Asian power. Cuz HIPHOP HAS NO BOUNDARIES. Peace & Luv ✌🏼

[@Samvntha]

CANT WAIT TO SEE THEM IN LA ON FEB 10

[@xx-qc5cv]

love them so much

[@johnnyblue4239]

They beats be fire. If only I understood what they were rapping about.

[@vanessawhittaker6818]

It is not stealing Black culture nowhere near it's sharing the culture and adding on to it with the new genre I've listened to Chinese rap in both English and in Chinese on KZbin and it sounds very good

[@guineamignonpig4760]

Hello I'm from Chengdu, I have worked in few local bars during my college time .. Fat Shitty etc. even never have performed in local bars . I'm shocked when the links released out .. My manager who dreaming to boss a company She felt super awkward

[@MaximaJ31]

I'll love to meet these guys

[@nebuchadnezzarjr5880]

very well stated that the "world is more close" haha no sarcasm shit makes sense when you say it like that

[@sasufreqchann]

chinese are the brothers man. we are the same

[@yang_yu_xiao]

现在不也是挣钱，出口转内销还觉得自己特别高端。

[@AtibaVV]

People who complain about higher brother's culture appropriating need to chill the frick out.

[@kajuskotok3374]

what about Joji? Hes big on that channel as well and has worked with the higer brothers

[@chenggonglee4992]

Shoutout to 88rising, because this is a great foundation for Asian representation of music and hip hop

[@yangliu519]

Yang Liu 1 second ago The appliance company's name is Haier, actually, Haier brothers is not only the logo of that company, is also a cartoon TV series's name（the cartoon is also invested by the Haier Company）, for chinese boys and girls who grow up in the 1980s, Haier Brothers Cartoon is their childhood memory, just like what Micky Mouse and Snow White mean for the American boys and girls。 The Haier Brothers cartoon：kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWG4eoGilN2Vd7s

[@JesusSaves23k]

What's their music name?

[@daviddai6455]

wow，does anyone knows when we can see hbo tour to US？？？哥老官些有没有具体的时间海尔来美的消息，真的想看，坐等抢票

[@ikeplumo3336]

Kool herc deserves more credit

[@odeed]

They don't drink lean, mumble, or have face tattoo's. They will never make it in the US.

[@tonywang9032]

it's pretty obvious that some ppl are shocked/offended/amazed by this? But no matter what you think, the world is evolving in a fast speed that never have before.

[@bigstunna2049]

5:23 I like his opinion on the topic and wish this was a longer interview

[@user-lh2hx5xf4e]

"Black people watch Japanese cartoons" 了解這個事情的人已經了解美國 讚讚讚👍

[@ShowTheOreo]

If black artists can make Asian style songs and music videos like Chun Li and Stir Fry, then the higher brothers should be able to adapt some hip hop culture as well. Come on y'all, ever since Rush Hour there has been an unspoken black-chinese cultural alliance.

[@leonan1818]

Just copy and paste '该挨' from higher brothers. You will know American hip hop is dead and the hip hop music you guys listen right now is shit to be honest.

[@Halberddent]

It's super cool that hip hop is so popular everywhere. I admire the drive of rappers in places where it isn't as popular, and I think its great how people over in the states are willing to lend them a hand and help us hear their stuff over here.

[@garyhahaha5380]

higher brother >>>>>>> rich chigga they have they own shit while rich chigga, apart from being asian, doesn't have significant difference with mainstream rappers in the US

[@jamesshang9619]

赶紧练英语啊同志们

[@naftarygraysonmachengo4754]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIPaq5uFg7h9iJo

[@hansgalaxy888]

damn, they look so young in this video. look at them now, time flies

[@x_shuang9052]

Let's be honest, Higher brother is my favorite.... animation when I was a child.

[@ohmyafy]

One thing they do get right; not having 30 plus people on stage