In March, Okinawan rapper Awich brought together the biggest names from South Korea, China, Cambodia, and India for “Asian State of Mind.” It referenced Nas’ 1994 classic by name but stripped away the nightmarish themes of living on the edge and thinking of crime in New York City to create a moment of unity and spirits aligned. “Asian State of Mind” represented superstars from their countries, rapping in their languages, and showed the eastern part of the world had something to say. In some of their lyrics, Awich calls Wu-Tang Clan her “sensei,” while KR$NA references Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.”
Each has a special place for hip-hop in their hearts. For Awich, the military base brought a lot of American culture to Okinawa, including hip-hop, and planted the seed for her love of 2Pac. For Jay Park, a cousin put him on to Warren G’s “Regulate” and then further fed his obsession by getting into lyricists like Eminem, Canibus, and Nas. For Masiwei, it was using a VPN to access the outside world and an internet connection that got him into DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Big L. For KR$NA, he spent part of his childhood in South London, beginning to rap as a means to fit in with his peers. For VannDa, it was his older brother who showed him hip-hop, and his curiosity led him to make songs through a cracked version of FruityLoops.
Over 50 years after hip-hop was born on Aug. 11, 1973, at a party spun by DJ Kool Herc in the basement of an apartment in The Bronx, no one predicted it would be the most influential and dominant genre in the world. To examine the impact and influence of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people in hip-hop, you have to start on the West Coast and the role Filipino Americans played in contributing to the culture. In The Bay, you had DJ Qbert, one of the founding members of Inivisbl Skratch Piklz, who, with DJ Apollo, became the first to operate as a turntablism band. DJ Qbert dominated the Disco Mix Club World Championships in the 1990s, winning three times and becoming an influential figure for his innovative approach to scratching and mixing techniques.
Rap band The Visionaries member DJ Rhettmatic performs at the “Save Darfur Tour” sponsored by Playboy And Scion at the Viper Room on February 8, 2007 in West Hollywood, California.
Photo by Chad Buchanan/Getty Images.
DJ Rhettmatic and his crew formed the first turntable group in Cerritos, CA — a Los Angeles County suburb roughly ten miles northeast of Long Beach — called the Beat Junkies in the ’90s. Over the years, notable names joined the crew, like DJ Babu. But Rhettmatic has reminisced on a time when Asian Americans had to work harder to be accepted in the culture. While speaking with HardKnock TV, he said his generation had to show and prove. “Once you show you got heart, got skills, and all that stuff, and you went through the trenches, they respected you,” he said. Even back then, the Filipino community was limiting themselves as good imitators, but not originators, he says, which has changed as years have gone by. Rhettmatic boasted he’s a “hip-hopper that happens to be Asian American,” seeing more support from Filipinos as they’ve made significant strides in the music industry.
(L-R) Jimmy Jam, Fabolous, Chad Hugo and Terry Lewis pose backstage at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 51st Annual Induction and Awards Gala at Marriott Marquis on June 16, 2022 in New York City.
Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Chad Hugo is a name many recognize for his mythical run in the 2000s as one-half of The Neptunes. In previous interviews, he talked about how his introduction to American pop culture came from radio and television after his parents, who immigrated from the Philippines and moved to New Jersey before settling in West Virginia. The silent partner of Pharrell, Hugo met him in band camp in 1990 and famously wowed New Jack Swing impresario Teddy Riley at a local talent show that they entered as The Neptunes. Hugo and Pharrell bonded over their experience of seeing colors when hearing sounds, birthing their melodic and futuristic production that made them the most prolific and hottest duo of the 21st century.
Dumbfoundead speaks onstage during the Gold House 4th Annual Gold Gala at The Music Center on May 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Gold House.
If there were a Mt. Rushmore of Asian American rappers, Dumbfoundead and MC Jin would be on it. Dumbfoundead grew up in the Koreatown district of Los Angeles, drawing from the city’s melting pot. He got into freestyling and rapping, learning from the open mic stylings of the Project Blowed crew. He battled everywhere in L.A., earning his stripes as a nerdy Asian kid who was being himself, the complete opposite of the gangsta Asian rappers who were battling at the time.
MC Jin’s big break also came from battle rap, cementing himself in 106 & Park history by winning seven consecutive weeks on Freestyle Friday. He rapped in both English and Cantonese, eventually impressing Ruff Ryders, who gave him a record deal. MC Jin was the first Asian American rapper to be signed to a major label, following in the footsteps of Philadelphia group Mountain Brothers, who were the first Chinese American rap group to sign to Ruffhouse Records. Both Dumbfoundead and MC Jin’s music showed how being unapologetically Asian would empower generations of MCs who saw that an Asian American could be a presence in hip-hop. Most of us saw Dumb and Jin on our TV screens, thinking we could be them too.
Artists of Asian descent have influenced hip-hop, too. While there are many to mention, an important name to note was the late Japanese hip-hop producer Jun Seba — otherwise known as Nujabes — who was a wizard of beat alchemy, known for his choice of jazz beats combined with repetitive drum loops and mellow samples to create lo-fi hip-hop. He was popular for his work on Samurai Champloo, soundtracking the anime, and the main reason he has a cult following here in the West.
Another is Anderson .Paak, who is a Dr. Dre protégé and master of versatility, seamlessly switches from drumming, singing, and rapping. Growing up around the church and gospel music, .Paak has stated that 2Pac and Snoop Dogg were his main influences in rap that he wanted to be a gangster rapper at first. He has shown us what not being put in a box looks like as a multi-instrumentalist, becoming heavily sought after as a producer for his funk-infused music. There’s only one XXL Freshman who took the new artist spotlight on Compton and became a bigger star.
Anderson .Paak attends the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 18, 2024 in Paris, France.
Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images.
When you zoom out to today, the cultural exchange between hip-hop and East Asian culture is more prevalent than ever. Wu-Tang Clan’s deep appreciation for kung-fu films was the catalyst for more callbacks to martial arts in hip-hop, like Kendrick Lamar’s Kung-Fu Kenny moniker, a reference to Don Cheadle’s Rush Hour 2 character. RZA teamed up with Awich for an upcoming project he’s producing, with the first single, “Butcher Shop” featuring FERG, already being teased. Megan Thee Stallion collaborated with Yuki Chiba, one of Japan’s hottest rappers right now, after “Team Tomodachi” went viral. Nas and Divine are an unexpected duo, bridging Queensbridge and Mumbai. Blackpink’s Lisa joined forces with Atlanta’s Future. K-pop it-girl JENNIE and TDE it-girl Doechii. Sexyy Red and DaBaby recently collaborated on a video treatment for “Hoochie Coochie,” set in a massage parlor and styled with a Chinese-inspired theme. Hip-hop and Asian culture are a pairing that has gone from trying to prove yourself to fit in to becoming a lucrative move in global reach.
AAPI artists are no longer guests and have a seat at the table. It’s the work put in by 88Rising that shined a light on international acts for Western audiences to learn more about and invest in Asian artists locally. It’s the impact of rap competition shows like South Korea’s Show Me the Money and China’s The Rap of China that widens the spotlight for more unheard talent to be heard. It’s on the shoulders of guys like MC Jin that Brooklyn rapper Khantrast can ask the internet if Asians are invited to the cookout after his track “Landed in Brooklyn” went viral. Asians in hip-hop are part of the very fabric of the culture, constantly evolving their sounds through their historic participation in the genre. It’s past due for hip-hop heads to start widening their scope and start paying attention to hip-hop from other parts of the world. It’s worth tapping into.
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