Wang Yitai | Hip-Hop Has Never Been Imported

Wang Yitai

Q&A:

Among your works, there is "Pay Attention" in terms of singing skills, "Children's Words Are Unbridled" in terms of carelessness, and "Time is Gold" in terms of lyrics. So what do you personally think you’d like to see added to future works? part?

Wang Yitai: I think the three aspects you just mentioned are just scratching the surface by my standards. These have changed as I have lived and aged. I just want to express what I want to express more clearly, so for me, really doing one of these three aspects is enough. This is actually very important. disaster.

I can understand that according to your standards, the three songs just mentioned cannot be considered your masterpieces, right?

Wang Yitai: I don’t want to have any masterpieces, nor do I want to label myself. I want to be a person who can continue to output. I hope people can continue to listen to my songs and be interested in me.

Wang Yitai

Many people say that your lyrics are very narrative and mostly based on emotional considerations. Does getting married allow you to express your emotions on a deeper level?

Wang Yitai: Definitely. The new album will talk about this aspect, it is the inspiration it brought to me after I got married. I don’t think marriage is the end of the world. Many people say that "marriage is the grave of love." I think this sentence means that marriage is a new beginning. It will make you understand a lot of things you didn't know before, and it will also make you learn a lot of things again. Knowing yourself.

Before joining the show, you were already well-known for your abilities. After leaving this industry, you gained a large number of "fan girls". Did your fan base change significantly before and after this? what do you think?

Wang Yitai: Of course there are changes, but I am very happy with this change. It was really hard to participate in variety shows before. There's no way to get more people interested in this thing. But with this platform, the number of practitioners and listeners has greatly increased, and everyone's choices have also changed. We still have a long way to go, but it's gratifying that more and more people are pushing.

Wang Yitai

Today, many of your fans listen to your songs because they like you rather than hip-hop. Is it difficult for you to be understood by your audience, or are there cultural differences between you and them?

Wang Yitai: Yes, but I don’t think it’s a big problem. I used to be a purist. It seems that since you play Hip-Hop, you have to be the “most rapping” person. But now my tolerance is growing. It seems like most of my songs are for the fans, but my intention is that after they hear this song, they'll want to hear my next song, just in case. When he heard the song that he thought was the most Hip-Hop, he started to get really interested in our Hip-Hop culture? It's interesting. These actually indirectly helped me regain my purity.

How do you feel about some labels given to you by some fans, such as "cute", "crybaby", "little fresh meat" and other adjectives that are somewhat contrary to your image?

Wang Yitai: Actually, I’m not used to using such words to describe myself, but it’s harmless and it doesn’t matter to me. This is an expression of love from your fans, you just have to be a positive image in their eyes. For me, appearance factors are secondary. If you are someone who is very fashionable musically, it goes without saying. Most followers may have different starting points, but the end goal is the same.

Wang Yitai

From underground to above ground, which way of life do you personally prefer?

Wang Yitai: On the ground, at least there are more possibilities and more opportunities on the ground, but the only thing is don’t forget that you came down from the ground.

But like many people who insist on the "purism" you mentioned before, they may still feel that the underground culture circle is more suitable for this kind of cultural atmosphere.

Wang Yitai: Because it is more comfortable and safer. If we still exist underground, in a niche, a lot of things are controllable. Your behavior will not cause trouble to fans, you will not be chased or blocked when you walk on the street, and you can truly have your own life. But you can’t have your cake and eat it too, the earth gives you unlimited possibilities. Above and below ground is not that important. The important thing is that you know what you want to get, or what you are working towards. Don’t let it affect your mood and direction in making music just because you’re in heaven or on earth. In other words, no matter where you are, we are making music and promoting this culture together.

Wang Yitai

I heard that advance tickets for one of your shows sold out in one minute. Is this a sense of accomplishment for you? Why was it just a joke at the beginning, thinking it was scalpers maliciously grabbing votes?

Wang Yitai: This is really scalpers grabbing votes! While this reflects rap's growing popularity, it's unfair to fans who actually want to hear the music. Even if I don't sell a single ticket, it won't make a big difference to me. I remember when I first released the song "Watch", there was no audience. At that time, in a small bar in Chengdu, only forty or fifty people gathered around me to finish singing this song. I see this performance as a piece of music. This is a relatively personal issue. Of course I'm happy that more and more people like me, but even if only one or two people stand in the audience and listen to me singing, I won't be disappointed.

In fact, is this enough to satisfy a person’s desire for expression?

Wang Yitai: Yes, this is also my original intention of making music. All people who truly create music do so to satisfy their own desire for expression.

Wang Yitai

You’ve been in a lot of shows. Do you prefer performing alone or on stage with friends?

Wang Yitai: Maybe I prefer to sing solo. First of all, because I can lead a band, I can control costs and so on. Secondly, my carefully planned performance will not go unrecognized because of a certain song. Secondly, it is communication with fans. Communication will be more direct. But the next album will be different. It’s a joint album between Iger and I, so whether it’s on tour or at festivals, the two of us are together most of the time.

You talked about working with other people. According to my previous understanding, when I release a single, I rarely use trap, but when I collaborate with others, I mostly use trap. As someone who comes from CDC, you have a lot to say about the style of your work. Is there a specific definition?

Wang Yitai: No definition. They're both music that I love. I listen to music every day. I might spend 2 hours listening to Trap, 2 hours listening to Jazz, 2 hours listening to Funk... I hope that each of my albums has rich expressions, ups and downs, joys and sorrows, and I think they all have to be present, so I don’t want to limit my style on the album, but when I collaborate with others, a lot of the time it’s about being cool together, and trap is the best. It will dry out.

Wang Yitai

I heard you playing a Lamar song while we were filming. Do you like him more?

Wang Yitai: I like a lot of things and listen to a lot of things. I am particularly willing to listen more, absorb more of everyone's strengths, and then turn them into my own strengths.

Speaking of foreign products, hip-hop is actually an imported product to us, right?

Wang Yitai: I think Hip-Hop is not an imported product. It was summed up by black Americans at a specific time and in a specific social environment. We can actually think that Hip-Hop has existed since ancient times. It has to do with human nature. The emergence of Hip-Hop has only aroused mankind's desire for artistic expression. For example, if you give a child a crayon, the first thing he will think of is drawing on the wall. For example, the Dunhuang murals in the past can also be called "graffiti" today. This is human nature, so it is preserved.

Wang Yitai

Have you ever wondered why in foreign countries, people regard living, drinking, "money, and grass" as cool things, but in China, once you are labeled as an "artist", you have to portray yourself as a good man? Personality, fans also pursue him like an idol. Looking into it further, do you think this has changed the taste of Hip-Hop? Or are these inevitable and necessary in our context?

Wang Yitai: From the perspective of music attributes, the people are nourished by the soil and water, just like the rap styles on the east and west coasts of the United States are different, not to mention the generational differences between the east and west countries. Understandably, there is no one standard answer. Secondly, "Every country has its own national anthem." As a creator, you should find ways to find inspiration instead of following other people's actions, which is making excuses for your own desires. Hip-Hop has its own unique look no matter which country it is in, and I think this is also its charm. As for shaping the personality of a good man, I say, you are who you are. Behind your labels of "artist" and "star," you are a human being and a musician. Most importantly, is it right to create good music? Don't compromise your dreams. No one is perfect, and people who listen to songs should also focus on the songs, not the singer's life. Everyone is an independent individual and everyone has his own life. .

Does being included in the 2019 "Forbes China Under 30" list give you a greater sense of accomplishment, or does it feel more fulfilling to win the annual Golden Melody Award for your work?

Wang Yitai: To be honest, such a "result" will only make me happy that day. What makes me feel most accomplished is the direct feedback from fans. For example, someone said to me: "Your songs accompanied me through my tired senior year of high school." Another time we were drinking, and a kid was waiting for us at the door to finish drinking, asked me for my autograph, and told me: "You must Make good music, Chinese rap needs people like you who are serious about making music." I think these are the highlights of my sense of accomplishment.

I had goosebumps all over my body.

Wang Yitai: I woke up immediately. At that moment I felt that as long as people like this exist, I will always continue to make music.

Editor = Mr. Zuo / Photographer = Wang Yongxing / Interview + Text = Candy Shopkeeper / Costume Style = Yu Xiaoyu / Makeup and Hairstylist = Cheng Yao (Stan Lee) / Editorial Assistant = jim

标签： #music