Hong Kong Hip Hop

Hip hop can be traced in Hong Kong from the early 90s with singers such as Sandy Lam and Shirley Kwan. The Hong Kong hip hop scene developed in 1991 with Softhard and in 1999 with the formation of LMF, the first rap/rock group signed by a major record label, Warner Music. The group consisted of ten core members many of whom were also in the bands NT, Screw, and Anodize. Despite the popularity of the now disbanded LMF, which gained mild success in the mainstream, hip hop music continues to remain underground, led by independent artists.

Sandy Lam's first EP for Warner Music, Getting Mad in 1991, had Hip hop influences and was one of the few EPs in Hong Kong to go platinum in the 1990s. The other is being Shirley Kwan's Golden Summer in the same year, that a song called Dear had rapping from Softhard.

The presence of hip hop music in Hong Kong in the shadows of Cantopop is reflected by collaborations between rappers such as MC Yan (of LMF) with pop artists such as Edison Chen. In the 1990s hip hop lost ground to Rock music and House music. The Hip House style evolved at that time.

Currently, MC Jin (www.ayojin.com) is leading figure in HK rap, being a fluent Cantonese and English speaker and releasing Cantonese rap albums.