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Whether it involves a musician in traditional dress singing about Tibetans in exile from their homeland or a group in jeans and a t-shirt rapping about a strong, modern China, hip hop music has flourished in popularity throughout East Asia, even becoming the focus of musical competition shows.
During a semester abroad in Nanjing, China, Tiara Wilson, then an undergraduate, became fascinated with the proliferation of hip hop in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. She found the topic so compelling that she made it the focus of her studies when she was accepted to graduate school at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 2019.
Master’s degree student explores race, identity and culture in East Asian hip hop
Tiara Wilson studies how themes of resistance, justice and cultural identity are expressed in the region’s immensely popular music genre.
[2¾ min read]
May 10, 2021
Tiara Wilson found the proliferation of hip hop in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia so compelling that she made it the focus of her graduate studies. (Photo: Courtesy of Tiara Wilson.)
Whether it involves a musician in traditional dress singing about Tibetans in exile from their homeland or a group in jeans and a t-shirt rapping about a strong, modern China, hip hop music has flourished in popularity throughout East Asia, even becoming the focus of musical competition shows.