Rapper from Taiwan puts out track backing Hong Kong protests, as Chinese artists take sides
- Raise My Fist, by rapper Dwagie, contains lines such as ‘They want Hong Kong but not its people’ and ‘I stand near you and support you with my fists’
- The release of the track comes after hip hop acts in mainland China such as Higher Brothers, Vava, PG One and CD Rev, came out in support of Hong Kong police
An influential Taiwanese rapper has released a track in support of Hong Kong anti-government protesters, as hip hop artists from the Chinese mainland join forces to oppose the demonstrations and support the city’s embattled police force.
The track, Raise My Fist, posted online this week by the rapper Dwagie, contains lines such as “They want Hong Kong but not its people / Kill all of you that love and fight for freedom” and “I stand near you and support you with my fists”.
In the video for Raise My Fist, Dwagie is seen holding a hand over one eye – a gesture seen at many Hong Kong protests in tribute to a woman who suffered a severe eye injury at a demonstration – as time-lapse footage of a mass Hong Kong march plays in the background.
Since early June, millions of Hongkongers marched in protest at a proposed law change to allow extradition from Hong Kong to jurisdictions including mainland China, where the Communist Party controls the courts. The protests, which have become increasingly disruptive, have widened into calls for an inquiry into the strong-arm police response to demonstrations, and for democratic reforms.
Dwagie is a politically active rapper who released the Chinese-speaking world’s first full rap album – Lotus from the Tongue – in 2002. He often raps in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect used in Taiwan, to highlight the island’s identity and has expressed support for Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party.
In recent weeks, many of mainland’s China’s biggest rap acts – including Higher Brothers, Vava, PG One and CD Rev – have turned to social media to post a pro-police meme created by the Communist Party media outlet People’s Daily, or shared images of the Chinese flag.
CD Rev released a diss track called Hong Kong’s Fall to slam the protest movement.
The track – broadcast by several state media outlets – included the warning: “There are 1.4 billion Chinese standing firmly behind Hong Kong police. They will always protect Hong Kong without any hesitation. Airplanes, tanks and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army all gathering in Shenzhen, waiting for the command to wipe out terrorists.”
Until now, Dwagie’s best-known track has been Taiwan Song, an unapologetic advocation of Taiwanese identity that made him an icon on the island.
