Beats from the East: Transcultural Adaptation of Hip-Hop from North America to Eastern Asia

Abstract

Hip-hop culture has spread from its origins in the South Bronx in the late 1970’s to many countries across the globe, leading to the creation of a Global Hip-hop Nation in which artist from every nation have the ability to share, collaborate, and critique the works of others. With the expansion of a culture that was created – predominately – by marginalized African-Americans, an issue that has arisen is the authenticity of what constitutes ‘real’ Hip-hop for those outside of North America. In this paper the author will explore the relationship between Hip-hop cultures in North America and Eastern Asia in an attempt to show how both cultures have influenced each other rather than the commonly held view that Eastern Asian countries (Japan, China, and South Korea) have copied and imitated the styles of North America. Through secondary research and exploring the scholarship surrounding the creation and expansion of Hip-hop culture the author will examine the circumstances that have lead to the popularity Hip-hop has gained in North America and Eastern Asia, and examine the aspects of Eastern Asian culture that have influenced Hip-hop artists in North America to show that the imitation and adaptation of cultures works both ways.