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GAI (musician)

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GAI 周延
Born (1987-03-22) March 22, 1987 (age 37)
Yibin, Sichuan, China
Occupation(s)Rapper, singer, songwriter
SpouseWang Siran
Children1
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese周延
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōu Yán
Websitehttps://www.instagram.com/gai_zhou/?hl=en

Zhou Yan (born March 22, 1987), more commonly known by his stage name GAI, is a Chinese rapper, singer and songwriter. GAI was the co-champion of the first season of The Rap of China and is one of the more prominent hip hop musicians from Chongqing.

Early life

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GAI was born in Weiyuan County, Neijiang City, Sichuan Province. He relocated to Chongqing and joined the Chongqing hip-hop rap label GO$H,[1] spending time in the city's underground clubs.[2] His stage name GAI is a childhood nickname meaning "lid" (盖) that he was given because of his bowl cut.[3]

Career

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On September 15, 2015, GAI released his personal hip-hop rap single "Daydreamer"; On November 11th, a personal hip-hop rap single titled "Cute Girl" was released.[1]

GAI became more widely known in China after joining hip hop competition The Rap of China in 2017,[3] which is often seen as the mainstream debut of Chinese hip hop on mainland television. The iQiyi reality competition garnered 2.5 billion online views within China.[4][5] GAI was the co-winner of the first season, and has maintained his relevance in the hip hop scene with various digital tracks, usually mixing Chongqing and other Southwest Chinese dialects with Mandarin in his tracks.[6] He was among the first prominent rappers from Chongqing, which has now become a notable hub for hip hop in China.[7][5]

He has since appeared on multiple reality TV programs, including Call Me By Fire, and I Am a Singer.

GAI has faced censorship issues from the regulatory authorities in China, notably being removed from Hunan Television's reality show I Am a Singer mid-season in 2018, during a government crackdown on hip hop.[8] He was presumably targeted due to his early works that glorified crime. However, he has responded by integrating traditional Chinese poetry, music, and literature, particularly historical martial arts tales, into his music, and added patriotic themes celebrating China's illustrious history in his works.[8][5][9] This nationalist approach has kept his work acceptable to both the public and the government.[7] He returned as a judge for the forth season of The Rap of China in 2020.[6]

Other activities

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On November 7, 2017, GAI attended the DOOR&KEY brand press conference and donated the 1 million prize money earned from participating in The Rap of China to Hope Project, establishing a happy music classroom for children in mountainous areas.[1][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "明星个人首页". ent.sina.com.cn. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  2. ^ Zhang, Gaochao (January 25, 2018). "China embraces hip-hop even a government censor can love". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Chandler; He, Xin (November 6, 2017). "GAI：嘻哈匪徒" [GAI: Hip Hop Gangster]. GQ China. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Tang, Jas; Illsley, Chris (May 24, 2018). "China's hip-hop ban: lessons for brands". Campaign Asia. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Wu, Huizhong (May 3, 2024). "A Chinese flavor of rap music is flourishing as emerging musicians find their voices". AP News. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Yau, Elaine (September 27, 2020). "The rise of Gai, Chinese hip hop icon and reality show winner". South China Morning Post. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Lanyon, Charley (June 8, 2019). "Five Chinese rappers who went big after The Rap of China". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "China's fledgling hip-hop culture faces official crackdown". BBC News. January 24, 2018. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "Communist rappers are luring young disgruntled Chinese". The Economist. October 2, 2023. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  10. ^ 内地星娱 (September 14, 2022). "全场最高个人胜率！GAI周延赢得《中国说唱巅峰对决》年度MVP". k.sina.cn. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
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