Despite acts like Higher Brothers beginning to gain an international following, China has reportedly decided that hip-hop culture has no place on their television airwaves. According to a report from Time Magazine, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People’s Republic of China (or "SAPPRFT") has decided to throw down the ban hammer. In a report from Chinese news outlet Sina (originally translated by Time), it seems that SAPPRFT issued a statement on the ban, and t moving forward the new regulations “specifically requires that programs should not feature actors with tattoos [or depict] hip hop culture, sub-culture (non-mainstream culture) and dispirited culture (decadent culture)."
Apparently, director of the administration’s publicity department Gao Changli has issued four rules - commandments of sorts.
"Absolutely do not use actors whose heart and morality are not aligned with the party and whose morality is not noble
Absolutely do not use actors who are tasteless, vulgar and obscene
Absolutely do not use actors whose ideological level is low and have no class
Absolutely do not use actors with stains, scandals and problematic moral integrity"
The ban has already had effects on Chinese programming. Rapper GAI ended up being removed from the competition show Singer, with all footage of him being removed from Hunan TV's Youtube channel. Another rapper by the name of Wang Hao, aka PG One (pictured above) was forced to apologize after his lyrics apparently promoted drug culture and the objectification of women.
Suffice it to say, the ban has not sat well with the public. One has to wonder what groups like Higher Brothers, who recently dropped an EP called Journey To The West, think of this ban. The Chinese quartet have recently been killing it, collaborating with the likes of Ski Mask The Slump God and Famous Dex. Check out their biggest song, "Made In China" below.