The rise of Gai, Chinese hip hop icon and The Rap of China winner who went from contestant to judge on the hit reality show

Gai – real name Zhou Yan – was once infamous for videos such as Gangsta in which he raps about the Chinese mafia while waving knives at the camera

Now he prefers patriotic imagery and traditional Chinese elements, and wants to inspire youngsters as a judge on the show he won in 2017

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Chinese hip hop star Gai was crowned champion of reality show The Rap of China in 2017 together with fellow rapper PG One. Photo: iQiyi

Published: 12:15pm, 27 Sep 2020Updated: 5:17pm, 27 Sep 2020

Chinese hip-hop star Gai has come a long way since he first appeared as a contestant on season one of the hit music reality show The Rap of China three years ago.

In the current fourth season of the show, Gai – real name Zhou Yan – has moved from contestant to judge alongside other stars including Kris Wu Yifan and Wilber Pan. It’s a spectacular achievement for Zhou, who just three years ago was virtually unknown.

“I want to thank The Rap of China for nurturing me,” Zhou tells the South China Morning Post. “But I want to thank myself even more. If you don’t have the ability, you won’t succeed, even if people give you a stage. So I want to thank myself for my perseverance.”

The 33-year-old was crowned the co-winner of season one, together with fellow rapper PG One. And now with 11 million followers on Weibo – China’s Twitter-like service – Zhou is one of the most bankable rap stars in the country.

Having served as a brand ambassador for Chinese sportswear giant Li Ning, Tmall (an e-shopping platform owned by Alibaba Group, which also owns the Post) and other brands, Zhou has ingeniously combined Chinese chic with hip hop, composing and performing rap tracks for promotional campaigns.

The rise of Gai, Chinese hip hop icon and The Rap of China winner who went from contestant to judge on the hit reality show

Gai – real name Zhou Yan – was once infamous for videos such as Gangsta in which he raps about the Chinese mafia while waving knives at the camera Now he prefers patriotic imagery and traditional Chinese elements, and wants to inspire youngsters as a judge on the show he won in 2017

Gai – real name Zhou Yan – was once infamous for videos such as Gangsta in which he raps about the Chinese mafia while waving knives at the camera

Now he prefers patriotic imagery and traditional Chinese elements, and wants to inspire youngsters as a judge on the show he won in 2017