MC Jin’s New Rhythm

MC Jin has released a new concept album with a Singaporean producer but his clever lyrics and hypnotic beats are now in Cantonese.

Since moving to Hong Kong, Jin has taken up Cantonese, a language that is full of double entendres and idioms, and has transformed them into poetic lyrics that speaks to a broader audience, including those whose first language is Cantonese.

While Jin has incorporated Cantonese into many of his earlier works, including the single “Learn Chinese” co-produced by Wyclef Jean, and the album “ABC” which is almost entirely in the dialect, Jin’s new album has ramped up the wordplay, which he perfected while honing his craft in Hong Kong.

The Chinese-American rapper is best known in the US for rapping in English and winning freestyle on BET. He has previously won seven straight Freestyle Friday competitions on BET’s “106 & Park” which has put him in their Hall of Fame. His accomplishment on BET lead to a deal with Ruff Ryders record label but he broke ties in 2005.

While his Cantonese rap is on the rise, Jin hasn’t given up working in English. He recently released an English mixtape in Hong Kong called Free Rap Mixtape under Universal.

Listen to a sample

Jin is also currently working on a film on the life of Bruce Lee which is set to be released in November.