All Rapped Up!

Senior student Xianlong (Daniel) Zhang from Haizhou District, China, gave an interesting performance at the last Coffee House: it was an animated rap song. When I asked him what it was all about, I was surprised to learn it's context and story. Enjoy the performance! 

I'll let him explain his love of music and the lyrics to his song:

"I still remember, the first time I touched music. It was a spring, I was playing with my toys in the living room. My father played a song, in my memory, it was an English song. But at that time, I knew nothing about English, I could not even express what I want to talk about in Chinese. But I roughly understood the emotion of that song. That song was my first memory. One day, I heard that music again, and I knew that the song was 'Hotel California'. Several years later, I started to get interested in singing and playing guitar. I love the feeling I get with music, it is an unexplainable feeling, just like when I am talking with someone and sharing my emotion. This is how I regard music -- as a kind of language, a global language. When an English speaker listens to a Chinese song, they may get emotion from the melody, although they don’t speak Chinese. This is how I understand music -- as a language, and this language is better than any other language, not only because it is global, but also people feel something which is not explained by words. Music also has many styles, and most people have their special preference. For myself, my preference of music is rap music and lyrical music. To many people, the massive amount of “gangster rap” give them a sense that all of the rap music has swearing, and all the rappers are ruffians. Actually these days, more and more this kind of rap has appeared, so I hope I can change this situation one day, to change the impression of people to rap music. This is my understanding of music and the reason I love music."

The Lyrics to Daniel’s Song:

I am watching you 
Keep my eyes open
The love you lost is watching you.
Waiting for you to claim
Please don't look at your phone and pretend not care
And you eyes is going to 
The direction of the heart
Floating to you
I saw you and I know
You have noticed
Your location is 
Deliberately moving to me on the front side
Cross your legs want get my notice
I am sure that my brain is full with you
I lament this coincidence.
I really want to talk to you and talk about the weather
Fear and fall into the swamp
I want to tell you that I can rap
You say rapper
Especially attracted you
Imagine you on stage
Especially attracted me
Think of me as your confidant and the red apple in your eyes
Start sharing with me the way you grow up
You said that you are also studying in the United States.
Live in Los Angeles
And we love the same places
Dog town venice beach
I said that we have the same opinion of the world.
Have had the same experience
Come and enjoy the four seasons with me
I am looking at you
Keep my eyes open
The love you lost is watching you.
Waiting for you to claim
Please don't look at your phone and pretend not care
And you eyes is going to 
The direction of the heart
Floating to you
Take a look at the time and sit for three minutes.
The light is on, it is not extinguished, it burns a lot.
Suddenly found that the light has become sharp
It must be the person is missing me
Baby baby
I want to hold you in my arms.
Replace the emotions of your heart
Don't doubt me
Don't make sure that I am a bad guy
Let me gently kiss your cheek
Let my eyes observe your reaction
Pay attention to my goodwill treacherous
Why haven’t you received my Morse code yet?
You stand up and my heart beats like an earthquake
Have begun to imagine your body temperature
You watched me turn and open the landing door
Leave me alone
Why?
Why?
Baby, I am watching you.
I am looking at you
You throw me away…
Away…

Jeff Smith
Director of Visual & Performing Arts