Listening Party: Multilingual Rap of China with Alvin Li

Join us for a special Listening Party with writer and curator Alvin Li, exploring the vibrant and contested terrain of Chinese hip-hop through the lens of multilingualism, identity, and resistance. Drawing from his essay West Side Stories—published in the Slavs and Tatars-led volume The Contest of the Fruits—Li takes us on a journey through the evolution of rap in mainland China and the Uighur region of Xinjiang.

Focusing on how Uighur rappers navigate linguistic hybridity and regional identity within complex sociopolitical conditions, Li presents selected tracks alongside commentary that considers rap as a space for affiliation, storytelling, and resilience. From early underground collectives to the breakout moments of national reality television, this session listens closely to the layered narratives encoded in beat and verse.

“Many rappers from Xinjiang have adopted the term ‘West Side’—not in Uighur or Chinese, but in English—to refer to their home. A clear homage to West Coast hip-hop, this choice signals the global imagination at the heart of Uighur rappers’ efforts to forge a strong regional identity.”— Alvin Li, West Side Stories

This Listening Party is presented as part of the public programme for Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits at esea contemporary, and continues the exhibition’s engagement with language politics, humour, and the subversive potential of vernacular culture.

About esea contemporary

esea contemporary is the UK’s only non-profit art centre specialising in presenting and platforming artists and art practices that identify with and are informed by East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) cultural backgrounds.

esea contemporary is situated in an award-winning building in the heart of Manchester, home to one of the largest East Asian populations in the UK. Since its inauguration as a community-oriented visual arts festival in 1986, esea contemporary – previously named Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art – has continuously evolved to establish itself as a dynamic and engaging space for cross-cultural exchanges in the British art scene, as well as in a global context.

esea contemporary aims to increase the visibility of contemporary art practices from the East and Southeast Asian communities and their diasporas. It is a site for forward-thinking art programmes that beyond exhibitions also include commissions, research, residencies, publishing, and a wide range of vibrant public events. esea contemporary values creativity, compassion, interconnectedness, and collectivity in implementing its mission.

Photo by Joe Smith.