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CD Rev, also known as Chengdu Revolution[1] or 天府事变 (tiān fǔ shìbiàn), is a Chinese Communist Party-sponsored gangsta rap group[2] whose nationalist-themed music has been described in the West as propaganda.[3][4][5] The group's music videos have been viewed online millions of times partly due to the support of state media in China[4] and widely discussed in Western media.
CD Rev's four members—Wang "Chuckie" Zixin, Li "Pissy" Yijie, Tan "N.O.G." Yunwen, and Luo "Roy" Jinhui—are from the south-western Chinese city of Chengdu,[2] a city with an emergent American-style rap music scene.[6] The group claims to have been formed on 1 October 2015, the anniversary date of the foundation of the People's Republic of China.[2] The group is one of a number of nationalistic media projects sponsored by the technology entrepreneur Rao Jin; other endeavours include the website April Media which produces Chinese-themed talks in the style of TED.[4]
The group claims to draw inspiration from American hip-hop artists such as Eminem and Dr. Dre,[7] though their lyrics express "more affection for law enforcement than is customary for gangsta rappers".[2] The band's members believe that CD Rev's music is a modernization of traditional Chinese patriotic education.[4][8]
CD Rev have released a number of singles, frequently accompanied by music videos, on topics ranging from China's disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea to the legacy of Mao Zedong.[7]
The group's first single, "The Force of Red", appeared in January 2016. The song, performed in English, espouses pro-One China sentiments and attacks Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen,[2] describes Western journalists as "media punk ass white trash fuckers",[9] and declares that "the red king's coming back".[3] Group member Wang Zixin later called these lyrics "a little extreme".[7]
In June 2016, CD Rev released a single sponsored by the Communist Youth League, a government-backed Communist youth movement. The song, called "This is China", was also performed in English,[2] as it was aimed at Westerners with the intent of changing their perceptions of China.[7][3] The song's lyrics trumpet Chinese achievements such as the work of Nobel Prize-winning chemist Tu Youyou and the ancient philosopher Confucius.[1][4] "This is China" acknowledges many of China's problems, including air pollution and political corruption[2][5] but also suggests that these problems have been exaggerated by foreign media.[2][9] The song was characterized as "cringe-worthy"[1] and "wooden".[3] Social media users noted that the music video for "This is China" was very similar to an earlier video from South Korean rapper San E,[9] and the video has since been removed due to copyright claims from San E's production company, Brand New Music.[10]
CD Rev released the song "No THAAD" in May 2017, again sponsored by the Communist Youth League. Performed in a mixture of English and Chinese, "No THAAD" criticizes the South Korean government of Park Geun-hye for authorizing the installation of the American THAAD missile defense system, which the Chinese government had objected to.[7][11] The song's lyrics refer to South Korea as China's "little brother" and warn that "[the] things you're doing now are gonna rip you apart".[11]
In December 2018, CD Rev released F*** Lil Pump, a diss track against American rapper Lil Pump. That month, Lil Pump had previewed Butterfly Doors, a song containing anti-Asian lyrics such as "ching chong" and "they call me Yao Ming cause my eyes real low".[12]
On 15 April 2020, CD Rev released a single named “Mr. Virus”, sponsored by the Communist Youth League.
The content of the song includes:
- Expressing support for Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is the Director-General of the World Health Organization.
- Laughing and insulting Taiwan.
- Laughing at Western politicians and the media.
These three points are also the most important propaganda views of the Chinese Communist Party after the COVID-19 pandemic. CD Rev sang the propaganda views of the Chinese Communist Party in the form of hip-hop rap. People's Daily, Ziguang Pavilion, and the Communist Youth League jointly praised the song.[13]
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