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ComplexCon Hong Kong: 3 Cornerz Return, pH-1 Co-Headlines
Artistic director Verdy keeps his promise of bridging the old and new generations together
Eric Diep
March 26, 2024
Welcome to Golden Dragon, a newsletter by Eric Diep about Asians in hip-hop and my takes on trending topics in AAPI pop culture. Golden Dragon is a rotation of interviews, reviews, news, critical perspectives, and random blogs about music I recommend.
In Today’s Newsletter:
The monumental return of 3 Cornerz (Edison Chen, MC Yan, and Chef)
Jay Park’s AOMG featuring Simon Dominic, GRAY, Loco, Woo Won-Jae, and Coogie gets a label showcase
Korean American rapper pH-1 closes out with Lupe Fiasco and 21 Savage
Edison Chen’s Hip-Hop Comeback
My first foray into the Chinese hip-hop scene was in 2017. I went to Chengdu, China to visit my friend, who was managing Bohan Phoenix, and invited me to his show with Higher Brothers. The venue was inside a creative arts center, where stylish rap fans packed it out waiting for Higher Gang and Bo. The crowd was so attentive and polite as the artists on stage captured the atmosphere of a hip-hop show. It was a firsthand experience of Chengdu’s burgeoning rap scene. It made me obsessed with learning more about Chinese hip-hop in other cities like Hong Kong and Chongqing.
Since that trip, I dove deeper into Chinese hip-hop by learning about artists like GAI, PG One, Jony J, Vava, and Ty. I was excited to read about the expansion of ComplexCon outside the U.S.: the first in Hong Kong from March 22 to March 24 during Hong Kong Arts Month, and then in Melbourne, Australia from April 27 to April 28. Japanese graphic artist Verdy was named artistic director for the Hong Kong edition too.
Given ComplexCon’s dedication to youth culture and predicting the future across streetwear, music, and other interests, this regional edition proved Hong Kong is a hub for international cultural exchange and needs a repeat.
On Friday, March 22, performances from 3 Cornerz (Edison Chen, MC Yan, and Chef), Shou, Novel Fergus, and Lexie Liu celebrated the past, present, and future of Chinese hip-hop. 3 Cornerz hasn’t released a new album since 2015, but broke their seven-year hiatus with 2022’s “Wave” and their follow-up, 2023’s “GODzilla.” They have not been on stage together for a long time, which made this much more meaningful.
For millennials, EDC is more known for his roles in Infernal Affairs and Initial D than his hip-hop albums. Gen Z probably follows him because he’s the streetwear entrepreneur who co-founded the Hong Kong-based brand CLOT. It’s a big deal that he’s putting his energy into his first passion, hip-hop, by spreading positivity and telling fans to believe in themselves when China has censored hip-hop on television in the past. To see such a welcoming reaction to 3 Cornerz’ performance is an incredible bounceback, building their momentum for a third album.
