Well I guess I could cover this as well as just about anyone... I'm half asian and half white and have been a hip-hop fiend since the age of 12 and am now almost 25. Now I'd like to say that no matter what people will tall you about Whites they did come with the hip hop EARLY, I remember some of the first music I ever saved up to buy for in my life were RUN-DMC's Raisin Hell and Beastie Boys Liscense to ILL. Somewhere along the line Beasties were no longer considered hip-hop, but to this day I still believe they are the most creative and musically diverse.

I have grown up listening to ALL types of Music. I work/have worked for 5 radio stations in Philadelphia, one of the largest cities in the US and none of them have been are Hip-Hop format. I LIVE for Hip-Hop, I was a breakdancer from age 12-15. I wrote graf and learned to DJ at 16 and have been doing everything to support my love of this thing as far back as I remember, I remember the b-boys I remember the gangsters I remember the soul afro movements and embraced them all.

Now how do I explain the love for a music that I dedicated most of my life and paychecks supporting, YES i'm White and ASIAN, I've traveled the world raised as an ARMY brat, I've been raised in entriely white hoods/schools and been livin in entirely black/Puerto Rican hoods/schools as well. I know what a food stamp looked like and I've tasted gov't cheese. and maybe that's why I can appreciate this culture and it's people more. I can't explain it for others. But I believe that some people out there CAN relate reguardless of color. It's all about the love of music. Somewhere in one's life hip-hop was served up to them most likely in a commercial format. From there add social environment, age, and education where hip-hop goes from there is based on the individual.

Now as far as why Asians are stepping into the Hip-hop scene I believe it's because they can relate very much to it. Asians been in the getto and they stayin there. Have you EVER been in a getto and NOT seen a Asian grocery or Chenese take out?????? Last I checked ain't no Chinatown in this country lookin like Beverly Hills. and think about this ...WHat the hell else is there for Asians????????!!!!!! Name a famous Asian singer, actor (not associated with any form of martial art or action film!), athlete ( ok baseball is hookin a few brothers up but name another?), Rapper???HAHAHA (Mountain Bros from Philly holdin the fort down), Invisible scratch Picklez representin for the Asians and are some of the best DJ's in the World. but we as a people do make up most of the world's population, Asian's make up most of the world but the world don't know shit about Asian's other than kung fu and food they be scarfin. You suprised to see us at hip-hop shows...WHY?

As for whites that's a tough question to answer. I myself always had love for hip-hop. I have many friends that are white and do this not just for love of music anymore. they gots paychecks riding on it, hip- hop is no longer somethin you turn on the radio, it's food clothing and shelter it's LIFE. Now I am almost 25, am I supposed to throw away all my music ( I'm talkin bout hundreds of CD's,tapes, and vinyl) my memories of hip-hop throughout my life. forget about all that I have experienced living this hip-hop thing cuz I'm white? Am I supposed to pick up a guitar and buy a few (more) rock records or whatever it is "white" people supposed to be listening to. (Metallica or something?) I don't understand how people just see everything as Black or White there's a lot of other races around you and they there ALL THE TIME. So why does it bug some out that hip-hop is supported by many. Most have been fed it in some form of Media since it was created. Some embrace it and further it....many don't. But it all comes down to where the heart is at. Maybe more whites and asians supporting the true underground cuz we hear what they sayin and understand. Maybe it's cuz Many blacks livin in ignorance...ignorance is bliss and right now most people livin well. I'd say that the Black population doin better now than ever economically. Which don't mean they at a point they should be but...Everybody seem to be embracin the Jiggyness cuz the economy doin well and the current soundtrack to their life revolvin around money. Some don't WANNA hear anything intelligent. Simple hooks and simple formulas will do. Not to mention that radio supportin it full force...they play what the KIDS wanna hear. The KIDS buy what they hear. they market it for the young kids and the sheep follow the flock.
Sometimes leaving the flock is hard to do but once the cycle is broken a revolution in thought and a change happens, Witness the birth of what they call Underground. I believe it came about around 95 and after 5 years underground gettin a spotlight ( the Roots won a grammy!!??) here comes the change in music. Embrace it and go with yours BUT always look around at the rest of those who were intelligent enough to break away from the flock of sheep we followed as kids. You might find that not all the sheep are white and they aren't all black either it's just a matter of surroundings and teachings. Luckily I have been blessed with many forms of education in life and music and I was born at a time when hip- hop was born. I've lived at and learned this. Musical evolution comes about constantly, it is art, it is life, life imitates art, and as in all music artists are gonna change things from rock to rap everybody adds their own spice. the flavor will always change over time the recepie will never stay the same. It ain't about color it's about music period.
One Love :-)
Travellin' Matt