Dope doc 'Bad Rap' nails the complex world of Asian-American rappers

How many Asian-American rappers can you name off the top of your head?

No cheating, no Googling. 

For the average music fan, let alone a hip-hop head, it's a challenging task. Asian-American rappers, despite being present on the fringe of mainstream music for decades, have rarely been able to break through to that next level. 

Bad Rap, an excellent new documentary that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, explores that current purgatorial state, telling the story of four Asian-American rappers -- Dumbfoundead, Awkwafina, Rekstizzy and Lyricks -- all vying to be on the cusp of something greater.  

Directed by newcomer Salima Koroma, the film is a fresh, creative and fulfilling journey about the territorial history of hip hop -- who's allowed to be a rapper? Who deserves to be taken seriously? It also captures the universal struggle of being an artist.

The desire to make it in a dream field, to connect with an audience, to have a legacy -- it's all deeply explored, through this super specific rap lens. 

Though Bad Rap has four main protagonists, Dumbfoundead is our core thread, the lyrical veteran of the industry with a rap battle past and a strong fanbase. Despite his output -- three solo albums in three years, among other collaborative works -- and a shoutout from Drake, he's far from being a household name. 

The documentary gives historical context, quickly going through a laundry list of pioneering Asian-American rappers over the years, from the Mountain Brothers to Jin. The latter, who seemed destined to be the first Asian-American rap superstar back in the early 2000s, speaks quite frankly in the documentary, explaining the challenges and pitfalls of being the first act of his kind. After blowing up on the battle rap scene and getting signed to DMX's label, Ruff Ryders, he seemed poised for success. 

But then it all crumbled. He released a single, the poorly received "Learn Chinese," and faded away from the limelight. Part of that is because his label didn't know how to market him. Pure talent wasn't enough. He was still an outsider. 

And that's the greatest issue plaguing current Asian-American rappers. The genre is fiercely protective, competitive and obsessed with authenticity. 

Bad Rap does a clever job of weaving in all those tricky areas and painting a full portrait. Is it appropriative if an Asian-American wants to be a rapper? Is it less authentic? Rap has been exploited and pilfered by outsiders who want to cash in on the lucrative industry before and has seen those same outsiders, despite any good intentions, easily prevail over their more credible peers.

"Asian-American rappers are seemingly viewed as no different than your typical culture vultures."

In that vein, Asian-American rappers can sometimes be viewed as no different than disheartening culture vultures.

At the same time, even when it comes down to prowess and talent, Asian-American rappers aren't taken seriously because of damaging stereotypes, plagued with every backwards insult you could imagine. It's a double hurdle -- not being perceived as authentic and having to deal with a mountain of stereotypes on top of that. 

Almost every time Dumbfoundead is in a rap battle, he's assaulted with insulting lyrics that range from rude to downright racist. It's exhausting and absurd, just one more thing that's holding him back from going to that next level. 

Koroma does a remarkable job of weaving in all these narratives, threading in Rekstizzy (the goofball rapper), Lyricks (the lyrical Christian rapper) and Awkwafina (the hipster rapper and sole female star of the film) with deft ease. It's splashy and bold, an intensely vibrant story worth catching at this year's Tribeca Film Festival.

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