Hip-hop is a vast cultural movement that began in New York in the 1970s. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the four components of hip-hop are rapping, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti writing. This culture is commonly associated with African Americans and Latinos because they were the pioneers of this movement in the 1970s. When you look back at some of hip-hop's early innovators, like The Sugarhill Gang, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five and the beloved Run DMC, one similarity they all shared was their African heritage. For this reason, hip-hop was briefly identified as a purely African-American art form. However, as time went on, hip-hop was embraced more by the mainstream in the 1980s. As a result, musicians of other different races tried their hand at hip-hop. At the moment, it would not be accurate to say that hip-hop is a black art form created by black people. However, to this day there is still no place for an Asian rapper in the archives of hip-hop history, much less in modern American mainstream media. Asian men are commonly emasculated in America by stereotypes. Hien Dang, a published Vietnamese writer, said in an article published in the International Examiner that racial generalizations include, but are not limited to: Asians are very short, good at math, nerdy, bad at driving, and lame with women. Finally, the most damning stereotype about Asian men is that they all have small penises. With an image like this, it's no wonder why Asian men aren't often accepted by the mainstream media, unless they're fighting dozens of unarmed men in movies like Jackie Chan or Jet Li. Asian rappers are currently overlooked in hip-hop mainly due to these stereotypes... middle of paper... a rapper who finds success by paying homage to New York City hip-hop? I can't say for sure when the Asian invasion will happen or if it will happen at all. But what I can say is that if you look hard enough, you can find some good Asian rap. As stereotypes are overcome in America, talented musicians of all races will have an easier time thriving and succeeding. Stereotypical eyes are truly closed eyes, not Asian eyes. Anyone of any ethnicity can rap amazingly. Case in point, the Blue Scholars. Seriously, they're good. Really good. The issue of masculinity in hip-hop also needs to be addressed. This image creates an unrealistic portrayal of rappers' lives. It's a cheap way to exploit women and empower men. As long as this image exists, Asian rappers will have a difficult time overcoming such powerful stereotypes to succeed in music.