CRI听力:China's First Black Rapper

Starting today, we are going to present you a series of reports featuring expatriates' lives in China.

First, a Cameroonian student who arrived in Beijing three years ago with grand dreams of forging a career in music.

He goes by the name of King DF. CRI's Daniel Holmes has the story.

"My name is King DF. I've been in China (for) 3 years. I'm a rapper and in brackets I'm an MC....and an MC means a master of ceremony."

But on paper, King DF's reason for coming to China, was to study business. But this wasn't the reality.

"My dream was to become the only black rapper in China. That was the main point of what I tried to find. I love working in clubs because for me....."
But behind this glitzy lifestyle, of champagne and club beats, he's still at his humble beginnings.

Taking us to his student digs in the north of Beijing, he shares a small room with his friend. With a busy social life, it's always a place buzzing with activity.
 
His promising career began when his single about the Beijing football team, Beijing Guo'an, did well. Being able to write songs in Chinese is a pretty handy talent.

But his ongoing rise to stardom hasn't always been easy. When King DF first arrived, the culture change was a huge shock.

"When I came in China it was pretty hard. I've never gone through such hardness in my life. Being black and coming to China, the view you have for China is an easy life. I wasn't used to the food. I found myself falling in to McDonald's."

Visiting the gym is now a regular part of King DF's routine – trying to shed the pounds he put on whilst struggling to adapt to Chinese food.

"Now I'm an obese. I'm having excess weight on me because in that first year I spent almost 6 months feeding on McDonald's."

Pointing to his muscles, he tells us exactly what McDonald's has done to him!

"This was the old shape. But you can see some McDonald's squishes. I need my shape back!"

As he works hard on his music and body, we'll soon find out if China's ready for King DF.

For CRI, I'm Daniel Holmes.