Former EXO member Huang Zitao and The Rap of China season 1 winner GAI have linked up on a new track entitled “Black Card.”
It’s the second time the pair have collaborated, after the single “No Pain, No Gain” (不劳不获) in 2019. Accordingly, GAI has previously said that it was Huang who changed his opinions of Chinese pop idols after the pair met at a dinner and went on to make that first track.
GAI, who rose to prominence as part of Chongqing trap crew GO$H has gotten a huge boost in his career since he joined The Rap of China, becoming the face of underground hip hop on mainstream media. Meanwhile, Huang Zitao, the man who once rapped, “Any of my rap songs can beat all Chinese rappers” has been making pains to achieve credibility among his hip hop peers, something which a collaboration with GAI can contribute to.
The latest combination between GAI and Huang, who is also affectionately referred to as Tao, come as the pair are currently acting as mentors on two very different, but competing rap variety shows.
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Since August, GAI has been a mentor on the latest season of iQIYI show The Rap of China, while Huang has joined Bilibili’s rival rap show Rap for Youth, alongside Higher Brothers’ Masiwei and KnowKnow.
The song itself is a mediocre back-and-forth between GAI and Tao, with the latter singing lyrics like, “MTF no like me you out my life ya,” over a downtempo trap beat.