Higher Brothers Masiwei and KnowKnow Drop New Single “Face Mask”

Two of China’s most high-profile rappers have added their voices to the growing sub-genre of coronavirus rap. Higher Brothers members Masiwei and KnowKnow have teamed up to plug their solo albums and offer a song of love in the time of Covid-19 with the track “Face Mask.”

“I’ll give you the face mask to wear,” goes the chorus. “Get rid of all the viruses / I’ll give you the face mask to wear / When the epidemic breaks out, my love is the antidote.”

It’s not their greatest work.

You can listen to it below for as long as Zhong TV are allowed to have this up on YouTube, or if you can access it the song is on NetEase Music here.

Despite the somewhat opportunistic name, the track is a pretty straightforward love song. It’s not exactly MC Guang’s “Blind Man,” which as Rita Fan wrote in her Rap Wrap column earlier today, examines how “public information has not been transparent enough, causing tragedy and chaos in the wake of the Covid-19 emergency.”

In case you missed it, KnowKnow dropped his Snoop Dogg-endorsed debut solo album late last year, while Masiwei was due to put his own solo record out on Valentine’s Day but delayed the release. Both are 88rising productions.

The Bros are far from the first rappers to reference China’s ongoing health crisis. The collaboration “Pray for Wuhan” — featuring Wuhan rapper Eton — and AR and Q.luv’s upbeat track “Hope” are among the most notable contributions so far. Here’s Rita again with more on those:

Chinese Rap Wrap: Hip Hop Reacts to the Coronavirus

Also: Dongbei rapper GEM makes history at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, but did he steal the "Ye Lang Disco" beat?

Article Feb 04, 2020