Leng Bohan (born 1992 or 1993), better known by his

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Bohan Phoenix, is a Chinese-American rapper.

Early life

Leng was born in

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

, China, in 1992 or 1993. His mother worked in

Shenzhen Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...

, and his grandparents took care of him. Leng at the age of 11 immigrated with his mother to

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of ...

, where he heard

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

for the first time. In high school, he joined the choir, where the director encouraged him to rap. Leng studied at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

Career

In 2017, having lived in New York for seven years, he moved back to China after learning there was a strong desire for live hip hop music while going on tour. He released a short film detailing his reasons for returning to

Chengdu Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...

in China called ''3 Days in Chengdu'' produced by Roni Shao. After the Chinese rap competition show ''

The Rap of China ''The Rap of China'' (), formerly known as (), is a Chinese rap competition show produced by iQiyi. The show was carried out in the form of three groups of producers Kris Wu, Will Pan, MC HotDog and Chang Chen-yue judging the performance of the ...

'' popularized hip hop in China, Leng experienced a huge increase in performance invitations, earning him enough funds to remain financially secure living in China. The show's producers asked him to compete on its first two seasons. Wary of how the show would edit his appearances, he declined to join the competition. A November 2021 article said that he was based in New York and had spent the last half decade traveling between New York and China to do shows. To show his support for

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...

, he published the song "Unconditional" in September 2021 as part of ''EMPIRE Presents: Voices For Change: Vol. 1''. Around 2021, he signed with Warner Music China's hip hop label JUUICE and planned to publish an album in 2022 that he had begun creating in 2018. The 2022

Pirelli Calendar The Pirelli Calendar, known and trade-marked as "The Cal", is an annual trade calendar which has been published by the UK subsidiary of the Italian tyre manufacturing company Pirelli since 1964. The calendar has a reputation for its choice of p ...

included Leng, making him the "first Chinese musician" showcased in the trade calendar.

Artistry

Leng's music fuses together Chinese and Western elements through singing in Mandarin and English as well as combining hip hop rhythms with Asian instruments. Olivia Wycech of ''

MixMag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was printe ...

'' said, Leng's work demonstrates a "syncopated harmony of the two transnational cultures he grew up in: rapid fire lyrics riffing in English and Mandarin with stories centred around his cultural identity and experiences as an immigrant — altogether challenging western stereotypes about hip hop". He cites American rapper

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

as his inspiration. Leng was captivated by Eminem's film debut '' 8 Mile'', saying in an interview, he was "impressed by how Eminem was able to stand out, especially in an all-black environment back then. He is the gateway for so many people."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bohan Phoenix 1990s births Living people Year of birth uncertain American rappers of East Asian descent Chinese male rappers Rappers from New York City Musicians from Newton, Massachusetts Singers from Hubei