China’s Anti-THAAD Rap Video Is Really Something
Lately, South Korea has expressed a great deal of interest in deploying an American missile-defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD. With North Korea amping up its rhetoric and testing more and more ballistic missiles, the idea is that THAAD would be able to take out any incoming missiles. But THAAD also includes some advanced surveillance capabilities, and officials in China are worried that this could lead to Chinese data being shared with the American government. It’s all pretty complicated, but tensions between China and South Korea have been increasing lately over it. And now China is using its greatest anti-THAAD public-relations weapon: Rap music.
As The New York Times reports, a Sichuan-based rap group called CD Rev has recorded an anti-THAAD anthem, rapping in both English and Chinese about why South Korea should not deploy THAAD. As an American with only the dumbest, most elementary understanding of this conflict, it’s a pretty insane thing to watch.
Here’s how it starts: “How many times do I have to warn you, my lovely little neighbor boy? You don’t really want that little toy / You know, your big brother is annoyed.” More sample lyrics: “What’s THAAD? Terminal what? / It ain’t gonna terminate your problems / But I love you, kid / You will get embraced.” And still more sample lyrics, this time translated from Chinese: “Why not choose us rather than Uncle Sam? / This situation seems out of control / Also, I hope that every time such international affairs like THAAD arise / We can be aware that we should keep calm / And not be angry with our fellow countrymen.” And there’s an extended diss of someone named Mu Yulan; Google is not helping me figure out what’s going on there. Here’s the video:
This whole thing would be a whole lot funnier if it did not involve the threat of international nuclear war in any way.