A phenomenal rap called Ye Lang Disco (Wild Wolf Disco) has stormed China's music platforms after it hit reality show Rap of China in August. Though the song didn't get its singer into the final round, it has hooked listeners with its catchy rhythm and nostalgic lyrics.
继今年8月登陆《中国新说唱》综艺节目后，《野狼disco》爆红各大音乐播放平台，已经成为最新洗脑神曲。虽然这首歌并没有成功让歌手走到节目最后，但上头的旋律和有回忆感的歌词已征服了很多听众。
The 33-year-old Dong Baoshi (Gem), a rapper from Northeast China, quickly rose to fame thanks to the popular song, in which he raps observations from his hometown in both a local dialect and Cantonese, while fusing a vaporwave track with disco house.
今年33岁的董宝石是一名来自东北的说唱歌手，因《野狼disco》一曲成名。他在创作中讲述了自己家乡的生活经历，粤语与东北话完美配合，“蒸汽波”曲风中带着魔性的社会摇。
Fans of Gem call him "uncle", as a way of expressing intimacy. Wearing a trendy fur coat, a young man good at disco dancing tries to flirt with a girl he has crush on with exaggerated dance moves but he fails. The song tells a sad romance by depicting an old-fashioned club experience in China's industrial regions.
粉丝们喜欢亲切地称呼董宝石为“老舅”。在歌词里，正在蹦迪的老舅穿着貂皮大衣，心思缜密地前去搭讪中意的姑娘，却惨遭拒绝。透过一个忧伤的故事，这首歌讲出了昔日东北老工业地区特有的迪厅文化。
On Oct 15, William Chan released his Cantonese version of Ye Lang Disco with MV, which quickly climbed to the top of most music ranking platforms, pushing the song to a larger audience. Meanwhile on Douyin, different celebrities have danced to the song in their own way, bringing the rap an online virality.
10月15日，歌手陈伟霆发布了他改编的粤语版《野狼disco》MV，迅速拿下几乎所有歌曲榜单冠军，让这首歌又火了一把；此外，抖音上明星们配上《野狼disco》的魔性舞蹈也让该曲更加流行网络。
Why do people love the song? Many hail its nostalgia, while others say it's a reflection of Gem's personal experience, stubbornly pursuing his music style in a fast-changing music industry increasingly dominated by capital.
为什么这首歌如此受欢迎呢？不少人说它打动了怀旧的灵魂，也有人从歌里读出了一个倔强的老舅，在资本裹挟的音乐市场上艰难前行。
The comment with the most likes on NetEase Music player reads: "This is by no means a comedy-style hip hop. But a piece of art work."
在网易云音乐上获得最高赞的留言点评：这不是什么喜剧说唱，这就是艺术。
Music critics believe it's the truthful storytelling of normal people's real lives that has awakened old memories and resonated with people.
有评论认为，歌曲对普通人世俗生活的真实反映勾起了大家的回忆，引发了一代人的集体共鸣。
"Many hip hop songs aim to tell the life of people who lavishly spend money after they get rich. But that's not most people's real lifestyle. It doesn't relate to our memories and emotions of this piece of land we live on," Gem told reporters from GQ Talk during an interview. "I'm trying to seek more possibilities during my production."
在接受GQ报道采访时，董宝石说：“很多Hip pop歌曲的视角是我高高在上，就是哥们行了，哥们就是有钱，每天挥金如土，香槟洗手。但这不是大部分人的生活状态。我们缺少一些关于情感和时代的记忆和认知，所以是想在自己音乐创作中尝试更多的可能性。”
On the other hand, the song is embedded with many internet-friendly elements. With neon colors on its album poster, humorous Northeastern dialect, and lines easy to sing along to, it's no surprise the song has gone mainstream.
当然，《野狼disco》本身也充满了互联网基因。霓虹灯风格海报，自带喜感的东北话，加上“来左边跟我一起画彩虹，在你右边再画个龙”的魔性歌词，让这首上头的歌不火都难。
It's no wonder that netizens say: The first time I heard the song, I didn't get its point. The second time, I felt it was quite interesting. At the third try, the song couldn't get out of my head.
难怪有读者评论：“第一遍，这啥玩意？第二遍，有点意思，好玩。第三遍，再也停不下来了。”
作者：焦洁
来源：China Daily微信公众号
