Chinese rapper Lan Lao, a provocative and unmistakably individual presence, has built his reputation on a style that moves between sharp-edged social observation, abrasive humour, self-mythologising bravado, and an ear for the vernacular textures of contemporary Chinese life. His public persona is as divisive as it is magnetic: for some, he is a fearless and unusually candid voice; for others, a figure whose provocations too readily become the point.

In their extensive and highly personal conversation, Converse interviewers ZHANG Hao and ZHANG Wanlin do not avoid the difficult questions. They press Lan Lao on the contradictions of his public image, the controversies surrounding him, his artistic self-understanding, and the distance—if any—between performance, provocation, and conviction. If he could be combative, evasive, or impatient on the one hand, he was, on the other, remarkably forthcoming: candid about his work, his ambitions, his conflicts, and the conditions under which he makes music. The full interview is available via the link below.

Converse 2_Lan Lao interview