"There was nothing, absolutely nothing," recounts Jesse Muoio, referring to Shenzhen's hip hop scene when he first arrived in 1994. Better known as DJ TKO, Muoio has watched hip hop blossom in the past 14 years following his lead. From break dancing to djing, graffiti and rapping, the city now has it all.

Spotting an ad in the newspaper for a three-month hip hop tour of China, the 19 year old American auditioned and made the cut. Recalling the music in the clubs upon arriving, "there was nothing but crazy loud banging ridiculous techno," says Muoio. Those early years were marked by a cautious, gradual introduction of hip hop into house music sets. The crowd wasn't ready yet.

Only in 2000 did things start to change. With the help of his DJ partner Eric Tech and his dancers from Hong Kong, Muoio held the city's first big hip hop party – and packed the house. Riding on the heels of this success, he landed a residency at True Colors spinning hip hop every night. "We were the first hip hop club in all of China," reminisces Muoio. After the first week it was packed every night, and there was no looking back. 

While promoting hip hop through the years, Muoio took a job with U Bar in 2004, and at this time hip hop finally started spreading around the city. "After U Bar got popular with the local Chinese, the other clubs would come in and see what we are doing," he says. Having inspired the likes of Richy and Face, U Bar has remained a staple in the city's hip hop scene with a loyal fan base.

As hip hop gained popularity, a legion of DJs have followed in Muoio's wake, spinning in clubs around the city. However, not all of them understand the music, as he explains, "There's no love for it. Its just a job." Lil' Johnny is an exception, "Hip hop isn't just a kind of music. It's a lifestyle," says the resident DJ of U Bar. The Shenzhen local learned the art of spinning under the guidance of Muoio 8 years ago, and has since established himself firmly in the local hip hop scene.

A frequent fixture at U Bar is break dancers, or b-boys. Enjoy Wang, head of local a local b-boy crew says, "This is the best place to hear hip hop in Shenzhen."
But the young man spends most of his time dancing in Dongmen with his crew. Every other night, they congregate on the platform outside the Shenzhen Cinema, attracting a large crowd of onlookers who stop to marvel at their acrobatic maneuvers.

While preparing there for an upcoming b-boy battle in Zhanjiang, Wang and two friends go through a series of coordinated moves. After doing what seems impossible, he slams the hard stone surface on his back – and gets up smiling. "Contests are good, but I dance primarily for fun. Dancing is the best part of my life," he proclaims. 

Although Muoio mans the decks these days, he is no stranger to dancing – first establishing himself as a b-boy in America before coming to China. But now primarily a DJ, he recruits dancers for his shows – and his crew: AWOL.

Artists With Out License consists of Shenzhen DJs, dancers, and rappers - a virtual hip hop team. Citing DJs Mafio and Ceet, Muoio began asking himself, "We are all in the same city – why should we compete against each other when we can work together and make this money together?" So he took in the best local and foreign artists he could find, and AWOL was reborn in China.

The latest edition to this crew is MC Darius Champion. The young American, who writes lyrics in pinyin, constantly turns heads with his Chinese language MC skills. Although lamenting the state of hip hop in China, he does add that "maybe Chinese hip hop is what American hip hop was like in 1980. It's a rebirth of an old thing. Press control alt delete on the system. Hip hop has been reborn in China." With a new Wednesday hip hop night at Rox Club featuring Champion alongside Muoio and Eric Tech, AWOL has never been stronger.

Originally a graffiti crew that Muoio created in America in 1991 (no one could ever say he isn't well rounded), the collective has come a long way.

Speaking of graffiti perhaps none in Shenzhen are known better than YYY, a local who has been practicing the art for 7 years. "Shenzhen is the best city in China for graffiti," he explains on an afternoon outing to Honghu Park, home of the longest graffiti wall in China. With a style that utilizes Chinese elements, inserting tradition into the modern hip hop art – his work speaks volumes for Chinese graffiti.

Hip hop in China, which largely didn't exist when Muoio first arrived, is now stronger than ever. "You can get what you want as far as hip hop in Shenzhen. The sky's the limit…" he says in content. Although returning to America this fall after 14 years in the city, Muoio leaves behind a strong legacy and many contributions to the hip hop scene in Shenzhen. And for certain, a host of young Chinese will carry on and enrich the scene for years to come.

What's Hot:
U Bar: Thu, Fri, Sat nights with DJ TKO and Lil' Johnny
Rox Club: Wednesday Night with AWOL crew
Club de Acqua: Sunday Night Cypher with open mic and b-boy battles
Chocolate Ice Cream: new hip hop bar on the 2nd floor of Chocolate, featuring DJ KC
Ibiza: Old School hip hop on Friday and Saturdays