Begins penning rap music in November last year, now has 720,000 followers. Every spare moment used to practice, read tutorials, even in bathroom. — SCMP
A video of a 40-year-old mother of two young children in China who taught herself how to be a rapper and to write original songs, has gone viral.
The full-time homemaker, surnamed Xie, from Sichuan province in southwestern China, has a seven-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son.
She has gained widespread popularity for her determination and upbeat approach to life.
Despite the demands of running a household and caring for her children, Xie was determined to make time to learn rap music.
The video footage shows Xie in her kitchen wearing an apron and holding a feeding bottle, while simultaneously singing a self-penned song about her life.
“Apron is my uniform. It’s really cool,” she begins.
Xie goes on to sing about not being afraid of “living in adversity” and how she enjoys striving for her best life. “Please call me a middle-aged rap goddess,” she sings.
A long time music lover, Xie believes the medium is the perfect vehicle for expressing emotions and attitudes, especially rap music.
Although the devoted mother is a recent convert to the genre, she now enthusiastically embraces it.
“I use every moment of my spare time to practice. Even when I go to the bathroom, I listen to songs by others or read tutorials,” said Xie.
She does not have much time to herself during the day to write lyrics and has to wait until her children are asleep and she has completed all the chores before she can sit down without interruptions.
“It’s nearly 11pm or midnight when I start to write songs for about one or two hours,” she said.
Despite only composing rap music since November last year, Xie has completed quite a few songs and has shared them on Douyin, attracting more than 720,000 followers.
In a clip she posted in the first week of January, she rapped about her New Year’s resolution to encourage herself to sustain her rap music passion.
“I’m a housekeeper and child carer day and night, so I am a supermum,” she rapped.
Besides the pure enjoyment of the creative process, Xie writes songs to convey the message that middle-aged women can love rap as much as young people.
She also wants to make the point that, in addition to being a mother, she needs a hobby and still has dreams outside the home.
“I’m a mother, but I still want to be myself,” she said.
The story has captivated mainland social media, with hundreds of people posting comments.
“Wow, what a very cool apron mother,” said one.
“She is a real Wonder Woman,” commented another.
A third said: “She proves that with a dream everyone can shine.”
“She makes her life sparkle,” another said. – South China Morning Post
