So, in August and September, he stopped performing for two months and focused on the new album. "I spent 24 hours in the recording studio and it was very enjoyable, the process of making the new album," he says.

As a father of a 2-year-old boy, a husband and a son, he also wrote the songs Papa and Love Story to dedicate to his family, showing a softer side to the rapper.

On Dec 6, he launched the album with a live concert, which attracted not only fans, but also his longtime friends, including Ma Jun, a rapper from Xinjiang, who also stood out on The Rap of China.

DK, another veteran rapper from Xinjiang, was featured in the song Western Noise, which is also the name of the record label launched by Nawukere and DK.

On Dec 7, Nawukere hosted a party with his friend, marking his 30th birthday on Dec 8 and celebrating the 12th anniversary with his wife.

"Part of me is the same as the 18-year-old Nawukere, while part of me takes more responsibility for my family and my music," the rapper says. "The reality show enabled many of my rapper brothers from Xinjiang to reach the limelight, so we want to work together to develop the label. Now my dream is not just about making myself successful, but also bringing the label up to a new level."

Born and raised in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, he showed a talent for music and dance when he was a child. He learned street dance when the Western art form was introduced to Xinjiang, and he later went on to make waves in the hip-hop scene in both Xinjiang and Beijing. In 2005 he moved to Shanghai to attend high school and, four years later, was enrolled to study at Beijing International Studies University.

During his first year at the university he took part in a singing competition and won, becoming an instant star on campus. In his third year, he held a solo concert on campus, and when he graduated, he released his debut album, Musape.