Though his parents didn't understand the music he was making then, they supported him and even rented a small basement apartment in Xinjiang for Nawukere to use as a music studio. He lived on a tight budget, spending all his savings on recording equipment, however, Nawukere persevered in pursuing his hip-hop music dream, gradually forming his own sound and style of rap.

Before appearing on The Rap of China he had performed on the Zhejiang Satellite TV show, Sound of My Dream, and in a Chinese musical, A Moment of Remembrance, composed by the singer-songwriter Han Hong and directed by the dramatist Tian Qinxin.

Now living in Beijing, Nawukere only returns to his home in Xinjiang in the summer to visit his parents. On Dec 14, he met his fans in Korla city, Xinjiang, where he admits to feeling touched by the response of the local people.

"In the past, only about 20 people came to watch my hip-hop shows in Xinjiang but this time, I saw a big crowd waiting for me to perform, which made me feel proud and excited," Nawukere says, adding that a young man wearing a basketball shirt came up to him and asked for an autograph.

"Since my childhood, my dream was to become a basketball player. It was a special moment for me to sign his shirt," the rapper says. He also recalls that some young rappers from Xinjiang came to the event, "they were very friendly, but told me that, one day, they would surpass. We shook hands, laughed and I said 'I am looking forward to that day'," Nawukere recalls with a smile.

[email protected]