Warner Succeeds With Dna

Following the runaway success of Chinese rap/rock outfit Lazy Muthafuckas (LMF), Warner Music Hong Kong's (WMHK) "secondary" label DNA is now looking to set up a female version of the outfit—tentatively called the Lady Muthafuckas.

"They will be sort of like a cross between Lauryn Hill and TLC," says WMHK managing director Mark Lankester. "We've already found two of the girls, and we're looking for several more."

DNA was set up by Warner Music in 1999 to offer an alternative to mainstream Cantopop fare and currently has three contracted acts on the roster: DJ Tommy, LMF, and comedian Dayo Wong Chi-wah.

"We wanted to show that there was an alternative to Cantopop and that there was a future beyond that," says Lankester. "If everyone only does Cantopop and trends move on, we're all going to be caught out."

All three DNA acts have done well, although LMF has been the icing on the cake for the label. The group comprises hip-hop DJ Tommy Cheung and members of several other bands, including heavy metal rockers Anodize, Screw, and Chinese rap outfit NT.

LMF's second album, "Lazy Clan," has struck a chord with Hong Kong's youth thanks to its rebellious social lyrics. According to the label, it has sold more than 70,000 copies since being released in May. That's despite the fact that only one or two songs from the album have been allowed on the air here because of the hardcore lyrics in much of LMF's repertoire.

Warner has also not been able to release the album in Singapore and Malaysia because of those explicit lyrics, but Lankester believes pirated versions of "Lazy Clan" may have sold a total of 60,000-70,000 copies in those two territories.

LMF's Hong Kong success has opened up a new genre in a market where Cantopop once ruled supreme. "But now, you're seeing all these kids who hang around in shopping malls with their baggy jeans and shirts and baseball caps. That's the demographics that we're aiming for," Lankester notes.

Another reason is that many Hong Kong nationals who had immigrated to the U.S. or Canada prior to Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 are now returning. "Growing up in the U.S. or Canada, they would have been exposed to hip-hop, R&B, and rap," says one industry observer. "Now coming back here, they are naturally not satisfied to stick to the boring Cantopop genre. With LMF singing in Cantonese, it's really the best of both worlds."

Meanwhile, there's talk of a U.S. release for LMF. "We're in talks with Rawkus and RuffNation about that possibility," says Lankester. "They have expressed interest, but we realize that it will only be targeted at the Chinese population in the U.S. because of the Cantonese lyrics."

As for the Lady Muthafuckas, Lankester is hoping to get the all-girl crew lined up by January 2001. "That's going to take a little more time and effort than LMF, because the boys started off as friends first," he says. "The girls will need time to develop a rapport and work together."