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The Hong Kong hip hop scene debuted in 1988 from Softhard, then evolutionized in 1995 with the formation of LMF which was the first rap/rock group signed by a major record label, Warner Music. However, Hong Kong's audience usually recognise Hip Hop as Rap because of their lack of knowledge about Hip Hop music. The group consisted of ten core members, many of which were also in the bands NT, Screw, and Anodize. Despite the popularity of the now disbanded LMF, which gained mild success in the mainstream, hip hop music continues to remain underground, led by independent artists.
LMF is probably the first recognized rap group in Hong Kong, but not the first Hip Hop artist. Hip Hop could be tracked in Hong Kong since the early 80s by singers such as Sandy Lam, Leslie Cheung, Prudence Lau, Shirley Kwan, etc. As some of the pioneers of Hip Hop music in Hong Kong, Lam and Cheung collaborated with experienced composers such as Alex Yeung, Patrick Delay, Gary Tong, and many others. Leslie's work can be most recognised in his later albums released by Cinepoly. Sandy has released Hip Hop in her first EP in Warner Music, which was City Rhythm Part One Take Two. Hip Hop was most notable in her cover of Sheena Easton's new jack swing track produced by Babyface and L. A. Reid, The Lover in Me. Sandy Lam's next EP, Reaction was one of the few EPs in the 1980s in Hong Kong to go platinum. Leslie Cheung and Sandy Lam's remixes were produced at very high quality that symbolised a mark of Hip Hop into Hong Kong before the LMF. A major reason that LMF was more recognised as the first Hip Hop pioneers because of their heavy uses of swearing language, which was a major contrast to the older generation of Hip Hop, where topics were more adult contemporary than rude.
However, the presence of hip hop music in Hong Kong in the shadows of Cantopop is strongly reflected by the collaborations between rappers such as MC Yan (from the now disbanded LMF) with pop artists such as Edison Chen. In the end of the 1980s, Hip Hop was recognised by the audience, which the younger generation may not agree, due to their lack of knowledge of Hip Hop music. Hip Hop music only perform mediocre in Hong Kong in the 1990s because the usual "fast music" would either be the mainstream Rock music or House music. House music only lasted in the early 1990s in Hong Kong, which appeared in groups such as Grasshoppers. The Hip House style was an evolution from Hong Kong Hip Hop producers mentioned above. This happened because pioneers such as Sandy declined from the Hong Kong music industry. Some may regard Hip Hop producers' work in the 1980s with Sandy Lam were a beginning, and became extremely successful in the 1990s. While some musicians try to introduce hip hop to the general audience, the life of the scene remains in the underground.
