Bonnie Chan-Woo and Lupe Fiasco Premiere Martial Arts Docu-Series

American rapper Lupe Fiasco and Hong Kong advertising maven Bonnie Chan-Woo are constructing cultural bridges in Beat N Path, a new martial arts docu-collection that premiered online on Monday

Growing up, Lupe was an avid martial arts fan, and the nine-episode series follows his adventure across China to find out about exceptional varieties of martial arts from Kung Fu experts together with exploring the you. S. A .’s growing hip hop scene. The series become produced with the aid of Studio SV, which became co-based using Lupe and Bonnie in 2017.

While every episode is a breezy, vibrant viewing experience, creating it wasn’t easy. In an Instagram submit on Thursday, Bonnie described the manufacturing process as an “extreme game.”

“Crossing cultures is difficult paintings, it takes staying power, humility, and passion for [open-mindedness],” Bonnie wrote. “From company to hip hop, music to Kung Fu, Black to Asian, Hollywood to Shaolin, Hong Kong to the south side of Chicago, we glided throughout unusual spaces, connecting humans and experimenting ideas like we had been in a drift, due to the fact we consider pass-cultural friendships, partnerships and collaborations help expand shared structures that build bridges, close gaps and convey human beings together.”

In an interview with Vice, Lupe describes the experience as an essential getting to know possibility approximately China. He confesses that he’s most effective visited the united states of America “superficially” and desired to immerse himself there culturally.

“I was, in reality, being astonished, being in these locations, feeling these emotions for actual,” Lupe said. “I almost didn’t want the cameras to be there insure times, to be sincere, as it feels so unique and it feels so actual.”

Across his long and prolific profession, Lupe Fiasco has always determined a manner to defy labels. When he emerged inside the hip-hop avant-garde inside the mid-aughts, his technique was idiosyncratic. He sought to take possession of his paintings, and he was open about the usage of pastimes aside from rap as innovative outlets—he blogged, skateboarded, and became outspoken about his love for anime. In a time before it felt every day to do so, he changed into the open in his political opinions, embraced dramatic storytelling within the shape of rap operas like The Cool, and of course, had a continuing determination to wordplay and notion-provoking bars.

Which is to say, he’s tough to pin down. His tasks have taken lots of bureaucracy within the final decade, and he’s confirmed off quite a few different passions. So it’s not surprising that this week he’s emerged with something completely new. On Monday, he premiered Beat N’ Path, a docu-series he produced with Hong Kong media maven Bonnie Chan-Woo about his travels throughout China to learn about extraordinary forms of martial arts. In an interview, Lupe explained that martial arts have always been part of his lifestyles.