Comments on: An American Rapper (and Entrepreneur) in China

By: Georgia

Georgia — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:26:06 +0000

I’m not going to lie, the first thing I noticed was the air pollution. Growing up in SLO I have been very spoiled in air quality. It’s one thing to hear about China’s pollution, another thing to see it. I liked Eli’s point of view on China- that it is exploding with new life, and so huge it is impossible to sum it up. He mirrors what Martin Jacques said, that China cannot be properly described in American terms.
I liked Eli and Coffee’s rap. The use of the Chinese music really made it unique. I never thought that Chinese would be transferrable to rap, but I think it works. I wonder what Coffee said, and if it takes longer to get through one point than it does in English.

By: Fred S.

Fred S. — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 01:47:59 +0000

It is great to see a peer like Eli using his youthful energy to find a better life for himself. Like an entrepreneur, Eli has taken a risk in hopes of a rewarding outcome. I am glad to see that Eli is able to identify with some of the local Chinese youth that share similar interests. I look forward to what I can learn from China that offers improvement in my own life.

By: Keith Cody

Keith Cody — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:12:39 +0000

While I more or less hate rap music, and rap culture, Eli Sweet’s videos and blog comments were fun. You don’t meet too many people with his youthful energy, yet a willingness to leave America these days. But, that is common to being young and doing something new: anything is possible, let’s see what the future holds. I felt the same way when I was 24. My only real question for Eli is that given that Hip Hop isn’t really taking off in China, has he thought about switching to something that is experiencing better growth and interest. Hip-Hop is about the hustle, and if you have hustle, you can make something happen.

On a related note, I wonder if sometime in the future, when China has been the largest country and the largest economy in the world for awhile, will it also have the largest number of American expatriates living there too?

Note: After writing this, I followed up on Eli Sweet. His bio now says “[Eli] currently works in the logistics sector and makes hip hop music in his spare time.” He’s changed his hustle. (http://www.chengduliving.com/about/ )

By: Ashley Tyra

Ashley Tyra — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:16:01 +0000

Eli Sweet represents a daring, adventurous entrepreneur. He sets an example for anyone who is looking to follow their dreams. He saw an opportunity in an economically expanding country and went for it. China provides a new venue to put forth an effort to become successful. This just goes to show that China has many faces, even ones that are new to the country.

By: Daniel Fleek

Daniel Fleek — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:46:57 +0000

China is like America a hundred years ago where people would come over because they saw an opportunity to make it here. Many immigrants migrated to America during the Industrial Revolution because immigrants saw the growth of the American economy. This is similar to what is happening to China today and people like Eli Sweet have used this opportunity to have a better life than they would if they stayed here. China may be realizing the power behind America’s race diversity and is opening up its borders to immigrants so that they can learn from diverse points of views, just as the United States had done extensively in the past.

By: Charles Dornbush

Charles Dornbush — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:55:38 +0000

These two short videos gave me a lot of insight into how China is similar (and different) than America. I have to applaud Eli Sweet for taking a huge risk in moving to China to chase his dreams. Trying to spread a culture that he loves in China while meeting an unmet need is both shrewd and noble. From watching his video it seems China is a sort of new frontier in the 21st century, somewhere for those look for adventure and opportunity go for a new life. I could see the parallels of an American traveling to California 150 years ago.

After reading Eli Sweet’s comment to this post I realized and agreed with the phrase “anything is possible, nothing is easy.” It made me think of how so many people immigrated and moved west in the United States and while some people got rich, many experienced great hardship. Still the story of Eli Sweet is an inspiring one.

By: Kevin K.

Kevin K. — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:20:53 +0000

I thought this video and post says a lot about who can live and flourish in China and what exactly goes on within its borders.

Like Eli said, there is a great mystery surrounding China, and what it comes down to — especially for us MBAs about to make the trip overseas — is the question of whether or not we are willing to go out and seek and discover this mysterious adventure. Eli did, and maybe we as a class will too. While this may not lead us to freestyling in a Chinese club or marketplace, it will certainly broaden our view of China and allow us to bring back knew cultural information to the states.

By: Jeffrey Brown

Jeffrey Brown — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:39:16 +0000

Elli made some great points that I found quite inspirational. When I first heard about this trip I didn’t know exactly why I wanted to go, but I knew that it was a great opportunity. Based on the points Elli made, I can see that the opportunity is not just in the trip but also in the country itself.

I am in an organization that supports the bands here at Cal Poly and one of our purposes includes the phrase, “music is a universal language” - I can see how that point is reinforced by Elli’s ability to earn a living from music in a country other than his homeland where he developed his talents. This leads me to believe that many other forms of business and arts have equal if not greater opportunities in foreign lands, particularly in China.

By: Vladimir

Vladimir — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:26:55 +0000

Like Eli says of many people, I also have the impression that life in China would be more restricted than here, economically as well as politically. Still, I can see how there could be more economic freedom - don’t need to worry about some of the business regulations we have in the US, less competition in some fields.

It’s great that Eli saw the opportunity in China, and went for it. It takes a combination of knowing where the opportunity is and the decisiveness and drive to pursue it. If I were in a field that had far more potential in China, I might consider the move. But I also feel more attached to life in America, beyond just work. I can envision a great life here, and see the USA as my home. But I also haven’t been much of an international traveler, so I don’t have a diverse perspective.

By: Stephen Allison

Stephen Allison — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:38:27 +0000

Good for Eli taking a leap of faith in a new country. I have never been to such a foreign land and am a little intimidated by the trip. I understand him on not feeling secure in America, all I hear is bad news about the job market, the un-even distribution of wealth, and how horrible our health care is, and it makes me think about moving away.