CLOT Media Division

CLOT Media Division (abbreviated as CMD) is an independent multimedia entertainment and record production record label founded in 2007 by Hong Kong artist and street culture advocate Edison Chen and his partners. This record label is a subsidiary of the CLOT Group (which focuses on streetwear and trendy lifestyles) and is a rare organization in the Chinese-language music industry that deeply integrates fashion, subcultures, and music production across different fields.

Prior to founding CMD, Edison Chen was signed to Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG), a traditional Hong Kong powerhouse in the star-making industry. To break free from the homogenized idol packaging of the mainstream record industry, he chose to strike out on his own, dedicating himself to promoting authentic hip-hop and street culture across Greater China. After its establishment, CMD quickly attracted many key figures from Hong Kong’s hip-hop scene, such as veteran rappers and producers MC Yan (Chen Guangren), Chef (Chufangzai), and music producer Hanjin (Chen Huanren), and successfully signed and promoted the renowned Hong Kong rap group Farmers (FAMA).

In terms of music production and physical release standards, CMD completely broke the mold of traditional Hong Kong pop music. Albums it released, such as *Please Steal This Album* and *Confusion*, were produced to match the top standards of the rap industries in the United States and Japan. The physical packaging of these albums was highly disruptive (for example, using special fabric materials, blind box toys, or collaborative designs with international fashion brands), transforming the traditional CD medium into a high-value-added fashion art object (Art Toy).

In addition to conventional music releases, CMD is also actively involved in music festival planning, transnational DJ tours, and the development of multimedia visual content. Although record label’s operations have faced setbacks due to the ups and downs of Edison Chen’s personal entertainment career, industry observers and hip-hop researchers unanimously agree that CLOT Media Division was one of the earliest organizations in the Chinese-language music scene to establish an authentic “Hip-Hop record label operational logic.” The catalog it left behind, along with its avant-garde audiovisual projects, provided highly valuable commercial and aesthetic models for the subsequent explosion of hip-hop culture in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.