'In remembrance of our lost youth': Namewee teams up with Anthony Wong for music video hailing Young and Dangerous movies

Street fights, an old video camera, and Hong Kong acting legend Anthony Wong.

Malaysian hip-hop star Namewee has brought us back in time with the music video for his latest single Za Fit, released yesterday (June 27).

The 41-year-old wrote in the video description on YouTube: "This is the second time I have collaborated with Anthony Wong, or Tai Fei Kor (older brother), in remembrance of our lost youth and the glorious era of Hong Kong movies, and to mourn the Hong Kong of 1997.

"Those who have watched the original Young and Dangerous movie series will know what za fit means, translated into kang bazi in Mandarin. The characters Chan Ho Nam, Chicken and Tai Fei Kor and many familiar scenes and lines kept us company as we rebelled, grew up and became adults."

In Cantonese, za fit is a slang term referring to those in control.

"Although we have become adults, we cannot forget the passion we had and the spirit of bravely fighting against injustice. This is the spirit of the song," Namewee continued.

"I wanted to write a song to commemorate that 'young and dangerous' time and to commemorate the friends who grew up with me."

Hong Kong gained independence from the British in 1997 and joined China as a special administrative region that year.

Namewee previously collaborated with Anthony in 2020's China Reggaeton. The 62-year-old, also known as Anthony Perry, is known for his triad gangster roles, including Tai Fei in the Young and Dangerous movie franchise.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/C8tHR63y1sC/[/embed]

The music video for Za Fit starts off with Namewee interviewing Anthony as an older Tai Fei, asking the latter if he regrets anything he did in the past.

Tai Fei is confused about what he should be regretting and gets increasingly angrier, before throwing something at Namewee.

"What do you think can be done? I'm old and poor, what do you think I can do?" Tai Fei says. "I've been formidable, and I've enjoyed it."

[[nid:690972]]

The rest of the music video shows Namewee and Anthony singing in a room. There are also scenes replicating the ones from the Young and Dangerous films, of gangsters fighting in a restaurant and on the streets.

In the end, the pair sing in an empty funeral hall while clips from the movies play on a projection screen, perhaps symbolising the death of classic gangster films after 1997.

The Young and Dangerous series, on the adventures and growth of a group of young triad members, starred Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Michael Tse and Jerry Lamb. It comprises five movies released between 1996 and 1998, a prequel in 1998 and Born to Be King, the final instalment released in 2000. Its popularity has also led to several spin-offs.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG8Za9UvEvQ&ab_channel=Namewee[/embed]

[[nid:678670]]

drimac@asiaone.com

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.