Bear’s Bio

Photo of Bear

My name is Yilin Xiong. I was born and raised in Beijing where I was living up until high school. I moved to the United States to pursue my higher education in Michigan State University where I majored in Advertising Management.I am also a hip-hop musician. At the moment, I am building a hip-hop record label named CHEATCODE with my friends.For as long as I can remember, I have always been interested in people, their stories, and their thoughts. I find it highly fascinating how different people see the world differently, from time to time and from place to place. As both a writer and a rapper, their unique perspectives inspire me in the craft of writing. I find myself at my most creative when I leave my own world and enter another. To me, hip-hop and journalism share a similar goal, namely to pursue truth and share our voice. Hip-hop was born out of struggle and oppression, and rappers became the mouthpiece of the people against everyday injustice that they had to endure. They tell the stories of what’s happening in their communities in their music, and by doing so they bring the truth to the world. Journalists, too, are responsible to speak the truth through their works. We look to journalists to be our eyes and ears of the community, and it is expected of them to report it fairly, objectively and accurately. That being said, I chose to study journalism at the University of Hong Kong because I want to take part in sharing the stories of the world. It is my goal to bear witness to history as faithfully as possible through journalism.