Rapper slammed for appropriating Asian culture: '[This] is not your aesthetic'

An unsigned rapper was heavily criticized for appropriating Asian culture after releasing a music video…. that featured a non-Asian cast wearing traditional Asian dresses and dancing in front of a Laotian Buddhist temple. Julia Kong, an actress and model, took to Twitter to call out Elijah Castillo, who goes by the artist name “Conscience” . Along with her post, she included screenshots from Castillo’s music video “Rush Hour”. “For the billionth time: ASIAN CULTURE IS NOT YOUR AESTHETIC,” Kong wrote. Castillo allegedly responded in an Instagram story by claiming he had received permission to shoot on the premises. The rapper also said he would take the video down to avoid further offending the Asian community