Chinese activist Ai Weiwei on CNN's Amanpour

Beijing-based artist and social activist Ai Weiwei was interviewed on CNN's Amanpour about China's media censorship.

Steve Yoo Seung Jun with Jackie Chan on Asia Uncut

Yoo Seung Jun with Jon Nierrman, the host of Asia Uncut
(Asia Uncut)

Any of you guys remember Yoo Seung Jun the Korean singer/rapper that got kicked out of Korea because he wouldn't do the mandatory military service back in 2002? Well, he is now trying out his luck to be a star in China. Yoo Seung Jun is starring in a new Jackie Chan movie that was released last month called Little Big Soldier, which takes place during the Warring States Period in China. Yoo Seung Jun plays the villainous role of "Prince Wen". It really sucks for him that he can't come back to Korea, but hey, finding work in China and being signed to Jackie Chan isn't that bad of a deal.

Yoo Seung Jun also did a little promotion along with Jackie Chan for Little Big Soldier on an episode of Asia Uncut (an English talk show based in Shanghai, China) which aired on February 10th. Yoo Seung Jun does a pretty cool entrance with the dancing with the nunchucks. Wow, he's still got it. The man can really dance! Yoo Seung Jun will be releasing an album this April. I think the album will be Chinese as he's trying to break through the Chinese-language market.

CNNGO interviews Utamaru from Rhymester

Utamaru from Rhymester
(CNNGO)


Patrick Macias from CNNGO has interviewed Utamaru, one of the OG's of the Japanese hip hop scene from the group Rhymester. This is a really great read about Utamaru's view on the development of hip hop in Japan and how he compares it with American hip hop.

Rhymester has been part of the Japanese hip hop scene since the early 90's and they are one of the more conscious rap groups that have been rapping about political issues and socio-economic issues affecting Japan. They recently released an album called Manifesto in February and a single called ラストヴァース (Last Verse).


Rhymester - Manifesto




via CNNGO

CNNGo: How has Japanese hip-hop changed since Rhymester debuted in the early 1990s?

Utamaru: It's been over ten years since Rhymester collaborated with (U.S. hip-hoppers) the Beatnuts and Buckwild. Back then, a lot of people wanted to emulate American hip hop, so it was a big deal that we got to work with them. But soon afterwards, I started thinking that Japanese hip hop needed to start developing its own style by itself. That feeling became stronger and stronger, and I started moving more in that direction.

CNNGo: After the 1990s, were Japanese kids becoming less interested in Western culture?

Utamaru: That happened too, but it wasn't necessarily the case with hip hop. There are still a lot of people who like American hip hop, myself included. But we needed to stop trying to copy it and compete with it. My generation thought hard about the problem of "How can we, as Japanese people, make rap music?" But the young kids today don't have that kind of issue. Some of them are much more influenced by the Japanese hip hop than American hip hop. Some of the artists in the underground scene, like SEEDA, sell lots of records even though they're not on major labels and don't get much promotion.

CNNGo: Are any of them thinking about targeting the foreign market?

Utamaru: There are some hip hop musicians in Japan have ambitions like that, but they're looking more towards the rest of Asia. To do Japanese hip-hop in America… maybe that's impossible.

CNNGo: Do you think hip-hop made by Japanese people isn't 'real' enough for Americans?

Utamaru: Well, we have to define what's real. Does being real just mean being really poor? If that's what's real, do I need to travel all the way to Rwanda just to rap? (laughs)

Back when I was starting out, I decided to make lyrics that were a reflection of my life and the people who listen to them. After all, that's what hip hop is all about.

Recently, Japan has changed. It's become much poorer than before, and poverty itself is increasing. There are people who live in places with no way to survive and with no hope or expectation for the future. So it's possible to experience a hard life like an American hip-hopper. Of course, there have always been people like that, but society denied their existence. Even poor people would deny that they were actually poor. But now, it's getting harder and harder to ignore. Look at the kind of crime (idol singer) Maki Goto's younger brother committed. He got arrested for stealing electric cables from a construction site to resell them. That's so ghetto! And he himself used to be an idol too!

CNNGo: What's your impression of the current idol scene?

Utamaru: You can't really say "I like idols" out loud in Japan. The only time you could was during the 1980s when idols were popular. But after the 1990s, it became real outsider culture. Now, there's probably more train otaku in Japan than idol otaku. Hardcore male fans are only interested in unpopular idols. They want to feel like, "I'm the only one supporting this girl or this group. Nobody else. Just me." Idol groups like AKB48 and Perfume have gotten so big recently. Their fans are now ordinary schoolgirls. So their original fans have had moved on to try to find even more niche, unpopular idols to follow. So it's impossible for this scene to become mainstream.

CNNGo: What do your fans think when you talk about idols?

Utamaru: Basically, I have two kinds of fans: Those that support me because of my music, and others who know me as someone who talks about pop culture. The two groups don't really mix. Even so, it's not normal in Japan for a musician to follow idols. Everyone thinks I'm weird. One time, I tried DJ-ing some idol music as a pre-show at a Rhymester concert. That was the coldest reception I've ever gotten on stage. I was thinking, "Hey! You guys are supposed to be my fans! Can you at least try a little bit to understand where I'm coming from"?

Ma Ying-Jeou's interview with Deutsche Welle about cross-strait ties with Mainland China (in English)

Ma Ying-Jeou is an interesting fellow. As Taiwanese president elect Ma Ying-Jeou has greatly improved Taiwan and Mainland China relations to the best we have seen in the past 60 years since Taiwan has claimed independence. But there are some fears from some Taiwanese especially from the opposition party that Ma is leading Taiwan into unification with the mainland. In this interview with Deutsche Welle, you can hear straight from the Horse's mouth (Ma = 馬 which means horse, get it? lol) about his plans for cross-strait ties with the mainland.

I dunno, it just might be me, but after watching that interview, it appears to me that Ma IS open to reunification with the mainland, providing that the mainland follows some certain conditions.

Dumbfoundead catches up with Tantrum

Dumbfoundead catches up with Tantrum in the anniversary of their freestyle battle. Great to see two of these emcees showing mad respect for each other. Tantrum gives his thoughts about pre-written lines in freestyle battles and about Jin's upcoming battle with Dizaster and Illmaculate.

If you haven't watched the battle between Dumbfoundead and Tantrum, watch it here.

MastaMic & Justic Family interview on ChooChooTV

Here is an interview of MastaMic and the Justice Family on ChooChooTv that was aired on November 6th, 2009. The interview is conducted all in English with MastaMic doing most of the talking for the Justice Family. In the interview, MastaMic talks about people's misconceptions about hip hop, the rise of freestyle rap in Cantonese, his response to people dissing his I love Hong Kong Girls music video, and his obsession with sneakers.

MastaMic is currently working on his mixtape so be on the lookout for it when it is released!!

GrooveWar Interviews Soft Lipa (in Chinese)

GrooveWar catches up with Soft Lipa for an interview. This interview is all in Chinese.

Part II: This segment follows Soft Lipa browsing in a CD and DVD retail store where they are selling his debut album 收斂水 (Lotion). Later, he goes to grab some snacks at the night market.

50 Cent doubts he'll ever work with Game

In this this interview clip, 50 Cent says he doubts he'll ever work with Game...

50 also says that in beginning of Game's career, Game tried to start a beef with Jay-Z when his debut album, The Documentary was just launched.

Dumbfoundead chillin with Timothy DelaGhetto (Traphik)

Here's a clip of Dumbfoundead doing a lightweight interview with Timothy DelaGhetto (Traphik) in his family's Thai restaurant in Long Beach, California

Smells like a Dumbfoundead and Traphik collaboration brewing up!!

Gloc-9 - Upuan [English subtitled version]

Kpopcorner from YouTube has posted an English subtitled video of Gloc-9's Upuan. This song, with its haunting melody, uses the metaphor of a chair to address the corruption of the Philippine government.


On a related note you guys might want to check out an in-depth interview with Gloc-9 done by the staff at SoulSonic TV earlier on July 24th. Among some of the things brought up in the interview are: his newest album Matrikula, working with Jeazell in Upuan, his career and the current status of the Philippine hip hop scene.

link: http://ssonictv.blogspot.com/2009/07/gloc-9-interview.html

SACRAfice - Boarding Pass mixtape

SACRAfice - Boarding Pass mixtape

From his own words:

I go by the name of SACRAfice, and I'm just an upcoming Asian-American artist from Sacramento, CA. I'm an English speaking, Korean-American recording artist born in Seoul, Korea, that came to the states as an infant. I was raised in a lower to middle class neighborhood in Sacramento, CA. Surrounded by a blend of many ethnicities, I grew up in a environment full all types of cultural influences that directly & indirectly permeated into my music. I starting writing as a teenager but never made music until about a two years ago. And after joining a local Sacramento group called PCM in 2008, I gained access to new quality production and network support. And within a span of about of a year, I finished my debut project "Boarding Pass", which is like a prelude, or sampler to my album Foreign Exchange, due out 2010.

From a previous interview that SACRAfice did:

Why do I make my music?

I make music for so many reasons.

I make music because it supplements so many aspects of my life. I get so much from creating, and implementing a vision.

I make music because i feel like Asian Americans deserve and need positive role models to see, but not necessarily look up to. I just want to represent another option.

I make music for people that are proud of who there are. Regardless, of the good and bad.

I make music for the dreamers, and the underachievers, and anyone trying to better themselves.

I make music to sometimes take people away from life.

To be honest, I never imagined I'd become a recording artist. I was perfectly content being a fan. However, after listening to the music slowly dilute in content & skill over the years, i decided instead of complaining about it, I do something about it.

Especially after seeing so many corny Asians rappers out there, i couldn't take it.


What do I hope to accomplish?

I want to be able to create a career out of this. I want to emulate careers like Talib Kweli,

The Roots, Royce da 5.9. Those artists are full time artists and respected in the underground and accepted in parts of mainstream media. I don't want or expect to become a superstar but I hope that I have dual acceptance one day.

What does music means to you?

Music is an integral part of my life. It allows me to simultaneously fulfill so many areas of my life. It's like the soundtrack to my personality. It allows my voice to be heard.

Music makes me feel relevant.

Boarding Pass Track listing:

01 SACRAfice
02 All This For Me
03 Know My Name
04 I'm On It
05 Conquer It All
06 Not Ready (feat. Floe Montana)
07 I Work (feat. Chase Moore & Mahtie Bush)
08 Passport
09 A Mile In My Shoes (feat. Chase Moore & Cawzlos)
10 I Said Look
11 Don't Need Y'all
12 Hollywood (feat. Chase Moore)
13 I Think You Scared
14 Boss In The Booth (feat. Kel Cz)
15 Get Your Game Right (feat. Chase Moore & Kel Cz)
16 Hold Up (feat. Chase Moore & Al G)
17 Dream


SACRAfice's websites:

Myspace: myspace.com/sacrafice916
Twitter: twitter.com/sacraficepcm

Supasang: In The Making [Profile of a Lao Rapper]

Supasang, a cholo-looking Lao rapper from Fullerton, California, shows us his hood and tells his life story in this short-film called Supasang: In The Making. This film was shot on August 17, 2008.

You can check out Supasang's MySpace at: www.myspace.com/supasang

Ris Low, Miss Singapore World 2009 talks about fashion

Ris Low, the winner of Miss Singapore World 2009 talks about fashion on Strait Times Razor TV. When asked what she likes to wear when she feels naughty, Miss Singapore World said:

If I'm feeling naughty then I'll be wearing something RED and LOUD. Something....you know? BOOMS!

seoulbeats interviews Misnomer(s)

Ellie from seoulbeats interviews both SOS and Knewdles from Misnomer(s). In the interview, Misnomer(s) talk about their commercial with Converse and their upcoming album American Eyes scheduled to be released in September 2009. Check out the original article from seoulbeats.

Tiger JK's English interview on Heart to Heart

Tiger JK from Drunken Tiger was interviewed on Arirang's Heart to Heart show. This interview is conducted all in english. In the interview Tiger JK talks about his latest double CD album: Feel gHood Muzik: The 8th Wonder, talks a bit about Rakim who's also featured on the album, the controversy he caused in the Korean music industry when he was first started rapping in Korea and his personal battles with myelitis. Tiger JK was little slow in the interview because he it was revealed at the end of the interview he had little sleep in the past couple of days.

Parts 2 & 3:

Grade A Muzik interviews Jackie Chain

Grade A Muzik gets up close and personal with Huntsville's very own Jackie Chain. In the interview, Jackie Chain talks about the Huntsville's hip hop scene, his accomplishments in the rap game and his new projects coming up. Dude looks really faded behind those shades...or maybe it's his Asian side showin up haha. Shout outs to Jackie Chain!

One on One - Jhoon Rhee "The Father of American Taekwondo" Interview

I always love hearing the come-up stories from successful people. I find their stories very inspirational and I thought I should share this particular interview with you guys. Here is a video of Riz Khan, from AlJazeera's One on One, interviewing the Korean-American OG, Jhoon Rhee. Jhoon Rhee is credited as the "father of American taekwondo" as he popularized Korea's national sport in the United States. Jhoon Rhee was a contemporary and a friend of Bruce Lee and in the interview Jhoon Rhee says he taught Bruce Lee how to kick while Bruce taught him how to punch. Jhoon Rhee became such a popular martial arts instructor that he even taught taekwondo to over 300 United States Congress members in Washington, D.C. and noted personalities such as Tony Robbins, Jack Valenti, Bob Livingston, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Nick Smith and Mike Espy.

Part 2:



This is the television commercial that advertised Jhoon Rhee's taekwondo class. The commercial and the jingle was hugely popular in its heyday.



At age 75, Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee demonstrates his speed punch and 100 pushups at Columbia, Maryland school. Mind you, this was less than a year after he had a stroke!

Roscoe Umali at Latino 96.3 FM

Here is Roscoe UUUUUMali at Latino 96.3 FM chillin with Sandra and promoting his single Never Fallin'.

Loon talks about Islam on AlJazeera English

Remember Loon? Loon from Bad Boy? Yeah, that's him up there! The last thing I heard about him, a long time ago, was that he was beefin' with Mase and Dipset. Now flash-forward to the present, Loon is now a devout Muslim and has a totally different outlook on life. Born as Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, he has changed his name to Amir Junaid Muhadith after embracing Islam. In the interview with AlJazeera, Loon talked about his experiences in rap game, why he left and how he came to Islam. The news anchor tried to get Loon to spit 16 bars, but Loon wasn't prepared for it.

Loon has also done a more in-depth interview with islaam.ca. In the interview (approx. 1 hr 30 mins), Loon tells his story about coming up in the rap game, about his dealings Mase, P. Diddy and the music industry. One of the things Loon said in the interview was that the "Harlem World" concept was originally his and it was Mase that stole it from him. Among other things, Loon says he co-wrote 52 published songs. Many of these songs were written for P. Diddy. And then finally in the interview, Loon tells how he was lead to embrace Islam during his tour in Dubai in December 2008. The Loon in this interview sounds very different from the old Loon. Check out the interview:

DOWNLOAD/LISTEN: Loon's interview with islaam.ca

Dumbfoundead interviews Tablo from Epik High

After completing his Map The Soul tour in the United States, Tablo from Epik High did an interview with Dumbfoundead on behalf of The Urban Decadance right in Dumbfoundead's crib. It's a real short interview and the duration is about 6 and a half minutes. Its really interesting to see both Tablo and Dumbfoundead mesh together in this interview because on one hand, they are both Koreans who share the love of hip hop, but on the other hand they are shaped by two completely different cultures and different music scenes. When asked about the Korean music industry, Tablo said that that there isn't much diversity of music genres and everything is basically pop music. To top that off, Tablo was saying that because the way the Korean media is structured, it leaves no room for underground rap artists to get any media attention. Tablo also said that he was working on some tracks in Dumbfoundead's crib (collaboration track, hint hint).

You can read the article about Tablo's interview on The Urban Decadence blog here.