Yes I'm painfully bored at work, but there are just a few more days left before I move so hopefully I won't have to write these random blogs anymore. Anyway, another documentary I want to write and direct someday is one on Asian-Americans in hip hop. In honor of that, here are some of the artists who are contributing to the movement.
The Invisible Skratch Piklz, pioneers of the team battle and winners (3 yrs in a row in the early 1990's) of the World DMC's. Member Qbert has long been regarded as the best scratch artist on earth, and Mix Master Mike became the DJ for the Beastie Boys. They disbanded in 2000 and are all working separately now. Qbert recently invented the QFO, a single turntable/mixer instrument.
Tyra from Saigon: composer, pianist, guitarist, and scratch DJ, one of the many fine ladies featured on Femaleswitfunk.com
DJ Mike Relm. If you're ever lucky enough to catch him on tour, you'll be treated to some synchronized music and cinematic montage. The fuker sets up a live system where he has edited footage (mostly from random films) that he can manipulate when scratching his vinyl.
Kid Koala, scratch DJ and downtempo producer. I just had to include him cuz I don't know many artists (much less Asian-American ones) who do his style of music.
Mike Shinoda got his claim to fame with Linkin Park, but then went on to form his own hip hop band Fort Minor, whose debut album featured a track about his Japanese-American family's internment during World War II.
Lyrics Born, MC from Berkeley/Oakland (hooray!!!) who has worked with artists and producers such as DJ Shadow.
Native Guns = two MC's and one DJ. In addition to their collaborative album, they also do a lot of community and youth work. And they're in Oakland, yaaayyy!!!
Chad Hugo is one half of The Neptunes and one third of N.E.R.D. He produced his first song (Rump Shaker) with Pharrell Williams when they were both 18.
If Solow is part of the Southern Cali-based crew featured in Hypen Magazine and the documentary Rize, then he must be a member of The Rice Track, one of the few (if not only) groups of Asians in the underground dance scene known as krumping.
Several years back, Jin made his television debut on BET 106 & Park's Freestyle Friday competition and ended up beating seven consecutive challengers, becoming the show's longest running champion. He then got signed onto the Ruff Ryders label but his debut album flopped. He has been releasing albums with other labels since and continuing to win MC battles all over the world.
I don't know if these fools are actually with any record label, but if you find any of their albums or songs online (I'm sure they have a Myspace) you might get quite a laugh. Three Chinamen from NYC rapping about the perils of being Asian in America.
The Far East Movement, sort of like Notorious MSG but not as much absurdity and they're probably more attractive too. Passionate lyrics about what it means to be Asian-American. They got their first track deal by being on the soundtrack for Fast & the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift.
Miss Info, radio personality and host who got into an argument on the air with her fellow DJ's at Hot 97 in NYC. The station had recently released a song poking fun at the tsunami disaster which had just struck Southeast Asia. Apparently, she was the only one there who thought the song was too racist and insensitive.
Jeff Chang, Berkeley graduate and hip hop author/editor. One of his recent books Can't Stop Won't Stop has been hailed as the best scholastic/literary work on this music culture.