After nearly 7-years of living in the shadow of William Hung, Taiwanese YouTube sensation Lin Yu Chun may finally put a mild dent in people’s impressions when “Asian Person” and “American Idol” comes to mind. Well maybe not. But like how Susan Boyle took the UK and Internet by storm last year, Lin Yu Chun is doing the same in Asia. His YouTube video(s) has amassed over 7 million views already and if you haven’t watched it yet, scroll down and check it out! » Read more: Lin Yu Chun – Taiwanese Susan Boyle Hits YouTube
Archive for the ‘Asian American Music’ category
Lin Yu Chun – Taiwanese Susan Boyle Hits YouTube
April 11th, 2010Chinese Rapper Jin Sighting – Jin vs. Traphik Freestyle Hits Youtube
February 18th, 2010For you younger generation of Asian-Americans, you may have been too young to remember Jin. Not that Jin’s disappeared — but for a solid 4-6 months, much of us 80s babies were witnessing the potential rise of an Asian rapper during our college days.
Jin took BET’s Freestyle Friday by storm and impressed the hip hop community enough that he ended up inking a deal with DMX’s label, Ruff Ryder Records. At his height, Jin even landed a small role in the second Fast and the Furious installment, 2 Fast 2 Furious.
Lately, Jin’s been doing smaller tours and appearances, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this random freestyle he posted onto youtube hanging out with Traphik.
The boy can spit 
Jin & Traphik, Casual Freestyle
Best of Jin Freestyle Mix
Asian American Music | Hip Hop, Pop, And Rock Stars Of Late
March 26th, 2009Although Asian Americans are by no means prominent in mainstream music, a few Asian Americans have made it to Hip Hop, Pop, and Rock radio.
While the artist I list as well as the playlist I made is incomplete, be thankful William Hung and Tila “Tequila” Nguyen didn’t make the cut.
Jin
Much love goes to Jin for being the first Asian-American solo rapper signed to a major record label. After dominating BET’s Freestyle Friday rap battles for 7-weeks, the Chinese-New Yorker signed with the Ruff Ryders in 2002 and released his first single Learn Chinese. Although Jin’s mainstream rap career faltered, Jin has since rebounded and signed with Universal Hong Kong and re-specialized with Chinese rap.
One Vo1ce
The all-Filipina group from Vallejo, California didn’t quite make it mainstream. But between 1997-2000, One Vo1ce was all over the radio in the SF Bay Area.
Chad Hugo (NERD)
The Filipino Producer/Musician is best known for this work with Pharrell Williams as part of the Neptunes and NERD. Although Chad shares the workload with Pharrell, Chad rarely speaks in interviews, shows, or award shows, and come to think of it, I’ve never heard the producer’s voice.
Amerie
Born in Fitchburg, Massachusettes, the half African-American half Korean R&B star spent her childhood in Korea and spoke Korean as her first language. Amerie’s album Touch which includes the single “1 Thing” with Jay-Z was nominated for two Grammys in 2005.
Sean Paul
At the height of his music career between 2002-2004, I remember hearing him in the booth on a Bay Area Hip Hop station. Sean Paul showed up high as shit and the show host made a little jab suggesting so. Sean Paul jokingly responded “Well I got a little Chinese in me man.” I originally thought he was plain poking fun at the always fresh stereotype. But Sean Paul is in fact 1/4 Chinese. His mother’s Afro-Carribean and Chinese. Who knew?
Mike Shinoda (Fort Minor/Linkin Park)
Guitarist and Vocalist for both Linkin Park and Fort Minor, Mike Shinoda was born in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. Shinoda’s father is Japanese and mother is Caucasian. Although Chester Bennington does most of the vocals – or just screaming – for Linkin Park, Mike takes care of the majority of technical aspects for creating all of the bands albums.
Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical)
The Irish/Native American/Chinese/Filipina/Spanish mixed pop star is a member of the quadrupal-platnum Disney group, High School Musical. Though Hudgens probably made even bigger news in 2007 when suggestive and nude pictures of the Hudgens flooded the internet - apart from the band and scandal, Hudgens has released two solo albums, V and Identified.
Korean Guy Sings Touch My Body, Here We Go Again
January 28th, 2009Like any Communist country, capitalist innovations tend to have a 30-year delay before reaching the reds. The last time I visited China in 2000, Michael Jackson and Boys II Men were still the premier American pop stars. Inn reality, China today is as capitalist as anyone and North Korea’s not exactly following the guidance of Karl Marx. Where Fidel’s “stepped down”, Russia’s playing video games and importing Fords, the Berlin Wall is no more, and China has refreshed their playlists on American pop – moving beyond communism has brought us another blight.
With a regular influx of American pop into Asia, we in turn get fresh interpretations of how American songs ought to be sung. Sometimes in the form of jersey and hat sporting pop-rap and sometimes in William Hung’s She Bangs American Idol performances. Since the airing of Hung’s performance, the latest buzz on dreadful Asian interpretations reside amongst our Korean friends.
I don’t know the name of this guy, but singing Mariah Carey’s Touch My Body… just watch the clip, it speaks for itself.
Kanye West & The Teriyaki Boyz – A Bit Of J-Hip Hop
January 27th, 2009Socrates knew that he was the wisest man alive. Why? For he knew one thing, that he knew nothing. I’m not so bold as to make such a statement, but I will say one thing, and that is I know NOTHING about Asian pop, hip hop, and pretty much any contemporary music from the far east.
But through Imeem I came across an interesting collaboration between Kanye West and the Teriyaki Boyz (A Japanese Hip Hop Group). Interestingly enough, Nigo, a member of the J-Hip Hop group is the same Nigo that founded BAPE – a popular urban brand in Asia and the U.S. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why Kanye did the collab.
It’s not quite my flavor of hip hop, but peep it.
