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Name of the Game
Far*East Movement was a staple of MTV Chi (when it existed) and has since collaborated with Asian American figureheads Jin and Justin Lin and performed shows around the world (from Korea to Brazil) -- increasing community visibility and challenging the definition of hip-hop.
Interview with Kevin Nishimura (Kev Nish), James Roh (Prohgress), and J-Splif (Jae Choung) of Far*East Movement
Interview and Article by Christine Chiao
Video Edit by Oliver Chien
The name of any band or musical group signifies more than just their aural styling. It is a statement. It's why 95 South -- most known for 1993 single "Whoot, There It Is" -- came and went, while Public Enemy remains in the hip-hop cultural consciousness. For Kevin Nishimura, James Roh, and Jae Choung, otherwise known respectively as Kev Nish, Prohgress, and J-Splif, the moniker of Far*East Movement is concurrent ode and promise. It simultaneously harks to past unsung Asian American rappers and celebrates present rappers in the community. It also signals the potential of an as-yet unseen wave of Asian American wordsmiths.
The guys are all about community: both with Asian Americans and with fellow musicians. Far*East Movement (or FM) knows the well-worn mainstream perceptions and stereotypes about Asian Americans, and they are well-versed with the fine lines they must navigate between the contesting realms that beset Asian American rappers. They have collaborated with Asian Americans artists like Jin, Ken Oak, Justin Lin, and Todd Angkasuwan. And yet, they have also worked with non-Asian American musicians they respect such as rap trio The Procussions and Zack de la Rocha, best known as front man of now defunct Rage Against the Machine.
To combat the lack of Asian American representation in hip-hop, Far*East Movement has opted to defy the confines of either ethnicity or musical genre that "Asian American rap" implies. This dual reach for equality and talent promotes an all-access(ness) of hip-hop that is beyond labels.
"[While] we make sure we don't talk about [these social issues] in our music -- because we don't want to be overbearing or preachy -- we make the conscious effort to do that outside of our music, through events that we do," says Kev Nish.
Their focus on music has pushed the guys to look for new sounds as both listeners and music-makers. The guys first developed a passion for hip-hop with the lure of sounds from the founding fathers of West Coast gangsta rap and hip-hop luminaries like Nas. As artists, they started to branch out over the years, discovering and re-exploring music from other genres. As Kev reveals, inspiration can come from seemingly unexpected sources.
"I think as you get older, your tastes change so we've been finding ourselves in different types of music," says Kev. "I went back to my rock roots. I used to be huge Smashing Pumpkins fan, Guns'n'Roses, you name them. James is the same way. We try to integrate the melodic-ness certain elements of rock; we try to bring that into our sound."
Like many MCs before them, FM started out with an underground following. The reality for many Asian American rappers is they have little option but to start out that way, because few record companies believe that they can sell enough records to sign them. One of their first performances was for a 2003 local benefit called Movementality where they were discovered by now-manager Carl Choi. Since then, they have had to learn how to bypass convention through sheer persistence and ingenuity, whether it meant engaging a hesitant audience unused to Asian American rappers or seeking alternative means of selling and promoting their records.
"In the beginning, it was tough... The first couple of shows we did, oh man, they were pretty bad. People... they didn't know how to react. They're not used to seeing Asian American faces and being okay [with] being a fan of that. But we kept plugging along," says Prohgress.
Added to the pressures of trying to survive in the game before they can change the game, FM comes up against a set of issues unique to the hip-hop industry that often have more to do with their ethnic heritage than how well they can spit their rhymes. In an industry that paradoxically prizes wit, yet often rewards appearance even more, what was not the norm from the get-go has had to fight an uphill battle for notice and respect. For Asian American rappers, this has also meant getting past tired stereotypes of the community from other rappers. Just look at how many times Jin had to parry cheesy attacks based on his ethnicity during the now infamous Freestyle Friday battles on 106 & Park. FM would be the first to let you know that they preferred if society evolved to the point that they did not have to be distinguished as Asian American rappers, but just rappers -- in other words, to allow the art to make the statement.
"If mainstream America can have a new perspective and see a new dimension to these faces right here, then I'd say that's where I want it to be, where we're a norm. Where it's like 'Oh, another Asian rapper'," says Kev.
"Where it's hip-hop music, not Asian [American] hip-hop music," adds J-Splif.
While the industry grapples with the changing consumption habits of listeners in the post-Internet era, FM has chosen to use the new technology to their full advantage. Being faced with the challenge of overcoming new obstacles in the music industry has groomed the guys into savvy businessmen.
"The internet. Just watching the way the music industry is crumbling and seeing how these companies are figuring out ways, how to make money from music -- because these days, you can't just release a CD. [Looking at] MySpace, for instance. That inspires us just watching the way that they market music," says Kev.
They have learned not only to promote their music on their website and through social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, but also with the development of their label Catch Music Group, music production, and merchandise. Kev produced Jin's album ABC, while Prohgress has taken the helm in finding different avenues for their music to be heard, via movies or television shows. Their multi-prong, multimedia strategy has also been influenced by Choi, who taught them that they are only as strong as their network.
"The only way to expand something like music is with promotion. But [music companies] will [ask], where's the return. Where's the history? There has to be some type. Who has had any return as an Asian [American] artist? And honestly, you can't really think of one," explains Prohgress.
"Asian Americans have pretty good buying power in the States. And so [the companies] are like, 'do they buy music?' Well, a lot of them are downloaders, you know? That's the problem," adds Kev.
"One thing we have come to realize is to open up the world market. You can go to China and hear the Black Eyed Peas. You go to Brazil and hear the Black Eyed Peas. Music is universal as long as it's good. There are so many people in this world, that you can make a living as long as you think outside of the box, as long as you think openly," says Prohgress.
One of the strategies to gain more notice on a global front is to literally bring the music to different countries. The Confucian saying "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" succinctly captured how movements gain momentum, and FM has internalized this wisdom with their grass-roots approach to promotion. When in foreign countries, they will hit the streets and meet locals, while promoting their event as well as their music.
"We try to learn a little bit about the culture," says Kev. "When we went to Brazil, for instance, we learned how to say 'get your hands in the air,' like 'levantós mãos.' Just to try to relate. And before the shows, we'll be on the streets promoting the album to the locals, really just vibin' it out. 'Cuz people can tell. They don't want you to just come in and come out. [They] really go to know that you care and you're part of it. Know that you want to be there."
According to Kev, Korea seems to be the hardest market for outsiders to break into because of the high entertainment quality of their music industry: "These companies, like CJ and other huge Korean [entertainment] conglomerates, they sink all this money, and they really take pride in the movies and music. So they have the number one artist in Asia, which is Rain.... [And] they're all just really huge. So to be an American artist coming in there is no big deal. Korea is the hardest to break into, but once you break into there, the fans are just so loyal."
For Prohgress and J-Splif, the ability to speak Korean helped the group gain some credibility in the Korean media. Their contacts with fellow hip-hop artists throughout places like South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have also helped to bolster their visibility. But, it is FM's sensitivity to cultural differences that enabled them to realize that there is an underlying thread between their fans, regardless of ethnicity and nationality. It is also most likely due to this aim for unity -- this instinct to gather and not exclude -- that distinguishes FM from other hip-hop groups in the eyes of their fans.
"You learn different things, different nuances of the culture, which helps us. But, at the end of the day, regardless if you're from LA or Shanghai or Hong Kong, we try to become homies, become friends, you know. Folks'n'Family. That's what we're all about," says J-Splif, "For the most part, we keep everything positive and try to have a good time. And that has been reciprocated to us. So as far as I can tell, besides the language and all that, we're all the same."
The opportunity to tour and perform throughout the world has brought the guys of FM an awareness of how ubiquitous hip-hop has become, but at the same time, how it can transform from region to region. While hip-hop had entered the Japanese music scene from as early as the mid-80s, it didn't make as big of an impact in South Korea and Taiwan until the mid-90s. And, it's hitting China only very recently at the end of the millennium. FM has firsthand experience in seeing and hearing how hip-hop has traveled and transformed in places like South Korea and Taiwan. The guys relate that one of the more prominent differences between hip-hop in East Asia versus Stateside would be the lack of grittiness.
"There is [a] different taste out there, I've noticed," explains Kev, "America is a lot darker. When you think of America, especially of hip-hop, you think of the dark sounds the 50 Cent, the Young Jeezy, the real heavy, the dirty South, the grimy, the gritty, the Streets... Over there, hip-hop isn't about conveying a culture, like a story of oppression and all that, of a struggle. It's more like a fashion statement. It's entertainment. So, when we go over there, the sounds are a lot poppier. The artists… there are a lot of restrictions. In Singapore. In Asia, Jin, or even like Machi, they're both our friends out there. They release albums in their native languages. They can't say a lot of stuff. The government listens to the whole CD and has to approve it. So, you end up getting a CD where the artist is restricted and can't say anything he wants to say."
In comparison, Kev notes that Asian American rappers have long been directly influenced by American hip-hop to the extent that rappers like Chan have a sound that can be traced to the grittiness so dominant in the music.
"I think it has a lot to do with the experience," says Prohgress, "I mean the fact is that hip-hop originated in America. You know the way of dress, the hip-hop style of dress. It all originated in America. People know the history, the root behind it. People are surrounded by it all day. They understand it. In Asia, you have some people who have never stepped foot in Oakland, California, but rock a Charles Woodson jersey with a bandanna and locs on. I mean it's not a bad thing. To them, it's just a style of wear. Their version of hip-hop is very different."
As FM has witnessed, however, no matter how different hip-hop is approached in Asia, American hip-hop has permeated all aspects of the Asian hip-hop scene. While the average hip-hopper in Shanghai or Seoul might sag their jeans for different reasons or bump the sounds of their native hip-hop artist, there is little doubt as to where the inspiration for the culture and music comes from.
"You go to the clubs in any of these countries and they're still playing the same stuff they play here. The Top 40. It's crazy how Western music is all over the world," marvels Kev.
"It goes to show how big hip-hop is," says J-Splif, "regardless of what corner of the world you're at, I mean, you know a Snoop Dogg song, a 50 Cent song, or whatever it may be. You somehow get MTV to your home and you somehow wear some Roc-a-Wear jeans. It's huge and it's mind-boggling for us to be a part of that. It's just… We're blessed."
Watching the guys hype up the APA interview for the camera, it is clear that 'movement' in Far*East Movement is not just about Asian Americanness. It's about the playful energy behind their music and passionate support for fellow Asian Americans as well as fellow artists. As they continue to push for representation just by being them, they are maximizing their potential to be the ones to transcend the stereotypes and be seen as musicians first, and Asian Americans as an afterthought.
Click here for Far*East Movement's Myspace page. Their sophomore album Animal will be released in early 2008.
Date Posted: 9/7/2007