The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA, is not only providing local LAists and visitors with visual art, but they’re now providing the art of music as well. Their new hip-hop concert series, “Through the Mic,” is on the third Thursday of every month through October 2012 at 8 PM. On Thursday, June 21st, for their second event, the Korean-American rapper, Dumbfoundead, along with other hip-hop artists like Gizzle and Medusa, performed live in front of LACMA’s renowned Urban Light sculpture. Before the three hip-hop artists performed live under the night sky, Audrey Magazine was able to catch Dumbfoundead (DFD) and have a little chat with him. When we asked him if he wanted to take picture with a “gangster” pose he turned down the offer and said, “No, I hung up my gangster title a long time ago,” we knew that he was ready to show more of himself than just his rapper image.
Although the interview lasted about 10 minutes we quickly discovered that DFD wasn’t just this tough and swagger-like Asian-American kid who could spit sick rhymes. Instead, within those 10 minutes he revealed that he was quite the hopeless romantic and the “politician.” From talking about his inspiration for his latest EP “Love Everyday” to the politics of South Korea, we thought we were talking to somebody else instead of the usual Asian American rapper we see on YouTube. However, we saw his rapper and entertainer reputation on stage shortly after as he performed songs like “Bubba Kush,” “Cell Phone,” and “Are We There Yet?” Dumbfoundead, along with his band and Breezy Lovejoy, turned up the energy at the usually quiet museum. The crowd of all ages and ethnicities went wild when Dumbfoundead showed his true talent: freestyling.
Continue reading for the interview and for more pictures!
Dynamic Duo. Photo courtesy of: CJ E&M and Amoeba Culture
While KPOP’s popularity is undeniably making it’s rounds and creating a Beatles-like sort of pandemonium around the world, let us bring your attention to something just a little different: Korean hip hop. While Korean hip hop may not be on the world map like KPOP, it is definitely an under-appreciated genre that is well deserving of more praise.
The Amoeba Culture Concert was a prime example of that.
Have you had a morning, waking up so dizzy, drunk, hungover, couldn’t find your house keys – and wondering who your chauffeur was? Perhaps Dumbfoundead’s latest will resonate with you – and kick start your weekend partying!
We’re really feeling the DFD’s latest, “Cellphone” with Breezy Lovejoy and Wax. Great beat – and love that hook!
Catch Dumbfounded at his next performance this upcoming Saturday (April 14th) at the House of Blues in Los Angeles (on the Sunset Strip) on stage with Dynamic Duo, Simon D, and Kero One. More info here.
If you’re looking for some laughs this week, then head on over to Koreatown this Thursday night to the 1st ever Koreatown Comedy Festival! Along with hosts PK and Dumbfoundead, it features an all-star line-up that’s sure to liven up the night. And best of all, all proceeds go to LINK (Liberty in N. Korea) & KOLLABORATION (Empowerment Through Entertainment). So help a good cause and help yourself to a wild night!
Tickets: Presale – $11, At the Door – $15
To purchase tickets, click here
See you there!
There’s something magical about a holiday movie done well.
We asked celebs at the Audrey Magazine & KoreAm Journal A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas screening what are some of their favorite seasonal flicks.
To find out who listed Die Hard and who named…Casablanca(?!) as one, check below! Continue Reading »
Who likes red carpet pictures where the celebs are just smiling and posing prettily? Boring!
KoreAm and Audrey caught some great outtakes from the red carpet and we’re here to share it with you. Cheers (and cheese!) to all the hair tosses, funny faces and magical moments captured in between each flash.
So nice when the film stars actually like each other. John Cho and Kal Penn look like they’re having so much fun together, I wanna join in! (And totally not because they’re John Cho and Kal Penn…) Continue Reading »
“Audrey’s Night Out is filled with free booze, fashion plus lots of hot girls and guys. If you could only pick one, what would you choose?” While other people may be there for the alcohol and the hotties, I was there for the fashion. Here’s my fashion picks for the night:
1. Classic Cocktail Dresses
Simplicity speaks louder than you think. I am loving Nikki Soohoo’s cocktail dress here with the heart neckline and black and nude contrast. It hugs her in all the right places and she looks absolutely stunning.
Nikki Soohoo.
Poreotics (top) and GRV (bottom) killing it out there.
This Sunday, January 30th, get ready for the hottest hip-hop competition in Southern California! Lambda Theta Delta is holding its 16th annual VIBE dance competition in Irvine to showcase only the best hip-hop teams in the West Coast. VIBE has staged some of the most recognized stars, such as the Jabbawockeez, SickStep and Far East Movement. Once again, they’re bringing many fan favorites to the stage of Bren Events Center for an amazing show. This is the night to witness competing teams show off their best moves and exhibition teams demonstrate once again why they are “must-see” acts. Music by some of YouTube’s well-known artists will also be featured.
This year, twelve teams battle it out to win the title of VIBE XVI Champs, including four past champion teams, three new teams and five returning teams who hope that this may be their year. Choreo Cookies, who have swept most of the previous titles, Kaba Modern, who appeared on America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) and who won first place in VIBE VIII to X, Team Millennia, VIBE XII and XIII champs and CADC, VIBE XIV winners are back again for some tough competition. The teams returning to fight for the title are Pac Modern, GRV, 220, Common Ground and NSU Modern. But experienced doesn’t always mean better; they better watch out for IV League, The Company and Super Galactic Beat Manipulators who are appearing on this stage as contenders for the first time.
KM Legacy at VIBE XV.
Aside from some intense battle, VIBE is bringing in some well-respected groups, like KM Legacy, Kinjaz and Unity LA. In addition, some of the exhibition teams you may have seen on TV in shows like ABDC, but you have yet to see their acts live. These include Jungle Boogie, Boxcuttuhs and Poreotics (featuring Miniotics, their junior team). YouTube music stars are also coming together for a never-before-seen collaboration. Look out for Dumbfoundead, the Korean American rapper from Los Angeles who may be best known for his rap battles and viral hits, Jason Yang, a growing sensation on YouTube for his mastery in the acoustic and electric violin, and Victor Kim, known not only for his membership on Quest Crew but also for his musical talents.
Choreo Cookies receiving the title of VIBE XV Champions. (Photos courtesy of Tikko Studios Photography)
Don’t miss out! Pre-sale tickets are $25 and they can be purchased through (1) the Bren Event Center Box Office: 949-824-5000, (2) any Lambda Theta Delta representative, or (3) ticketmaster.com. Follow VIBE on twitter and facebook @VIBEdancecomp as well for live updates and a chance to win free tickets! A portion of their sales will be donated to a local charity.
DETAILS
Date: Sunday, January 30, 2011
Time: Doors open at 5 pm; Show starts at 6 pm
Venue: UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center
901 Mesa Road, Irvine, CA 92612
Cost: $25 pre-order; $30 at-the-door
The powers of the universe work in crazy ways sometimes. In the case of Korean American rapper/producer/deejay Kero One, those powers definitely worked in his favor.
With just his homemade studio and a personal credit card, the San Francisco native released his first single “Check the Blueprints” in 2003 on his own imprint, Plug Label. Due to a lack of experience with distributing a record, Kero One enlisted a group of friends to help him out.
That’s when the universe stepped in.
One out of the only 50 copies that were distributed around the world somehow made its way to a tiny record store in Tokyo, Japan. A Japanese deejay found that one copy a few weeks later and played it at a club that night. People began asking the deejay about Kero One’s record, including a Japanese label executive who immediately contacted the rapper and asked for 3,000 copies of the record. The record became an underground hip-hop classic almost overnight in Japan and established Kero One’s status of a “mogul in the jazzy hip-hop genre.”
Kero One began performing in different cities around Japan where he was surprised to see the hundreds of fans who were waiting to get his autograph and take pictures with him. Despite the sudden fame, Kero One didn’t let it get to his head. He eventually finished his first album in 2005, Windmills of the Soul, doing everything from playing instruments, rapping, and sound engineering. And without the support of a label or street team, Kero One took it upon himself to handle all the responsibilities of promotion and marketing, manufacturing, finances, graphic layouts and web design. He personally handed out promo fliers to anyone who’d take them.
All of Kero One’s hard work was not in vain. He was able to quit his job as a web designer in 2006 to pursue music full time. Since then Kero One has been awarded the title of Best HipHop Album of 2006 from Remix magazine, topped the iTunes hip-hop charts, received praise from the likes of Emmy award winning producer Will.i.am, and toured all over Asia, Europe, Australia and the U.S.
But despite all his travels, his heart was clearly at home. In Kero One’s newest music video, “On Bended Knee” featuring Sam Ock from Kinetic World, shot and directed by Johnny Le, Kero One sings of his personal experiences traveling around the world and looking for love “in all the wrong places.” Whether you’re a fan of hip-hop, this is a video you’re all gonna wanna watch. (And in case you’re wondering, the girl he’s rapping about in the song said “yes”! They just got married a couple months ago!) Check it out:
Kero One has also shared the stage with artists like KRS 1, Blu + Exile , DJ Cash Money, Dj Kentaro and Epik High (where he participated in arguably the first successful Asian American hip-hop tour). Additionally, Kero One has kept busy collaborating with the likes of renowned acts such as Talib Kweli, Mark Farina, Epik High, and Dynamic Duo.
In 2007, Kero One opened his first office and recording studio in downtown San Francisco to house his fledging hip-hop/dance/funk imprint, Plug Label, releasing more than a dozen records and CDs.
In 2009, Kero One independently released his official sophomore album Early Believers showcasing the talents of some of his favorite vocalists such as UK singer Ben Westbeech, Finland’s Tuomo, and Portland’s Ohmega Watts. A fantastic blend of “soulful jazz tinged tracks to upbeat synth-driven party bangers,” Early Believers is a reflection of Kero One’s growth and maturity as a writer, composer, vocalist and arranger.
In 2010, Kero One released his third solo album entitled Kinetic World which again features some of his favorite artists, including Fashawn, Tablo of Epik High, Dumbfoundead (check out our interview with him!) and Othello. In addition, Kero One’s interest in the YouTube generation has inspired features from young talents such as Esna and Sam Ock.
Visit www.kero1.com for more information on the rapper and his music.
