James An is a Korean Hip-Hop artist who is steadily building a following. On Tuesday he is coming back with his new single album ‘Small Talks & Sweet Truths’. We contacted the ‘Show Me The Money’ participant and luckily he accepted our request for an interview. We asked him about his upcoming release, poetry in Hip-Hop and his activism.
“Rapping was empowering.”
“When I moved to Canada in fourth grade someone gave me CDs with music from artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, Drunken Tiger and Dynamic Duo. I used to listen to them everyday and memorize the lyrics. Rapping was really empowering to do and it helped me a lot with my self-confidence, especially while adjusting to a completely new environment,” James An wrote.
James didn’t just live in Canada. He also studied for a few of years in the US. Having lived in so many different countries shapes a person’s art, it shapes their lyricism. “Having grown up in Canada and the US as a minority really challenged me to think about how I, as well as other minority groups, can, and must withstand and dismantle racism and other systemic oppression. I’m incredibly fortunate to have met inspiring educators that not only helped me recognize my own privileges and how they might perpetuate oppression, but also see the system more clearly, uplift myself and others through education, art, and expression. Not always, but I want to write about liberation.”
Activism and Allyship
He has been an activist for a while and even has a YouTube video where he speaks about the concept of ‘anti-racism’ and how to be a good ally. About the video James wrote this: “I think one of the first things we can do to fight racism is to develop awareness of our own privileges, and how they might perpetuate inequality and oppression.”
“In other words, not being aware of our own privileges often keep us unaware of or content with the current situation. Allyship is crucial, and we need to learn more about how we can put in the work together for ourselves and different marginalized groups. I am grateful for many of my BIPOC and White friends and educators who have taught me so much, and I have so much to learn, and need to take action. Our freedom is intertwined – “Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free” (Fannie Lou Hamer).”
The song ‘AIN’T NOBODY FREE TILL EVERYBODY IS’ was released on his mixtape ‘EDUCATION’ which came out last year in 2021. It is also one of James’ favorite tracks, together with ‘MODEL MINORITY MYTH’. “The process was so fun and enjoyable, partly because I kept reminding myself that this mixtape is really about the process. The process was organic because I just tried to express myself without too much pressure. I just had fun and tried to rap on different types of beats and sounds with a variety of featured artists. Although it’s a mixtape and not released on more official streaming platforms, I’m really proud of the work, and thankful to have received a lot of support throughout the process. Looking back now, I do wish I put in more unexpected tracks and let myself go a little bit more.”
“It’s important for me to speak my truth as an artist”
James An spoke with Tiger JK during the Hip-Hop education conference at Harvard, where James studied. The topic of the conversation was counter-storytelling. “I am incredibly honored to have had Tiger JK with us last year at the conference. It was dope! I believe that counter-storytelling is one of the most powerful tools and ways to dismantle racism and oppression, and fight the master narrative and stereotypes. It’s definitely an important part of my music, because I know there are stereotypes and prejudices against me, my identities, and what I believe in. It’s important for me to speak my truth as an artist.”
During his YouTube video where he explained the lyrics of his single ‘We Love The Vibe’ James mentioned the poet Oh Eun. Poetry can have a heavy influence on hip-hop lyrics. “When I was in the Korean army, I developed a love for Korean Modern Poetry. I wanted to learn more and took a class from a prominent Korean poet named Lee Young-ju.I started to write poetry with other poets and friends. I write poetry for the sake of writing poetry itself, but reading and writing poetry have definitely influenced my lyrics. Overall, I feel like it has helped me to write in more detailed, nuanced, and unexpected ways that are not as direct, explicit, obvious, or “efficient.””
Small Talks & Sweet Truths
In a couple of days on 28 June, James will be back with his new double single album ‘Small Talks & Sweet Truths’. The album will contain the two singles ‘Mia Wallace’ and ‘Sweet Truth’.
‘Mia Wallace’ is a reference to the character played by Uma Thurman in ‘Pulp Fiction’. “I thought to myself who is, or could be a ‘Mia Wallace’ in my life? If she had my wallet, what would happen? I’m not sure if anything crazy happened, but it got me thinking about conversations. Conversations, how we end them, and the boredom of it all.”
The second single ‘Sweet Truth’ was inspired by the memories of Easter egg hunting. “They would hide colorful, plastic eggs that contain something sweet, and I would frantically find them. Back then, I didn’t care about the truth; all I wanted was something sweet. I’ve always had a sweet tooth since then.”
We’ll be looking forward to Tuesday to hear this new release.
Go ahead and follow James on Spotify here and on Instagram here.
