When Jay Park became one of the first and only Asian artists signed to Jay-Z's label, Roc Nation, earlier this summer, the hip-hop world was rattled. Not that Park, who was born to Korean immigrant parents in Seattle, was overly concerned. In fact, it's the type of thing he's grown accustomed to.
"Me, being Asian-American, I was always looked at as an outsider. I always had to fight for my place," Park told CNN during a recent interview.
For an outsider, Park is very much "in" at present. The 30-year-old rapper has seen his celebrity status soar in recent months. In addition to working on his debut Roc Nation album, he's also preparing to join the second season of "Asia's Got Talent" as a judge. The popular show premieres October 12 across 27 countries in Asia.
"Jay Park has clearly become an icon for those struggling to make a name for themselves," said Flowsion Shekar, CEO of Koreaboo,
a popular content platform specializing in K-pop with a reach of over 50 million. "It shows that Asia is not being ignored ... You can be an R&B singer, a rapper, a singer from Asia and have ambitions to takeover a global market. You can be recognized by the greats."
( jay park x rihanna soon? )
source:
CNN