Let me first apologize for being away from this site. Some personal matters got in the way, but now I’m good! Worse comes to worse, I am always active on my Twitter account!
Anyway, on September 13th, “THE CURE” was released with a slight change in the Drunken Tiger name. After a brief stint with Tiger JK, Yoon MiRae, and Bizzy performing as MFBTY, the trio renamed themselves as “Drunken Tiger with Yoon Mirae and Bizzy.” The 9th album carries many past hits that exclusively were digital singles ( “Sweet Dream” and “Get It In”), the 2 standout tracks are “Beautiful Life” and “The Cure.” Both songs are inspired by those struggling, hopeless, and/or sick. Most of the inspiration came from JK’s past struggles and most recently his father, who was diagnosed with cancer. The song is also metaphorical of the 3 artists breaking off from their old label, Jungle Entertainment, and starting completely fresh. Challenged with the obstacles of most startup labels, the trio were somehow able to become the most downloaded digital album across all of Korea’s digital services on top of ranking in ITunes’ top hiphop album download list.
The trio also debuted their album via an interactive Google concert and 2 autograph signings. Despite what looks like success, the mass media industry has turned a blind eye to this “subtle” hit album. Echoing the early days of Drunken Tiger’s debut, JK uses it only as fuel to keep going. In true Tiger JK fashion, he admitted the album wasn’t for money or fame, but more so for his father and his fans.
This post is dedicated to JK’s father, who reinspired me to get back into the right funk!
In approximately 1 hour from now in Korea, Tiger JK will turn 39. Born July 29th, 1974 (previously cited as June 11th, his lunar birthday), the king of Korean hip-hop has endured a life of serious achievements as well as tumultuous downfalls. Having followed J for 12 of his 20 years in entertainment, I wanted to personally say Happy Birthday to one of the greatest men I have ever known. Though 39 on paper, J has the same spirit he had when he was 24. In the initial days, J was mislabeled as a quiet guy, but put yourself in a room with him and he can talk up a storm. It wasn’t until years later when he opened his Twitter that fans could actually see that side of him. We have definitely seen the father he has become, the loving partner that he has always been to Tasha, but what makes J still relevant and interesting is his openness to speak his mind. Inside the songwriter, performer, producer, and budding actor he is, is an funny, intelligent, and affable man. Happy birthday, J. Very fortunate to have been friends this long.
P.S. And here are the photos to prove I’ve known you too long. See my Twitter for the stories attached to them.
In January 2013, Tiger JK, Yoon MiRae, and Bizzy formed the trio group MFBTY. The three have been separate acts technically, but had performed usually together. The three performers had been signed to Jungle Entertainment, originally founded by Tiger JK and his father, Suh Byung Hoo, since its establishment in 2006. However, on July 21st, Tiger JK announced on his Twitter account that all he had left the label. Yoon MiRae and Bizzy soon followed celebrating a new start.
Questions have arose regarding the mysterious “Prison Break” photo attached to the tweet and why Tiger JK would leave his label. Not much information has been released other than a source of ours stating “reasons related to business practices recently unearthed.”
JK’s new label is affectionately named after Tiger JK’s 8th album, “Feel Ghood Musik.” JK’s father has officially been named the label’s Chief Advisor. MFBTY plans to release a new single within the next few months, along with a music video produced by “Get It In” directors, Lumpens. The producers released an exclusive animated video to promote the new label.
For further updates, fans are encouraged to continue following this site along with Tiger’s active fanbases (TigerBalm Korea,Drunken Tiger Brasil). Also, a recently opened FeelGhood Music facebook page is continuously releasing new media.
On the night of December 10th, MNET will air a special 2-part documentary commemorating The documentary, The Hero on Stage Tiger JK.ing, will share his past stories as well as give fans an inside look on his new ventures. The documentary will also share his adventures in acting and his 5th degree TaeKwonDo black belt moves.
DrunkenCamp will share the footage here as they are released.
On September 22nd, The Creator’s Project, a global network aimed to introduce and connect artistic individuals together, returned to Seoul to put on one of their signature technology-infused concerts. Tiger JK was selected as the Korean representative for a 3rd straight year and was invited to perform.
The event featured both Korean and non-Korean acts, thus inviting a diverse crowd to explore the multitude of talent. However, when Tiger JK stepped on stage, he was met with a group of Caucasian hecklers who repeated told him to stop rapping and instead dance the now internationally known horse dance from Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” JK took offense to the comments, seeing it as not only disruptive, but also racist. While JK has been openly supportive on Twitter for Psy’s success, he does not agree how some Western media has disregarded Psy’s talented, and instead have focused on his comedic dance. As some fans have pointed out, it has repercussions for Asian artists who are seeking to make their own unique mark in the Western market.
As a result of the heckler’s comments, JK stopped his performance and let out his frustration. This is his account of the incident:
“I told them [the hecklers] I ain’t here to make you laugh. I’m not here to dance for you. Then it triggered something really dark in me. My f*** you turned into f*** everybody. F*** white people. F*** CNN to F*** Hollywood. To Fu** all ya’ll who think Asians are here to make you laugh by dancing my ass off. F** Hollywood for thinking Asians are just comic relief. Then I Stopped my set and screamed for ten minutes I think. I said I got paid to be here b*tch ass white boiiz, I ain’t gon dance for you. I called all them b*tches. Then I said bi*ch bad. What I mean by b*tches I mean y’all white boys who are telling me to dance. I told them Asians are more than a motherf*cking comic relief, you punk ass white boy.”
The English speakers in the crowd were flabbergasted by his comments. However, an advocate for anti-racism himself, JK soon turned to his Twitter to personally apologize for his sudden outburst and gave his side of the story. The following is his full post:
While his actions have turned off some fans, many who have seen JK’s previous anti-racism actions have empathized and forgiven him for this one-off moment.
Though I try to keep my personal opinions out of my posts, I will end this with a personal account for those who are quick to label JK as a racist (Warning: This will be long, so grab a drink and some popcorn).
I have run this website for over 11 years. I am 100% Filipino, born and raised in a city of diversity (NYC). When I first started listening to Korean music when I was 14 years old, I was one of the few non-Koreans listening to it then. I tried to make Korean friends so I could find people who shared my musical taste. Some laughed and labeled me a wannabe. I would post in K-music forums, and was not taken seriously because I was a “fake Korean.” When I would go to festivals to see Korean singers then, I would get dirty looks. I could not speak a word of Korean then. I was in love with Drunken Tiger, then a group, and decided to fly out to Los Angeles to see them perform live. I had met a few Korean singers before, but when I met them, it was the first time I felt I was seen as a person, not just a fan. What most people don’t know is at that time, when Korean artists had non-Korean fans, most of them were Asian. DT was the first to have a large non-Asian following, but these fans usually knew little about Korea and Korean music. From that, this site was born, obviously it was larger then than it is now, and despite my race and my inability to speak Korean, DT named my site as the official English site in 2003. My race to this day has never been brought up in conversation, nor has it been an issue. I have been to countless performances, and I have seen JK show after show give pounds to his non-Korean fans in the crowd. He has treated them with the same respect he has treated me all these years. I’ve gone from his fan to his friend. I’ve met his closest friends, his family (not just Yoon MiRae), some Korean, some not. People have forgotten that one of his closest friends, Micki Eyez, who spat verses on DT2-4, is Caucasian. When comedians were using blackface on Korean TV, and when netizens criticized his wife and child for being mixed blood, he fired back on Twitter explaining the negativity attached to blackface. He criticized those who judged others based on skin color. He was one of the first to open dialogue about racism in Korea. I have sat backstage with JK and a Caucasian fan, whom he personally invited and chatted with for hours. He did this to thank her for making creative videos of him. His outburst this past week he admitted (both publicly and privately to me) was a foolish mistake. It was an impromptu response that was in no way a reflection of who he really is. He is one of the last people I would call a racist. I was not asked to write this by him, nor his label. I am writing this as a friend who wishes to see people really know him for him. There is no way everyone will forgive him, and I am not asking for it, but I hope this can balance the coin on perspectives. Please share my story with others who need to know.
On August 18th, Yoon MiRae held a fansigning at Seoul’s grand 4-floor mall, Times Square Mall. Although the signing only lasted an hour and a half, she was warmly greeted by over 500 fans waiting for an autograph. The fansigning was part of her endorsement for HP, and HP set up a special oversized keyboard and integrated it into a dance-like game for her (think DDR/Pump It Up… with 26 steps!)
While Mirae was greeted by fans young and old (and some weird), the real highlight of the day came later when she, Tiger JK, and Bizzy met with Dr. Dre for an informal meeting. Dre, who was touring with Eminem, was simultaneously promoting his successful line of headphones, Beats By Dre. Dre specifically asked to meet with the representatives of Korean hip-hop, and being JK was the first Korean artist to receive his own Beats line, it was no surprise he and his wife were invited. Coincidently, Eminem’s touring DJ, Alchemist, is a close childhood friend of JK’s, and the meeting resulted in talks about a possible cross-cultural collaboration.
The good news did not stop there.
On August 22nd,XXL’s Eye Candy column highlighted Korea’s best female rappers, with Tasha rounding out the listed. What a good week for Mirae!
In their native town of Uijeongbu, a small city an hour out of central Seoul, Tiger JK and Yoon MiRae closed their city’s 20th International Music Festival with a special concert. While they were the main names on the bill, the two surprised the 1000+ fans by bringing fellow label mates, JoMoonGun, and new hip-hop group, MIB, to perform an extended Jungle Entertainment-only concert. As a result, their performance differed from their normal set, with even MIB members rapping the first verse of “I Want You/난 널 원해” with Tiger. Below are exclusive front row HD shots/video from the performance.
“엄지손갈락/Thumb”
“Get It In” with Bizzy, Jo Moon Gun, MIB
“I Want You/난 널 원해” with Bizzy, Jo Moon Gun, MIB
In other news, Tiger JK, Yoon MiRae, Bizzy, and MIB are to perform at Music Matters Live 2012, an annual music industry conference. This year’s conference is being held in Singapore, and will broadcast live at 9PM Korea time (8AM EST, 5AM PST).
On May 6th, a eyeraising tweet appeared on Far East Movement’s twitter stating, “Wow, Tiger JK and Yoon MiRae killed that verse.” A few minutes later, both Tiger and Yoon MiRae were caught mentioning “dirty bass (a trademark saying of FM)” and trending “livemyliferemix” (in reference to FM’s latest top 10 hit). Could fans be seeing Tiger and MiRae on a FM track soon?
April 28th, Hongdae Subway Station— With the fastest Internet in the world and a population open to new cellphone technology, many of the world’s wired mobile advancements are first launched in South Korea. The country’s largest cellphone carrier, SK Telecom, recently announced its phones will now offer the largest LTE (4G) data service in the country. SK’s LTE service also allows its members to stream free music from Korea’s largest online streamer, Melon, directly into their phones without using up data. SK teamed with Tiger JK to garner fans to their website, offering free concert tickets to select fans who partake in one of their online promotions.
In an effort to continuously stand out above its competitors, SK held its promotional concert in no ordinary venue. Korea is well known for its timely and convenient subway, but commuters often complain its service is not 24 hours. SK used this to their advantage, holding JK’s show at Hongdae subway station after hours. Of course, fans invited were oblivious as to how the company would pull this off. How and where would you pull off a concert in an ordinary subway station?
Outside the turnstile exits of Hongdae’s airport subway line stood a group of fans and random signage with JK’s face. The exits are wide, but still fans were left in the dark where the actual show would be. Around the ticket tables are pseudo red carpets where concert goers could take pictures with a life size JK cut out.
Fans are distracted by the cutout until 12:00pm, when the subway shuts down for the public. They are then instructed to line up near the East bound train turnstiles. At 12:30pm, the crowd is directed downstairs into an empty train, which a few minutes later suddenly closes its doors and takes surprised passengers to the next station (Digital Media City).
As the train pulls into Digital Media City, fans anticipate getting off and going to a secret location for the concert. However, the doors remain close and the lights suddenly shut off, throwing some into a panic. Dance music starts to play and SK staff walks through the train cars announcing everyone is going to a concert/party soon. Still, fans are left questioning if the concert where the venue actually is.
The train suddenly moves back west to Hongdae station, this time arriving on the West bound side of the train tracks. The doors open and a shrill of screams lets out as concert goers realize the show is on the actual platform. A mad dash to the stage occurs, passing through a now JK branded subway platform.
Fans are treated to promos featuring JK and a DJ building anticipation with recent dance hits. Around 1:30pm, JK’s DJ, DJ Juice, appears on stage and hardcore fans scream knowing the show is starting.
As usual, Bizzy starts the set and builds the energy. Bizzy’s set usually starts with “Run,” a track from Yang Dong Geun’s 4th album which him, JK, and Tasha featured. Veteran fans know the sight of Bizzy at a show surely means JK will follow, and then after wife, Tasha/Yoon MiRae.
JK doesn’t disappoint as his joins Bizzy to perform a DT’s classic, “Do You Know Hip Hop?” As JK comes out, the barrier holding the fans back shakes. JK is the first to fully step out to the crowd, causing a panic for his bodyguards. After performing “Monster,” and entertaining the crowd with jokes, Tasha joins the crew for True Romance.
The husband/wife duo always treat the crowd to a small dance in the middle of the set.
With its peaceful melody, True Romance calms the nerves of the crowd, but gets them ready to start jumping as the trio starts the hyped “Pay Day.”
However, the highlight of Tasha’s set is her online single, “Get it In.” Regardless of the crowd, “Get It In” guarantees the crowd will be jumping along with the crew mid song. (Warning: I was close to the stage, almost too close. As a result, the lights affected my camera’s focus and there are parts where it’s hard to see. I apologize!)
“Get It In,” is the apparent show closer, but fans demand the crew come back to the stage for an encore.
Soon after, the crew comes back to close with another Drunken Tiger classic, “I Want You.” Seeing the crowd enamored in the performance, JK takes the opportunity to step off stage and embed himself into the crowd. Midway through, his adrenaline tells him to take a fan’s cellphone with him, leaving her in uneasy excitement. (Again, light warning.)
Fans are always happy that JK is willing to mingle.
The crew leaves the crowd in high spirits. One fan’s love for JK is reignited to the point she wants to kiss his lifesize cut out.
And as the show ends, the subway station empties, but remnants of JK’s presence and a unique concert remain. Kudos, SK Telecom, I definitely will remain a loyal customer after this show.
Three years ago, I met with JK in a VIP balcony of the Wiltern. Dressed in a casual black jacket and jeans, most would’ve never guessed he was an honorary special guest that night, and other than a brief appearance on the red carpet, he was escorted in and out just like any other guest. The Wiltern has such historical meaning for the city of Los Angeles, with its classic Victorian structure and an array of all-star artists that have sold out its 2,300 seats. Though JK never said it, I knew his LA roots fueled his desire to be on stage that night, and it was relieving to see him fill the theater the way he did last week.
Thanks to Drunken Tiger veteran music video director, Dave Kebo, and numerous other attendees, we got some great shots. From guest appearances from JK’s musical entourage (Ann, Styliztik Jones, Dumbfoundead, Jay Park) to Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn tweeting pictures of JK himself, it was truly an unforgettable night.
DT MFBTY INTERNATIONAL 