On May 26, New York-based Korean-American artist JKey released the music video for his latest track titled ‘SHABANG (샤방)’ which is the first single off his collaborative project Trot Lord.
Only a few days after releasing his mixtape [Gyopo Anthem 퀸즈 돈벌어], JKey (Jaeki Cho) drops an entirely different (but equally ambitious) project titled Trot Lord. The artist explains the meaning of ‘Trot’ and ‘Shabang’ for those unfamiliar:
“In Korean “샤방” (pronounced SHA-BONG) is a mimetic word used to describe an object or action that’s dazzling. It was made popular by Korean trot singer Park Hyun-bin’s record “Shabang, Shabang.” Some history: Trot is the oldest form of Korean pop music. It started as sentimental ballads influenced by Japanese Enka, but quickly evolved by fusing elements of soul, big band, rock, and techno. So as I shuffled through my playlist and stumbled upon A$AP Ferg’s “Shabba,” it reminded me of Park Hyun-bin’s “Shabang, Shabang.” That’s when I had an epiphany: “Mix trot with contemporary hip-hop and makeTrot Lord.” “샤방 SHABANG” is the first single off an upcoming project entirely produced by my friend Rob Nam, who you should call “Rob Nah’msaying?”
Coincidently, in English we use the phrase “the whole shebang” to describe a situation. Therefore, for the visual I wanted to capture various, dazzling circumstances, and convey my hip-hop upbringing without forsaking my very Korean identity. From the song to the vintage Korean ads to outfit choices, this music video is an exaggerated embodiment of my existence. So please enjoy, share, and if you need more context, feel free to ask.” – Jaeki “JKey” Cho
Check out the music video for the free track below:
Written by Jaeki “JKey” Cho (instagram.com/jaekicho)
Produced by Rob Nam aka Nah’msaying? (soundcloud.com/rob-nam)
Mixed by Avec Plaisir (soundcloud.com/avecplaisir)
Recorded by Jason “Sul” Son of The Pinkhouse Recordings (soundcloud.com/jayonedagenius)
Photo by Zach Han (zachhan.com)
“샤방 SHABANG” font designed by Rarebirth (rarebirth.com)
Isn’t this the guy who auditioned for smtm in LA and passed because of Timbaland’s miss call? Lol