Avatar Darko has released his first single under H1GHR MUSIC today. GroovyRoom produced ‘Murda Mami (Feat. Sik-K & Ted Park)’.
H1GHR MUSIC in Los Angeles–A Concert Review
On May 4, hiphop label H1GHR MUSIC held their US Tour at 333 Live in Los Angeles. Read our concert review written by guest writer Yasamine (of Pixeletry).
Before we get into the wildness that was the H1GHR MUSIC Los Angeles tour stop, I feel it’s my duty to make for damn sure you all understand just how important this music label is. In the world of Korean hiphop, everyone spends a hell of a lot of time spouting comparisons between K-hiphop and North American hiphop. Understand that there will always be comparisons. That’s what people love to do.
“You can get with this, or you can get with that” – Black Sheep: The Choice is Yours
It’s expected. What wasn’t expected, was Jay Park and Cha Cha Malone bulldozing their way through the barrier not just bringing Asian artists to the forefront, but starting from the ground up, with a foundation solidified in diversity. There are no barriers for H1GHR MUSIC.
The label itself is one that is a strong mix of Seattle-based (and now all over the US) underground rap, hiphop and R&B artists mixed with South Korean artists and producers building a bridge between two worlds that was desperately needed. You see, beyond just bringing Asian artists here to North America, they planted roots here and created an exchange program of sorts, importing and exporting sounds and creativity that are so infectious, that birthed tour that housed sold-out shows and a wild rollercoaster experience beyond language barriers, beyond etiquette barriers, and held together with brotherly love, mutual respect and a damn good mix of talent. Now all they gotta do is bring on some Femcees and Latinx love up in this mix and my world would be complete.
Now that we’ve cleared the air, let’s talk about this wild crazy long night at the H1GHR MUSIC Tour LA stop. Hold on to your hats–this is gonna be an adventure!
The night started with Ted Park, fresh off his chaining at SXSW earlier this year, he’d just cut his long hair and dyed it cherry-bomb red. In his purple track jacket and white sweat band, he pranced around the stage with his adorable dance moves and humble genuine joy to be performing. He hyped the crowd with the tracks ‘Me oh My‘, ‘Me Love‘, and the viral sensation ‘Hello (Who Is This?)‘. It continued throughout the entire night as he popped back up later in the show to perform his newest collab, ‘Hands In The Air‘ featuring Jay Park.
The night was on a strict schedule as Avatar Darko stepped out on stage. Earlier this year he’d dropped the juggernaut mixtape Young Lomachenko with 14 tracks of pure fire. He stood on stage with his long dreads and designer sunglasses. He dedicated the night to his recently passed friend and proceeded to turn up hard to tracks like ‘Putin Work‘, ‘Never Comin’ Down‘, and ‘Xanny Pacquiao‘.
I don’t think anyone prepared me for Woodie Gochild and his … Pants. In his Kelly-green polo shirt and hand-designed super tight mom jeans, I don’t think anyone in the front row breathed throughout his entire set. Dude is small, but he really packs a … punch.
Ya dig?! Most of us stared slack-jawed as he saucily maneuvered about the stage, busting out Latin moves to tracks like ‘Let’s Get It‘, and ‘Muse‘.
Just as the I thought the crowd was about to spontaneously combust from the hotness, Phe Reds took the stage. His gentle lilting voice talked about how he’s working on his first album and only had a few songs for us that night. And then he began to sing. I could almost feel the cool, calming breeze from him. The entire sold-out venue sighed as they fell in love with him. He sang ‘Smile‘ and my personal favorite, ‘We Are The Stars‘, his guitarist taking us through an acoustic performance that dragged us through our feels.
Raz Simone took the stage and sucked the coolness right out from under us … I wasn’t ready as he pounded us with hard-hitting rhymes and his oh-so-sultry voice. With tracks like ‘Clout‘, ‘The Lights‘, and ‘Sometimes I Don’t‘, we rode his wave of energy. At one point he parted the sea, splitting the audience into two sides and performing on the floor with the audience as he ran up and down that makeshift aisle. As the barrier pressed into my ribs, I questioned my life, but it was worth seeing his explosive performance live.
I’m gonna take a moment and just scream at the realization that those of us who caught this performance, got to experience Cha Cha Malone on the mic. Not just as the MC but performing as well. We got a full set of unreleased tracks from his upcoming EP, and let me tell you! They are pure fire! Who knew the producer extraordinaire was hiding such raw talent under his belt! The man can produce, bboy dance, sing, rap … He can probably do my damned taxes!
Jarv Dee is probably one of my personal favorites. I was so surprised at his ability to flip between laid-back and turnt-up demeanor as he spat 4/20 friendly rhymes that had the entire crowd jumping to the beat. His expressiveness, not only in his lyrics but in his face and entire stage presence, is really all the reason you need to see him live. Seeing ‘I Just Wanna‘, and ‘Smoke 2 Much‘ live was pure craziness. The man is just fierce with a mic.
pH-1 exudes dominance. Straight up. There’s no other way to describe him. He seems quiet on stage until he brings that mic to his lips and lets you know the party is on! He takes over your whole world for his set time and you have no choice but to let him drive you through some of the funnest and most poppin’ tracks on the set list. I’ll be honest … I seriously lost my mind when he performed ‘Donut‘. It was really all I needed but of course he did ‘Perfect‘, ‘Game Night,’ ‘Christ’, and others!
Sing it with me now! Iffy Iffy Yah Yah Iffy Iffy Yah! Sik-K took the stage with pH-1 and had the entire audience doing the dance! Let’s be real. I’ve been worshipping the ground Sik-K has walked on since he dropped his first single back in 2015. Seeing him live was the epitome of this show for me. I seriously screamed myself hoarse and sang every song. This ain’t no joke. Seeing him live was it for me. I can die now. And he brought out the big guns dear lord he did not hold back! He performed ‘Party‘, ‘Rendezvous‘, ‘Ex’ (with Cha Cha) ‘Yacht‘, ‘Ring Ring‘ … I mean I could go on! I was hoping for ‘What The Hell’, but unfortunately it didn’t make the roster which is probably a good thing because it would have killed me.
With a finale that included the incomparable Yultron taking to the turntables as a curious DJ Summit stood glued to his hip, watching every move he made on that mixer. The night finished with the H1GHR MUSIC anthem and every member taking the stage. Every artist reached for fans, from pH-1 to Jarv Dee getting out there with those high fives and big smiles. At one point Sik-K reached out, passed the hands next to me and took my hand. This could have been a hallucination as I was in the process of being smashed between the stage and the barrier, fans clamoring to reach their faves. Everyone turned up hardcore and by the time it was over … the rush of adrenaline was just enough to get us through an insanely packed after party.
All in all, I think about the fact that this show was in multiple languages with a talent lineup just as diverse as the packed audience that had started to line up for the show at 9AM that morning. To me, nothing can beat that type of immersive experience because it promotes unity and acceptance. Be prepared, H1GHR MUSIC is just getting started and they’re out to change the game.
Photos
Ted Park and Phe Reds
Avatar Darko
Woodie Gochild
Phe Reds
Raz Simone
Cha Cha Malone
Jarv Dee
pH-1
Sik-K
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H1GHR MUSIC drop new single ‘ON THE ROAD (Prod. by BIG BANANA)’
H1GHR MUSIC’s Ted Park, pH-1, Sik-K, and Woodie Gochild have released the new single ‘ON THE ROAD (Prod. by BIG BANANA)‘ today in which they rap about their recent US tour.
Sway D tells ‘The Story of Hurricane’ in his new mini album
Hi-Lite Records’ Sway D has released his self-produced mini album ‘The Story of Hurricane‘ today. It features his label mates G2, Reddy, Paloalto, and YunB, as well as Young Thugs Club and Woodie Gochild of YTC4LYF, H1GHR MUSIC‘s Ted Park, and FPL Crew‘s Dbo.
Ted Park’s first mini album is ‘Plugged In’
In collaboration with THECUT, Ted Park has released his debut album ‘Plugged In‘ today. The EP includes featurings by Dumbfoundead, Reddy, BILL STAX, PENOMECO, and more.
Last month, Ted Park pre-released ‘Broke (Feat. G2)‘ and ‘Hands In the Air (Feat. Jay Park)‘, the title tracks of his first mini album.
On Instagram, Ted writes: “Before I release all my new stuff for the summer I want to give you guys what I feel is a fitting introduction that I made in the [S]tates and in Korea with some very special guest artists.”
You can find the EP on iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud (see above). For more info about Ted Park, check out our interview with him!
‘Plugged In’ Track List & Credits:
- Go Now (Feat. Saho)
Lyrics: Ted Park, Saho
Composed by DJ PAIN 1 - Right Key
Lyrics: Ted Park
Composed by DANNY BOBBY - Chingu (Feat. BILL STAX)
Lyrics: Ted Park, BILL STAX
Composed by Deux on Fleek - Hands In The Air (Feat. Jay Park) TITLE
Lyrics: Ted Park, Jay Park
Composed by DJ PAIN 1 - Corny (Feat. Dumbfoundead)
Lyrics: Ted Park, Dumbfoundead
Composed by DJ PAIN 1 - Turn Me Down
Lyrics: Ted Park
Composed by DANNY BOBBY - Take You Home
Lyrics: Ted Park
Composed by DANNY BOBBY - Understand Me (Feat. Reddy)
Lyrics: Ted Parl, Reddy
Composed by DJ PAIN 1, Reddy - Broke (Feat. G2) TITLE
Lyrics: Ted Park, G2
Composed by DANNY BOBBY - Hometown Girls (Feat. PENOMECO)
Lyrics: Ted Park, PENOMECO
Composed by DJ PAIN 1
Photography: Mark Kim
Presented by THECUT
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Source: Mnet
Ted Park releases new single ‘Hands in the Air (Feat. Jay Park)’
Ted Park has pre-released another single off his upcoming debut album. ‘Hands in the Air‘ features Jay Park.
pH-1 and the H1GHR MUSIC Showcase at SXSW 2018
pH-1 captivated the crowd at SXSW’s H1GHR MUSIC Showcase last month. HiphopKR was there–relive the event with us!
Also known as: the time Cy almost died at SXSW.
To be fair, that’s not pH-1’s fault. On the contrary, the first half of the show was a thing of beauty. Honestly, all one needed before entering that show was respect for Jay Park’s vision and an honest-to-goodness appreciation of music. The premise itself was simple: keep an open mind. However, neither the organizers of SXSW nor the company that sponsored the event could’ve predicted what was about to happen at the Main on March 17.
Though this is a look back at a particular performance, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the show’s host. Jay Park has such an immense vision. Love or hate his music, there’s no way you can deny that his heart’s so incredibly entrenched in music. He has a mind for it like almost no one, an eye and ear for talent that’s enviable. With his lifelong partner in crime, Cha Cha Malone, he’s created a home for untapped potential and underrepresented talent in their global record label H1GHR MUSIC. Being Jay’s second enterprise, it’s safe to say that he certainly knows what he’s doing when it comes to exploring the edges of music’s periphery and bringing some of its lesser known acts to light.
Thus we have pH-1. Though not exactly unknown, his visibility was relegated to longtime fans and followers of the relative underground of Korea’s hip-hop scene. He’d already been spoken of with reverence among and had high-profile collaborations with artists such as Owen Ovadoz and, of course, Jay Park. His signing to Park’s H1GHR MUSIC last year comes as no surprise to those who know him musically.
His reputation far preceded his performance at SXSW. Before even entering the venue, the line rounded two corners, from the east and west, all those in attendance waiting with bated breath for the chance to see some of their favorite artists–among those pH-1. In fact, prior to doors open, the showcase’s artists and hosts made it a point to come out and tease the crowd with a glimpse. Park, Malone, Ted Park, and pH-1 all made small appearances, reveling in the controlled chaos of fans doing what they do best: fangirling.
We come to the opening of the show. Obviously fans are already in an uproar as soon as Park and Malone make their introductions. These two young men certainly have a palpable passion for what they’re doing. Despite Park’s star power, there’s a level of surprise coloring his tone when he realizes the magnitude of the showcase of his label’s namesake. As each artist makes his way to the stage, the energy has an enormous spike. This tremor of excitement reaches a peak once pH-1 begins his set.
In speaking with him, it’s clear just how passionate this man is about his music, about his message. As soon as he alights, he is a marvel. His message is positivity, a vision contrary to the typical subject matter of almost all of hip-hop’s most popular. There’s nothing shy or wilting about the man, let’s be frank. However, his dedication to giving hip-hop a different color, an alternative outlook, could seem to compete with the raunch and raucous of a rap showcase.
Let the record show pH-1 isn’t shy of a little turn-up. In fact, from the first note it’s clear he favors quite heavy turn-up should the occasion call for it. Most certainly, the H1GHR MUSIC Showcase definitely called for it. He ascends from backstage, mic in hand like a hammer, and he goes to town. There’s not a moment of quiet, a moment of the zen chill one expects from someone so dedicated to his message of positivity. He’s all piss and vinegar, this one. A side of snark and a hell of a lot of the flirtatious troublemaker we saw when he made his brief appearance outside the venue, what we have here is a man who knows how to manipulate a crowd.
The crowd isn’t complaining, believe me.
When he goes into some of his more popular hits, the crowd is practically inconsolable. pH-1 certainly has a style that speaks to an audience, a message that resonates. His set at the H1GHR MUSIC Showcase has all the energy and power of his peers. So infectious is his stage presence, Jay Park finds his way on stage during pH-1’s last song of the night, the indisputable bop “Donut.” Their chemistry is amazing, making the stage a playground. Their smiles are so genuine. pH-1 donned a toothy grin from the moment the music started.
I suppose you’re wondering about the whole near-death experience I alluded to at the beginning of this write-up. As I said, not pH-1’s fault. As I also stated, organizers weren’t prepared for just how raucous a crowd of very devoted Korean hip-hop fans are (even considering the diversity of the lineup). Things got out of hand. But not before I got to see just how much control pH-1 has over a captive audience. That is the takeaway from this showcase: pH-1 is a Class A performer.
Edited by Lena
Ted Park drops single and music video ‘Broke (Feat. G2)’
H1GHR MUSIC’s latest addition, Ted Park, has pre-released the first single off his debut EP. ‘Broke‘ features Hi-Lite Records’ G2.
Ted Park, “I hope to bridge the gap between Korean and American Hiphop”
The Wisconsin-native started gaining popularity in 2016 following his song “Hello (Who is this),” which climbed to the top 10 on Billboard and Spotify’s Viral 50 Charts. Ted Park, garnering recognition both in the States and Korea. Park recently had a trip back to Korea, where he worked with a number of notable Korean artists. He recently made news with his signing to H1GHR MUSIC, the label started by another notable Korean-American artist, Jay Park.
We had the opportunity to chat with Ted Park about his experience as a Korean-American artist in the States, what he got up to on his trip to Korea, and what we can expect from him in the future.
Rapper Coogie releases debut single ‘HBK (Feat. Ted Park)’
Coogie has released his first digital single ‘HBK‘ today. He received support from Ted Park, Dakshood, and Bill Stax.