In Defense of Jay Park, and Korean Hip-Hop, Part 2

A lot of people identify with some aspect of "hip-hop". There are so many different aspects of hip-hop that resonate with people and that people really enjoy. Some people identify with the attitude of hip-hop, some people identify with the topics and lyrics, and some people identify with the more superficial aspects of hip-hop (like clothing, hair, accessories, and tattoos). Some people seem to see hip-hop, or at least the more superficial aspects of hip-hop, as the ultimate representative of their own culture and selves.

I personally have a lot of thoughts about associating physical characteristics, dress, and accents with one’s identity. I have taken several classes about cultural identity (as well as the psychology behind a lot of aspects to culture and identity) and have had numerous conversations with people about identity. It always fascinates me that people often find their identity in things they cannot change (such as their race/ethnicity or their hair or their eye color) or their sexuality or their religion or their weight/height, etc. Honestly, that’s kind of sad, and a little boring--because all of the previously mentioned things are not “who” a person is, they are “what” a person is or “what” a person has.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of yourself, of your background, of where you came from, of where your family came from; there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in how you look, how you dress, or how you present yourself to the world. However, I think it’s important to remember that superficial things about you don’t make you the person you are. If you are secure in yourself and who you are, no one is going to be able to shake your identity, no one is going to be able to take away ‘you’ from you, no one is going to be able to cause you to crumble or feel like your essence is being insulted. When we attach our true identity, and who we are, to what are usually basic expressions of our personality (hair, clothes, tattoos, piercings, etc.), it’s easy to get insulted or feel like your identity, or even existence, is being questioned. That’s not to say that certain aspects of our physical appearance don’t shape our personal experience, and play a part in who we become and what we think--because it completely does; however, it doesn’t represent the whole of who we are, the entirety of who we become, and the complete truth of what we think and believe. It’s important to never attach your identity to things that can easily be changed.

On similar note, one thing I think is a valid conversation is “accents”, particularly in non-American music. Nevertheless, I think it’s important to understand that, in America, there’s really not an accent solely attached to one group of people. There are accents associated with certain races/ethnicities; however, those accents don’t only belong to people of a certain race/ethnicity. For example, we often associate southern accents with white people; however, as someone who has lived in the American south for a majority of her life, I can, with absolute certainty, tell you that Latinos, Asians, African-Americans, and Native Americans can also have one of the varying shades of southern accents. This is applicable to any other accent in the U.S. Why? Because America is made up of people from all over the world, we have representatives of every country and every culture--we aren’t just one people. We have beliefs, ideas, styles, music, accents, foods, and other things that unite us all, but we are all still very different.

I think it is also important to understand that accents are a result of where we were brought up and who we are around. Accents don’t inherently have something to do with skin color or racial/ethnic group, particularly in America. People who grow up and live in the Bronx, no matter what race/ethnicity they are, generally have a similar accent; people who grow up and live in East LA, no matter what race/ethnicity they are, generally have a similar accent; people who grow up and live in Denver, no matter what race/ethnicity they are, generally have a similar accent; people who grow up and live in New Orleans, no matter what race/ethnicity they are, generally have a similar accent; and so on. So, to me, it’s weird when people get upset at someone from a certain race/ethnicity for having an accent they associate with a different ethnic/racial group--1) this shows that people don’t acknowledge or understand the differences of people within a specific ethnic/racial group, (2) this shows that people don’t understand how “America” truly is, and 3) this shows that people don’t completely understand the nuance of language. I don’t mean to sound mean or rude, but there’s so much more to accents and language than just...skin color.

How does this relate to Jay Park (and even other Asian hip-hop artists)? I will tell you. I’ve heard people get upset with Jay Park because he has a “blaccent” and he will use AAEV in his songs and/or everyday life. Again, I think it’s important to understand that our accents are influenced by where we grew up and who we grew around. I think it’s important to remember that Jay Park’s American. He sounds like an American. He uses American slang.

Jay Park’s from Seattle. A Google search, or even just walking outside, can show you certain trends within Seattle’s demographic history. (Because I’m a nerd and enjoy research maybe a little too much, I've saved you the time of looking it up.) Due to a history of segregation in Seattle, minority groups (specifically, African Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders) have been, for a lack of a better word, forced to live within close proximity to each other. This grouping of these minority groups in certain parts of the city, despite changes in overall population, have, since about 1920, have remained fairly constant. That is to say, since 1920, whether consciously or unconsciously, specific minority groups have remained in certain parts of Seattle. In other words, African Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders in Seattle have been co-existing, sharing culture, food, language, music, homes, and communities with each other since at least 1920. So, is it surprising that there would be people of different races and ethnicities with similar accents, language/slang, and other forms of communication? No.

Additionally, when it comes to other Asian hip-hop artists, I think it's important to keep in mind how language is actually learned and spoken. I've tutored ESL students and taught English in the past, and something I've discovered is how we learn a language influences how we speak that language.

I personally hate accents that are obviously forced. When I watch movies or TV, and I hear a British actor try to do a “southern” accent or an American actress try to do a “British accent”, my skin crawls. When someone obviously tries to force an accent that's not even a little bit close to their natural one, it’s incredibly cringey. I will acknowledge that; however, I do think that trying to actively speak a language in an understandable and relatable way is a little different. People learn in different ways; people especially learn languages in different ways. I know people who have learned a language through television shows and movies, books, YouTube videos, in-person classes, and music. If we are learning Spanish from a teacher from Argentina, the accent we would develop would be influenced by Argentina. Similarly, if we are learning some form of English through hip-hop, our accent would be shaped by the artists we are listening to. While it can be incredibly cringey to hear someone talk, sing, or rap in an accent that is obviously not their natural one, I do think it’s important to understand that people who speak English as a second language are influenced by their teachers (what- or whoever that may be).

This is also applicable to any language. I promise you will sound just as cringey if you try to use anime to learn Japanese, K-pop to learn Korean, or telenovelas to learn Spanish!

I know Jay Park can be a lot. I know that he sometimes says and does things that aren't super socially palatable. I know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and that is completely fine. If you disagree with or dislike Jay Park, that’s completely fine. Everyone has the right to like and dislike whoever and whatever they want. My only problem is how people handle/present their “like” or “dislike”. I just personally don’t think the arguments about Jay Park (and other Asian hip-hop artists) and cultural appropriation are completely fair. The conversation isn’t fair because it really isn't complete. It tends to be a little skewed and absent, or ignorant, of a lot of nuance. If we are going to get upset with someone because they are taking on a completely different culture or aspects of a culture as their own--or because we perceive them to be doing this-- then we need to keep the same energy for someone else who is doing the exact same thing. I don’t understand why we get mad at Jay Park, and other Asian musicians, for rapping, wearing baggy pants and braids, and appropriating “black culture” and “representations of blackness”, when you have Kendrick Lamar and other black artists appropriating “Asian culture” and representations of Asian cultures without any pushback.

I think one of the great things about Jay Park is that he’s completely true to himself. I think that is part of what makes him an irreplaceable existence in the Korean music industry. I think Jay Park is a very necessary and important figure in music in Korea. I think he uses his experiences with music, the music industry in both the U.S. and Korea, culture, and people to help others reach their goals, dreams, and potential. I think the Korean entertainment industry is incredibly confining, limiting, toxic, negative, and dangerous, in a lot of ways. I think Jay Park understands and has experienced that confinement/limitation, toxicity, and negativity, and uses it as motivation/inspiration to make his own music and help others make their own. I think the way he expresses that motivation and inspiration is through hip-hop. I think perhaps the way he expresses his own personal freedom, and the way other Asian musicians express their own freedom, is through hip-hop.

If Asian artists (regardless of nationality, ethnicity, and race) can best express their own experiences, liberation, peace, and complete selves through the entirety of hip-hop, honestly, who actually cares? I don’t understand westerners’ obsession and need to “gatekeep” everything. For there to be complete and total inclusivity, diversity, and integration of people, then everything that makes up 'people' needs to be shared. Selective inclusivity, diversity, and integration is not inclusive, diverse, or integrated.

One of my best gal pals is from India. We often have long conversations about the differences between India and the States. She told me that, in India, the States is the blueprint for music, fashion, politics, and whatever else you can think of. She said during our presidential elections, everyone was paying attention–she said you’d go to the barber, to the corner shop, wherever, and our elections would be playing on the TV. She said that if people in the States start wearing mullets and jeans, then people, even in the most remote villages will start wearing mullets and jeans. She said if America is into hip-hop, then India is into hip-hop. She said that America has a huge pull and influence in many aspects of society and culture abroad. She said that because people have such a high view of America and Americans, they want to be like them wherever/whenever possible.

I say this only because I think it’s important to understand that, for good or bad, America has a lot of influence in the world–I think music is one way that influence is easily seen. I think “copying” or using a particular style of music or dress or hairstyles, etc. is just a way many Asian artists use to connect to their influence(s); I think it’s a way many artists pay homage to their experiences, their influences, and their motivations and goals.

Or, maybe it’s not that deep. Maybe many artists just like the way hip-hop sounds, the way hip- hop feels, the way hip-hop looks, and the general essence of hip-hop. And, if that’s the case, again, who cares, and why should anyone really care?

With this new year, with everything that has happened and is still going on in the world, I think it’s important to truly be more open-minded, experience new things, think about things differently, be a little more flexible, and a little more consistent, especially within the context of something as abstract and subjective as art (in whatever form that may be).