Do not skip over this post. Get together your change and dollar bills and go cop this CD: Jin - The Rest Is History. Do not skip over this post. It’s more than music. Do not skip over this post.
What am I going on about?
If you’ve never heard of Jin, I wouldn’t be surprised. Here’s a quick summary: He’s the first asian rapper to get signed to a major record label (in Jin’s case, the label is Ruff Ryders). He got his name out there by battling— he’s in the hall of fame for Freestyle Friday on 106 & Park (which means he won 7 weeks in a row). He worked out a deal during those 7 weeks and got signed to Ruff Ryders. Then he was put on the back burner for a while and his CD’s release date was repeatedly pushed back while his name got mentioned less and less. Well, his CD is finally here and should be available at most stores.
Why is this worth your money?
For one: It’s a nice CD. I’ll admit I’ve heard better from him and was actually feeling a lot of the tracks on a mixtape he released a few weeks before his album more (the mixtape is called, The Definition of History if you want to try to find it), but I won’t go as far to say that the tracks on the album aren’t good or just average.
The second reason why people need to buy this album: to open the doors for Asian-Americans in media. This is bigger than hip hop and bigger than just music.
Bigger than hip hop
Quick, name all the famous Asians in American media. Most people will be able to name… two. And it’ll most likely be: Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan. This is why it’s bigger than just music. If this album flops, don’t expect too many asians to be popping up in movies, television, or on the radio. Not for another couple of years, at least.
The people who control the media are in it for one reason: money. So it’s hard to blame them for playing it as safe as possible. This is why you see so many clones on television and movies. This is why everything on the radio sounds the same. It’s why when a group like the Backstreet Boys come out, you see record labels pushing acts that are exactly the same (I don’t even have to name the clones for this one). This is why there are 15,000 reality shows on television. And it’s why in the future, you’ll be able to watch a CSI that’s been tailored for your local city.
So if this album sells poorly, financial backers (for any type of media) will be staying away from Asian acts all together for a couple years because it’s a model that’s failed.
It’s sad that it has to boil down to a race issue, but it is what it is.
Seriously…
Help fight the monotony, please. I want to be able to turn on my radio once in a while. I want my Asian friends who are chasing a music or acting career to have a fair chance and not be turned down just because they were given birth by someone who was Asian.
The last I checked, this CD sold about 30,000 copies. I got my copy in the mail today. Make it happen, people.
Want a suggestion for something to add to your Amazon order to get free shipping? Extended Famm - Happy Fuck You Songs (an enhanced CD with lyrics, videos, and exclusive sneak peaks into their future releases). I have another post in mind to support the QN5 record label, but I’ll save that for another week. But, I will say this: This is one of my favorite albums and I played it so many times while I was visiting my girlfriend, that I have to thank her for not breaking the CD so that she could listen to her own songs (because that’s the only way she’ll ever get to play her own stuff when there’s a QN5 release around).
Everytime…
I must add this disclaimer: People who know me, know that I’m not one to yell “Asian Pride” or anything of that sort because I can barely speak Korean and I rarely eat any Asian foods. And there are other asians just like me. But to a record label executive or a television producer? You’re Asian and you’re a risk. Putting 2 sluts, an idiot, and a crazy axe murderer in a room with a camera? Safe!