On March 26, Justin Park, Junoflo, G2, and Year of the Ox headlined a concert together in LA. They have also recently released and collaborated on multiple songs and music videos titled DALE DENTON and GOLD ROCKY.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking to all of them to discuss their recent musical endeavors and other related topics.
But before we head into the interview, let’s first discover more about these talented artists.
Justin Park is a Korean-American R&B singer and songwriter.
He officially began his music career in 2018 with the release of his debut album Places Like Home. Park's music is a fusion of contemporary R&B, rap, hip-hop, rock and pop.
His soothing voice and heartfelt lyrics have won him a loyal fan base, and he
has collaborated with various artists such as Amber Lui, AOMG's DeVita, and Ted Park. Justin Park's most recent EP I Can See The Stars From Here was released in May 2022.
Junoflo is a Korean-American rapper, singer, and songwriter. In 2016 and 2017, he participated in the reality TV show Show Me The Money and garnered significant attention. In the latter year, he advanced to the semi-finals, further boosting his popularity. Junoflo's music style is a blend of hip-hop, R&B, and pop, he has worked with various Korean and American artists, such as Jay Park, G.Soul, and Dok2, among others. In 2021, Junoflo collaberated with rapper G2 to release the album Smiles and Tribulations, which are both artists most recent albums to date.
G2 is a Korean-American rapper and songwriter. He rose to fame in 2016 with his participation in the reality TV show Show Me The Money and released his breakthrough album, G2's Life, in 2017. G2's music style is heavily influenced by the American hip-hop scene, and he often raps about his experiences growing up as a Korean-American in the US. He has collaborated with various artists such as Reddy, Okasian, and Jessi.
Thank you all for speaking with me and KpopWise.
Can you tell us about your journey as a Korean American musician and how your cultural background has influenced your music?
Justin Park: My journey as a musician/artist started when I was 17. I was always so passionate for music, and at that young age I pushed myself to be in the right situations where I'd grow my career and as an artist. I have my people and my team to thank for being the point of this arrow. My cultural background has influenced me so much, as being Korean American allows me to offer a type of swagger that America has never seen, and I’m quite sure, might not even be ready for.
Your music often blends different genres, including R&B, pop, and hip-hop. Can you walk us through your creative process and how you incorporate these various influences into your work?
Justin Park: The creative process, im not gonna lie, has taken a long long time to polish and even now and forever will be in the works. How I make music though is very simple, and usually id either let inspiration hit or work hard at a beat to scrub out a melody and a solid topic. Everyday is a different cocktail ya feel?
Could you provide a brief explanation of your song GOLD ROCKY, such as its overall sound and the thematic elements or message it explores?
Justin Park: Gold Rocky is actually such a tight song to me because the songs sounds like it’d be the soundtrack to whatever movie it is we’ve produced with our lyrics. I just feel like im open shirt, driven down the vegas strip.
You've worked with several notable artists in the Korean hip-hop scene, including Jay Park and Dok2. How have these collaborations influenced your creative process and helped shape your sound?
Junoflo: It's always inspiring working with such talented and established artists such as Jay Park and Dok2 because it pushes me to bring out the best in whatever I do sonically and conceptually. I always think about how our creative identities can collaborate during the process of making music.
What inspired you to become a rapper, and who were your musical influences growing up?
Junoflo: I got into writing poetry in high school and loved jazz hip hop growing up. Some of my influences would be Nujabes, Method Man & Redman, Specifics, and A Tribe Called Quest, just to name a few.
You've performed at numerous music festivals, including SXSW and Maho Rasop. What do you enjoy most about performing live, and how has the pandemic affected your ability to connect with your fans?
Junoflo: Performing live brings out a different beast in me, and I love that rush. There's nothing more beautiful than seeing the music I create in a studio come to life on stage. The pandemic definitely made it tough to rock shows and connect with the fans, so I think it’s been a lot of online adapting the last few years.
What is your level of excitement about collaborating with Justin, Year of the Ox and Junoflo on stage and musically, and how would you describe your dynamic when you're working together?
G2: We’re all great friends so it’s always fun hanging out. But it’s always better with a purpose.
As a musician, which one of your released songs do you believe best represents your style and identity?
G2: One of the recent songs I dropped is called Gone. I really like it because I think it shows my character. And plus, I rap the last 8 bars of the song in Korean so I think that really reveals who I am as an artist and a person.
What are the songs or albums that you are currently listening to on your playlist?
G2: DALE DENTON, GOLD ROCKY, and Gone!
What can fans expect from your upcoming projects, and what are your long-term goals for Year of the Ox as a group?
Year of the Ox: A full album featuring all JAE YOUNG beats would be crazy.
Your debut album,YOX EP, features collaborations with other popular artists, such as DJ ZO and Manifest. How did these collaborations come about, and what was/is it like working with other artists who share similar experiences?
Year of the Ox: Dj Zo and Manifest are like brothers to us. We all fall under the same umbrella of The beautiful Cycle and have been making music together all our lives.
Could you provide a sneak peek into the creative process and overall theme of the music videos for your latest singles, GOLD ROCKY and DALE DENTON?
Year of the Ox: GOLD ROCKY was like throwing a house party in the hills with beautiful women and good vibes and then DALE DENTON is all of us heading out to the city to hunt down the guys who threw up in the master bedroom and didn’t clean up after themselves.
Thank you to Justin Park, Junoflo, G2 and Year of the Ox for the interview.
You can listen to GOLD ROCKY and DALE DENTON on Spotify.
SPOTIFY - GOLD ROCKY | SPOTIFY - DALE DENTON
You can also watch the music videos for both tracks on YouTube.
Don't forget to follow the artists on their official Instagram's:
Justin Park IG | Junoflo IG | G2 IG | Year of the OX IG
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