At a time when most of the most of the media coverage of Korea has been foreboding;
Korean based Reggae artist Skull, is spreading good vibes and making history by building an unprecedented following
in the United States with the release of his first single,
"Boom Di Boom Di" and accompanying
3-D animated video
Skull is the first Korean artist to receive strong support from U.S. tastemakers, and noted urban radio jocks, generating an overwhelmingly Urban and Caribbean fan base, garnered largely on his
MySpace site:
Jah B of WILD 98.7 Tampa, "Skull is the future of Reggae, In all my years hosting Janus Landing, I've never seen an audience embrace an opening act the way they did Skull at the Buju Banton show. Boom Di Boom Di is hot, hot, hot...and I expect it to be in heavy rotation here by Summers end."
Skull, whose record has been
buzzing in the Islands and on
IRIE FM in Jamaica, is recently back from several weeks in Florida where he hosted WILD 98.7 "Reggae Spin" in Tampa, Florida, opened for Buju Banton at the legendary Reggae venue, "Janus Landing" and was a special surprise invited guest at The Marley's Myspace Secret Show in Miami.
Skull's upcoming collaborations include Kardinal Offishall and Buju Banton. There are also rumblings of a rumored feature with Mariah Carey whose brother, Morgan is helming Skull's career in the States.
Sept 07 Update
SKULL, a powerful voice for Korea may soon be silenced by mandatory military service.
David Kim is a 12 year old Korean Boy who lives in Orange County where he and his friends until just a few short months ago would memorize and recite the lyrics of their favorite rap artist, 50 Cent, Young Jeezy, or whoever the flava of the month was. Sadly none of these rappers ever had a last name like Kim or Lee. David is one of a multitude of
Korean American kids who have had until recently no representative in American Pop Culture.
Now due to a political anachronism, the first and only such representative music icon may be
whisked off into obscurity.
At a time when America is still reeling from news of the Virginia Tech massacre, aggressive
rhetoric over nukes in N. Korea continues,and the very public humiliation of Korean Pop star,
'Rain' in Los Angeles is still fresh in our minds...one solitary Korean voice is heard above
the din.
South Korean Reggae artist Skull, has taken the US market by storm, not by exploiting an Asian
American fan base as has been the modus operandi of past failed attempts by Asian artists and
record labels looking to impact the US market but rather by courting Urban and Caribbean
audiences singing in his own
unique interpretation of a Jamaican patois.
Skull who was a Myspace featured artist, has opened for
Reggae icon Buju Banton, and was
featured in articles in Billboard, Allhiphop.com, Ballerstatus.com, Vibe, TheSource.com and
recently had his first single in the US reach #4 on the Billboard Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart, and
currently is the (Greatest Gainer) on The Billboard Singles Sales Chart after rocketing from
#54 to #14 on the Top 100 singles Sales Chart, earning him a place in History.
Skull's video for his current single, Boom Di Boom Di is rotation on MTV Tempo, Hype, RETV, and
CVM in Jamaica and is gaining momentum here in the US as well.
Mariah Carey, whose brother Morgan, manages and has orchestrated Skull's career outside of
Korea has been quoted as saying, "Skull is a great artist, I hope people support him."
Excerpt from a recent article in Allhiphop.com:
Skull: I think some Koreans believe I am not proud to be Korean because I love Rastafarian
culture and Reggae music, but that is not true. I love my country very much. Many Koreans write
me that it makes them feel good to see a fellow Korean being popular in the States. They don't
feel so left out of the American Dream. In the beginning it would be like, "Hey Chink, get off
the stage" or "@#$!* where you from?" But after I sing a few bars, they are cool with me, all
love. Now more people know about me, but before they would look at me and form an opinion then
they would trip like, "is that really his voice?" Music is universal, but sometimes people
forget that.
The Korean Military is requiring that Skull serve his obligatory two and 1/2 year term of
service, prior to the completion of his US Debut album. Skull who is the first Korean artist to
be embraced by Urban audiences and gain a foothold in American Pop Culture may soon disappear
off the scene, and with him, the singular opportunity for Korean American youth to look proudly
to a prominent star who resembles them, and feel less alienated by an American Pop Culture
machine which has thus far managed to entirely exclude them.
