Jay Park is now the first Asian American to be signed with Jay Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, reports Malay Mail.
Park began as a b-boy in Seattle, where he grew up. He later moved to Korea, where he auditioned for the JYP Entertainment company. There, Park found success in the K-pop group 2PM and as a solo artist.
His album “Everything You Wanted” reached No. 3 on the World Albums chart. Park’s currently has over 800,000 subscribers on YouTube, and his most popular song “Mommae” has accumulated over 18 million views, according to Hypebeast.
Jay Z’s company has also worked with successful artists such as Rihanna, Lil Wayne, and J-Cole.
In the past, many producers have been afraid to sign Asian American singers out of fear that they lack the “coolness and born-in-the-U.S.A. authenticity required for American pop stardom.”
However, with Asian and Asian American singers such as American Idol contestant Paul Kim, Thao Nguyen, Yuna, and now Park, attitudes should hopefully begin to change.
“This is a win for the Town. This is a win for Korea. This is a win for Asian Americans. This is a win for the overlooked and underappreciated,” wrote Park on Instagram. “Thank you for the acknowledgment and recognition. Just gettin’ started.”
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RE: First Asian American signs with Jay Z’s Entertainment Company: Good for him! And am glad he never changed who he was nor what he wanted to make anyone happy but himself! He has a strong fan base and people who believe in him.