Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
The Source is that fancy new shopping center in Orange County that houses the massive new CGV Theater, boasts a top quality food court, and is dedicated to all things trendy Korean culture. The famed YG Entertainment store is to be housed here, with posters of YG artists everywhere. I wasn’t sure what to even expect when Asian Junkie was not only invited to the Lunar New Year event happening all weekend, but to also to sit down and talk with the Ghood Life Crew themselves in a one-on-four interview.
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My friend and I showed up an hour before the show at The Source, only to be met by booming club music and a growing crowd, as well as a bubbly, smiling event coordinator who took us to the back area to meet with the artists. We stepped through a nondescript door and found ourselves in a massive almost empty warehouse, flood lights set up around a portable party table filling only a small area with light. Where the light ended, darkness swallowed almost everything. It was the most hip-hop backdrop I’ve ever had while interviewing hip-hop artists, if that makes sense. One side was draped in shadows, looking like the perfect place to torture your enemies, the other … a pallet stacked full of choco pies barely reached the light. This was the most gritty/cute Korean thing I’ve ever experienced.
Around the aforementioned table were SUPERBEE, MyunDo, and DooYoung, all sitting and either staring at their phones or signing white shirts. DJ R2 stood talking to their manager, who stopped and introduced everyone.
We laughed and joked with them as we set up for the interview. And once we started, it was like standing with friends having a serious conversation about their career paths, their musical influences, and their excitement to be in Los Angeles during the NBA All-Star Weekend. We collected questions for a whole week before the event from fans across social media, and I fired them at each member, who smiled and snickered at the answers of others.
Check out the interview below and be sure to tell me who you’re new fave is.
Disclaimer: I am so sorry my mic died. Please direct all hate mail to IAFTB for the sound quality, as he is already used to it and I am a delicate flower who can’t edit video to save my life.
Once the interview was over, we were treated to DJ R2 spinning on the ones and twos. He introduced DooYoung to everybody, who came out onto the massive stage in the center of the courtyard to a cheering crowd ready to get turnt with the youngest member of the Ghood Life Crew. DooYoung performed a full album of tracks such as “Missed Call“, “Notice Me“, “Aus 2 Kor“, “Satellite“, and his newest release “4 Da Money I’m A Savage“. His versatile voice floated between a savage rap flow and a deep, toe-curling crooning singing voice, as he wandered between trap and r&b.
DooYoung’s lyrics walked the line between gritty and sultry. At one point he stepped off the stage and into the press pit, thanking those at the front of the crowd, which sent fans clambering over each other to get to him as he shook hands and bowed during one of his last songs. He then stepped off stage, handed the mic to MyunDo, and let DJ R2 spin him out.
MyunDo then took the stage and people rushed the guard rails. SUPERBEE followed him out and the girls next to me screamed so hard I thought their uvulas would pop. MyunDo, decked out from head-to-toe in BAPE, grinned at the audience as he watched the crowd get hyped. His voice a deep rumble in direct contrast to SUPERBEE’s high pitch, they ran through a massive collection of tracks, delivering a concert-worthy performance that I was not expecting at all!
SUPERBEE seemed subdued at first, chill as he wandered around the stage with his dreads pulled back out of his face. The duo didn’t take long to warm up, and the show quickly exploded when SUPERBEE finally got the chance to fire off his rapid-fire lyrical ability. The crowd danced together, dabbed together, and partied hard together as the massive set-list continued. “Go Hard“, “Summer In 82“, “Original Gimchi“, “Studio Life“, “Twenty Free“, “Black Mamba“, “Rap Legend“, and their version of “Beverly 1llz” were included, just to name a few.
In LA, it’s not weird at all to hear an entire audience chant Kobe Bryant‘s name, even if it’s followed by lyrics in multiple languages. Even taking that into account, I don’t think I’ve ever screamed Kobe’s name that much in one night. But there’s a first time for everything, and dammit if that song doesn’t turn up!
With the crowd still on a high, the show came to an end just like that. Ghood Life Crew stepped off stage and everyone disbursed. The amazing event coordinator stopped me as I was heading out and invited us to come and enjoy time at the after party with the crew. I couldn’t say no, of course. So we headed up to Gangnam House in the shopping center and were greeted by ice buckets full of Hite and soju, pork and marinated fish, japchae and all kinds of goodness! Best of all … we got to spend some down time eating, drinking, and laughing with the Ghood Life Crew!
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SUPERBEE, MyunDo, Do Young, and DJ R2 will be performing again Saturday night at The Source, so if you’re in the area, I highly recommend you check them out as it’s a free show and a hell of a good time! Let’s hope next time they come back, they hit up more cities and really get to see what America has to offer them in terms of shows!
