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Jonathan Park
Better known by his stage name, Dumbfoundead
Is a Korean-American rapper well known in the hip-hop community.
While most definitely not the first Asian American to tackle the hip-hop genre
Dumbfoundead is unique in that he does not rely on the stereotypical, socially conscious, unsigned artist style of rap to be his medium of delivery.
Rather, Dumbfoundead constructs his own voice by blending together different cultures and conversations.
Let's take a look at how Dumbfoundead is attempting to change the way we view hip-hop.
To understand Dumbfoundead's music, one must first look into his incredibly rich life story.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dumbfoundead was smuggled into Mexico and later settled in Koreatown, LA at the age of three.
Dumbfoundead started rapping at the age of 15, mainly taking part in rap battles, freestyle sessions, and open mikes.
Later on, Dumbfoundead used YouTube as his primary method to distribute his music to the world.
As his music became progressively better and his character more solidified, his fan base grew exponentially.
Through his transparent music, Dumbfoundead puts himself out there in a "take me as I am or leave," style, leaving nothing hidden about his race, cultural heritage, and life.
While Dumbfoundead has felt the struggles of being a Korean American in hip-hop, he surprisingly does not make songs about the topic of racial struggles as seen with other ethnic rappers.
Instead, Dumbfoundead focuses on his own life story and makes music that allows him to "fit in" with the suave, gang-like, substance abusing culture that is rap.
By not attempting to play the role of the Asian American rapper who is fed up with his struggles, Dumbfoundead is able to stay away from "socially conscious" rap.
This also allows him to cross racial barriers and say
"Look, I'm Korean and you're Mexican but we have the same struggles. Let's work together to make hip-hop a medium for all of us. Not just me and my peoples."
This is where Dumbfoundead's rich, racially diverse past becomes such a powerful tool for him.
Having lived in different cultures at such a young age, Dumbfoundead is both influenced and enabled to fuse together radically different cultures and appropriate them into one medium
Allowing Dumbfoundead to make rap a vehicle for voices of all ethnicities to be heard.
Another such collaboration is a weeklyshow hosted by Dumbfoundead called the, "Hot Box."
During the show, Dumbfoundead showcases up and coming artists in the LA music scene
Ranging from hip-hop, jazz, alternative, and even film directing.
What Dumbfoundead is effectively doing is making hip-hop more than just music
But a way to bring people and even whole communities together.
While, Dumbfoundead fully realizes the struggles of being an Asian American in hip-hop, he does not focus on that issue but goes beyond it.
Thanks to previous rappers who have already allowed Asian Americans to have a degree of voice in hip-hop culture, Dumbfoundead is looking to take that voice and expand it.
Artists like Dumbfoundead have realized that being an individual race rebel can only go so far.
What Dumbfoundead is attempting to do through his music is to turn an entire genre from just representing a group of people
To representing entire communities and cultures.
And this is how real, tangible change begins.