Written by Chrisline Camille Rose Raymundo
(Photo Courtesy of SURE Magazine)
Tasha Reid, also known as Yoon Mi-rae is a Korean-American rapper. Her father, who was a DJ, influenced Ms. Reid and got her into hip-hop, in which she found her serenity and comfort. She and her family went to South Korea, where she debuted with her group, Uptown. She faced a lot of discrimination especially when she was young for her being half-Korean and half-African American and raps about these experiences in her songs, particularly, “Black Happiness”.
It is difficult to become successful in Korea, especially since hip-hop isn’t that popular outside of the United States and their beauty standards are so high that some artists might even feel pressure to conform to their standards. Tasha Reid wanted to be part of the entertainment industry in South Korea, but she felt the need to conform to their standards and “establish a firm reputation as a musician” before she can start singing/rapping songs about her own life experiences. Her agency even advised her to “tell them that your grandfather or grandmother was half African-American” [1].
“Black Happiness” is where Ms. Reid really spreads out her wings.
In the English translation of her song, she raps,
“Everything seemed like it was my fault
Because of my guilt
I washed my face every time during the day
With my tears, I melt the white soap
I always hated my dark skin”
Even though she was bullied because of her race, the one thing she cannot change about herself, she used these experiences to send a message of hope, especially to those who also face racial discrimination. This is also heard in her father’s narration in the song, saying that things will get better for her.
Things did get better for Ms. Reid. Today, she is one of the leading rappers in the hip hop scene in South Korea, along with her husband, rapper Tiger JK, and they have a son named Jordan.
(Photo Courtesy of CASA Living and MLB)
K-POP has become really popular on a global scale. In Showbiz Korea’s interview with Tasha Reid, she says that other artists in different genres other than K-POP are not getting that much attention [2]. She wants others to know that there are other genres that exist in South Korea other than K-POP. Because of Tasha Reid and her husband, hip-hop is really making a breakthrough in South Korea.
Resources:
[1] http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/02/24/2007022461007.html
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUezq91X9ao
High Fifth Power 