s rap stars go, Jin has the typical look down cold: Hoodie, baggy sweats, chunky diamond stud earring, a Chinese character tattooed on his neck and a large blingy necklace.
Not everything's typical, though.
“Yeah, I'm Chinese. And what?” he asks with mock exasperation.
At just 22, the Miami-bred, New York-based rapper is something of a pioneer _ the first Asian-American hip-hop artist to get a major solo record deal.
At the same time, he worries that it's his race, not his rhymes, generating all the attention.
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Jin's debut album The Rest Is History shows not only that he can rap but that he takes pride in his Chinese ancestry.
“Being Asian helps me so much,” he says. “It definitely raises the interest level. But for every three steps forward, it's five back because being the ethnicity that I am completely overshadows what I'm bringing to the table.”
What he brings on his debut album The Rest Is History is a mix of songs that smack of old-school hip-hop's wit and optimism, delivered with a flow and tone similar to Eminem.
The CD is also chock-full of references to Jin's roots, including mentions of the Great Wall of China, basketball big man Yao Ming, China's forced-adoption policy, Tiananmen Square and the struggle of Asian immigrants.
“Them sneakers on your feet cost 100 a pop / My people making 15 cents a day in sweatshops / To make them kicks so you can look good / Think we open restaurants 'cause we cook good?” he raps in one song.
“I'm very adamant about promoting Asian culture,” Jin said during an interview. “It's a hip-hop record that's never been done. I'm pretty much promoting Asian culture and tying it in with hip-hop.”
Consumers have so far given a lukewarm embrace to the young rapper who earned his reputation as a freestyle battler. His album hit the Billboard Top 200 at No. 54 in October with some 20,000 units sold, then dropped precipitously.
“I don't believe Jin is a flash in the pan,” says Lionel Ridenour, who's helping develop Jin as Virgin Records' executive vice president of urban music. “I think that he's only begun to scratch the surface. It's all about consistency.”
In person, Jin's personality quickly undermines his tough-guy look. He politely turns off his cell phone before chatting and admits that he cries at Disney movies. An entire song on his album, ``Thank You,'' is a list of all the people he loves. And he likes chatting with fans on the Internet, despite being told by his managers that keeping so close undermines his mystique.
Oh, and that Chinese tattoo sliding up his neck? No, it's not a prison tat or gang affiliation — just his name.
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“Being Asian helps me so much. It definitely raises the interest level. But for every three steps forward, it's five back because being the ethnicity that I am completely overshadows what I'm bringing to the table.”
s rap stars go, Jin has the typical look down cold: Hoodie, baggy sweats, chunky diamond stud earring, a Chinese character tattooed on his neck and a large blingy necklace.
