GOKPOP | Exclusive K-News in Malaysia & Singapore

Our Sanrio Times - Kuala Lumpur Exhibition has Extended to 17 Feb! It's Time To Recall Childhood Memories with Sanrio's character - Hello Kitty and more!

Sunday, December 09, 2018

[Exclusive Interview] Meet the Hip Hop Swagger, Hi-Lite Records feats Paloato, G2, Reddy, YunB, Huckleberry P

Friday, December 07, 2018

Last month (3 November) Hi-Lite Records' - Paloato, G2, Reddy, YunB, Huckleberry P, Sway D and DJ DJanga came to Malaysia for a Meet & Greet session and a mini concert titled "Hi-Life in KL 2018". Ahead of the event, we had an opportunity to sit down with the artists and talked about their music, upcoming projects and Hi-Lite Records family. YunB and G2 who're fluent in English were the spokesperson of the day, answering the questions and helping the label mates to translate all the messages.

Q&A
Q: Is this your first time in Malaysia? Have you done any sight-seeing or tried any Malaysian food?

Palaoto: It's our first show in Malaysia. / Yesterday we ate Malaysian food at the market (ps: Jalan Alor).

YunB: I mean the stingray was nice and we also had some chicken stick. It's sweet. (ps: satay) It was really sweet but I like it.

Q: It’s been a while since we heard your new project, any plan for new single or album release or any collaboration?

YunB: We have a lot of story for you guys. His (G2) album is coming out real soon November.

G2: It's December! Do you know the title of my song?

YunB: Throwing Up Butterflies! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ /

and you know he (Reddy) already released his new single, "Stand by You". We have 4 tracks coming out as a collaboration of the whole label, there could be more but for now 4 tracks.

Palaoto: Also, new artist announcement.

YunB: We gonna release an announcement of our new artist.

G2: A new Hi-Lite signee.

YunB: Also, I'm coming out with my new album. Most likely January (2019) and there's lots of features and lots of big names. It's a very different style that I did, I'm pretty sure y'll will like it. /

and today (2 November), later at 6PM, Huckleberry P will release double single (수수방관 Passing Through & Wave). It's been his tradition to release track before his signature solo concert 분신 (焚身). So, he is keeping his tradition with solo performances. The tickets are already sold out, so y'all gonna be ready to listen to his track.

Q: Some of you joined Show Me The Money (SMTM), so what are your thoughts after joining the show? Did you feel the differences before and after the show?

YunB participated in SMTM Season 7 (2018)

YunB: The difference is very obvious because at the end of the day, before we had all these shows, Hip Hop or being a rapper was more like something that an average person would not able to encounter but after the show any rappers or person who's on TV gave a different type of feeling (to the audience). It's the same thing when you see a celebrity or an actor on TV. After the show there's definitely a big difference.

G2 participated in SMTM Season 5 (2016)

G2: Exposure and hip hop it's kinda like being placement in the mainstream media.

Q: What inspired you to start rapping and taking it as a serious career?

Reddy: When I was 13, I first heard of Hip Hop music and I really like it. More than the music itself, for me it was the culture and how they dress, the feel of Hip Hop, that's how got me into Hip Hop.

Palaoto: When I was in the middle school, I really enjoyed listening to western music via Mnet and K MTV, especially Jay-Z, Tupac music. It was the moment for me to 'absorb' American Hip Hop through media and I started to write my own lyrics. Back then there wasn't any fancy equipment, I used to record using a tap recorder.

YunB: G2 is same as me. we, both grown up in that area, Hip Hop. It's cool. When we were young, we wanna be cool.

G2: We are born natural, we don't have to do anything but (our surrounding) like my neighbor, teachers, everybody sharing the same interest.

Huckleberry P: I'm really interested of rap, I started to research on Hip Hop culture, the fashion, the way their talk.

YunB: Huckleberry P is different with G2 and me because his idol back in the day was Korean Hip Hop artist. As he was saying Drunkin Tiger and rappers during his generation.

Q: There are so many talent rappers coming up each year, how do you stand out among other rappers?

Palaoto: Trends shift as time passed. As I enjoy music, so naturally I'll listen to music that is newly released and from there it gives inspiration for my own music. Naturally, it helps me from not falling behind those trends at the same able to remain my own originality.

G2: I'm not saying this because he's my label mate but Palaoto is really one of the few artists that keep his originality and at the same time stays with the trend. That's very difficult because it's either with the trend or you're you (originality). But I feel like he's the only one that can keep those 2 and so, I have a lot of respect for that sense.

Reddy: I think it's like fashion. Music trends changed as time passed, same goes to fashion. Following the trend doesn't mean that it's right fit for you. We wear clothes that suit us, don't try to follow the trend and force yourself to change the style that is not suitable for you. Most importantly is how to be yourself.

Q: We feel everyone from Hi-Lite Records has a strong bond between one another, how do you maintain the good relationship?

Palaoto: This is very natural. We didn't try hard just to look good (together). It's natural.

Reddy: The start of Hi-Lite is what we are now. At first, the company started with Palaolto doing the music he loves then joined by few rappers who love doing music as well. This has become the base, the basic concept for the company and now although the company has expanded, this concept still continues and remains. The family-like atmosphere naturally just formed that way.

Palaoto: We respect each other that is the point.

G2: For me, everybody is different as individual. We are very passion of what we do and we do things on our own, very individually but at the end of the day when we gather, we respect and appreciate each other. When we get to together, it's very natural.

Final message to Malaysian fans.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hi-Lite Records | 하이라이트레코즈 (@hiliterecords) on Nov 6, 2018 at 12:57am PST

Huckleberry P: I am still surprised that there are people in overseas listen to our music and I feel like it's a miracle for being able to perform overseas. I am very thankful to fans who'll be coming for today and tomorrow's shows. Today, throughout the interview, I have been emphasizing, we are doing well. "We are doing great", this explains everything, so we will prove that at today and tomorrow's shows.

Reddy: This is our first show in Malaysia and I am really looking forward and excited for it. To be truth, I am really surprise that there are fans in Malaysia who listened to our music. So, I am really looking forward to see fans who'll be coming and enjoy our shows.

Check out the video here:

2018 Mama

JOOX turns up the heat from this year to the next with the biggest Korean music awards - MAMA 2018

Thursday, December 06, 2018

Fill yourselves up with the best music from the hottest K-Pop artists all the way from the end of the year until 2019! With JOOX, Asia’s most popular music streaming app1 and the destination of K-Pop fever, you can sing and dance along with your favorite Korean idols right at the palm of your hands as they make their way into your hearts live!

For the second consecutive year, JOOX is once again turning up the K-Pop fever this year as it continues to be the livestream platform in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar for fans to watch two of the biggest K-Pop music awards in Asia: the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), and more prestigious Korean music events in 2019! Don’t miss your chance to be blown away by the hottest music acts in Korea today! When you want K-Pop, there’s nothing else but JOOX!

This year, MAMA 2018 will take Japan and Hong Kong by storm, and K-Pop fans who use JOOX will be going along for the ride live! With JOOX as the only licensed livestream platform for MAMA 2018, fans will be able to feel the K-Pop fever with BTS, Twice, IZ*ONE, Monsta X, Wanna One in Japan, and with BTS, Wanna One, GOT7, Momoland, Seventeen in Hong Kong!

Also, MAMA has released the lineup of artists who are confirmed to appear in the 2018 MAMA Awards, including: Janet Jackson (legendary pop icon, U.S. singer, songwriter, actress, producer, and dancer), Lin Jun Jie (Chinese Singaporean singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor), Japanese Actor Yutaka Matsushige, Korean Actors Cha Seung Won, Hwang Jung Min and Jang Hyuk, as well as Korean Actress Seo Hyun Jin!

JOOX music lovers must stay tuned on the following dates and time:

Can’t get enough with MMA and MAMA 2018? Stay tuned for more details about the next prestigious Korean music event in 2019 presented by JOOX!

Can’t get enough of K-Pop? Simply enjoy your favorite K-Pop music and live performances anytime, anywhere, download JOOX on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, or accessing the JOOX website featuring all the winning K-Pop music to turn up the K-Pop heat!