Compelled to Make Hip Hop: A Conversation with Epik High’s Tablo

“As a child, I was always interested in telling stories. It didn’t really matter to me what form my story took.”

Originally published in The Harvard Advocate [April 23, 2020]

The following conversation belongs to a series of interviews with Asian artists with international upbringings who have traveled across continents to share their art with audiences in both the East and the West, and sought to bridge the divide between identities and artforms. Their works have served as a powerful testament to Asian representation across the world.

Myself a Korean-Canadian, I sit down with these artists to ask about their lives as eager students and inspiring mentors, travelers finding their way around roadblocks, creators of art.

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The first time I was tasked with writing a concert review was also my first Epik High concert at the Paradise Rock Club during their world tour titled “sleepless in ____.” I remember jotting down on my notepad — “Seoul-ed out” puns, lobster plushies, Tablo poking fun at his band members’ Korean spiels. Channeling their playful spirit, I wrote in my review that Epik High had a “truly ‘epik’ team chemistry.”