Can the timing be any worse? Skull’s world reggae domination is put on hold until he completes his mandatory military services. Many are upset and surprised at his sudden enlistment, but I respect him for going to the army, instead of faking an injury, taking a desk-job or fleeting the country. Skull will enlist on September 27th and will be back after 24 months. Bye bye Skull!
“He told me we’re brothers and gave me an amulet of the lion of Judah in the shape of Africa.”
What a joke. The lion of Judah comes from ISRAEL and the Jewish people, not from Africa nor from Rastafarians nor from people who love reggae. Dude should get a grip on culture and history before he goes tattooing things on his body without knowing the full meaning and just taking the word of a stranger.
P.S.
Aside from the ridiculous dreadlocks* he is pretty gorgeous.
*(Which, BTW, serve a religious purpose to Rastafarians–so once again a Korean is copying something without knowing the full meaning of it)
Darby-Because they wouldn’t have enough active military to defend in the event of a North Korean attack. Pretty sure America would have one too if Canada was like North Korea.
Dumpling-Who cares? White people get Chinese tattoos. Do I give a fuck? No.
Everyone’s a CopyCat, so you’re all hypocrites.
You all copy the style of clothes someone wears, the cars you drive, the music you listen to, the movies you see, the jewelry you wear, the hair style you choose, etc.
You choose to do things because it is popular or it’s the “in thing” aka trend at the time. You sure weren’t the originator, someone else did it before you.
It’s the individual that copies (takes a preexisting idea) and makes it his own that is successful.
“White people get Chinese tattoos.”
Yes, and white people KNOW they’re Chinese. We don’t mistake them for being Russian or Greek. Duh. Skull doesn’t even know the Lion of Judah is Jewish. THAT was my point.
Dumpling have you seen a map. I do believe Israel is in Africa. O.o
Nevermind I was going off of the Bible not modern day.
@Mee:
“It’s adorable hearing him speak English and laughing in the end of this video(5:58)”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaxQGlzQXsg
I agree!
@ HSG:
Maybe YOU need to read a map. Israel is in the western part of the continent of ASIA.
I guess you didn’t read the “never mind.”
Also maybe you want to freshen up on your Lion of Judah history here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_of_Judah
Judaism was created in Africa first of all.
Second of all he got a tattoo of the amulet which happened to have the Lion of Judah on it.
So please come with something better then that. If you don’t like him then just say it. Don’t call him out on some bogus crap.
“Judaism was created in Africa first of all.”
LMAO!!!
(rolls @@ eyes)
-LOOK-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari_movement
To increase his popularity, he needs to do a duet with Rhianna. Her music sound will blend well with his. Plus, she’s currently the “it” girl in America (don’t ask me why). And then they need to do a MV together.
The Rasta religion is 70 years old. Judaism is 4,000 years old. Enough said.
P.S.
Part of the Rasta religion (in addition to the dreads) is smoking weed. They believe it enlightens them and opens their minds. This is why it is so prevelant in Jamaica. The religion was invented by a dude who had enjoyed just a little too much of the freshie-fresh. To compare this to Judaism in any way is just outlandish.
he’s already making it without collaborating with a popular singer or with an “it” one…
to others, you might not have heard of him because reggae is not your type of music genre but for those who like it, they know him or heard of him already for sure…
my friend in canada was just so proud to tell me of hearing a reggae song from a korean… that’s SKULL….
He probably loves to smoke MJ(marijuana).
So he can feel all ’spiritual’ right?
Hook it up bro! I wanna feel ’spiritual’ too! Hah.
Uhhh Rhianna sucks…
What, Aya, you’re not like, totally enamored by her “umbrella, ella, ella, ella, yeh, yeh, yeh”?
LOL!!
(not a fan either–I have issues with 17 year olds who think they’re 30)
A Powerful Voice For Korea May Soon Be Silenced By Mandatory Military Service
David Kim is a 12 year old Korean Boy who lives in Orange County where he and his friends untill just a few short months ago would memorize and recite the lyrics of their favorite rap artist, 50 Cent, Young Jeezy, or whoever the flava of the month was. Sadly none of these rappers ever had a last name like Kim or Lee. David is one of a multitude of Korean American kids who have had until recently no representative in American Pop Culture. Now due to a political anachronism, the first and only such representative music icon may be whisked off into obscurity.
At a time when America is still reeling from news of the Virginia Tech massacre, aggressive rhetoric over nukes in N. Korea continues, and the very public humiliation of Korean Pop star, “Rain” in Los Angeles is still fresh in our minds…one solitary Korean voice is heard above the din.
South Korean Reggae artist, Skull, has taken the US market by storm, not by exploiting an Asian American fan base as has been the modus operandi of past failed attempts by Asian artists and record labels looking to impact the US market but rather by courting Urban and Caribbean audiences singing in his own unique interpretation of a Jamaican patois.
Skull who was a myspace featured artist, has opened for Reggae icon Buju Banton, and was featured in articles in Billboard, Allhiphop.com, Ballerstatus.com, Vibe, TheSource.com and recently had his first single in the US reach 4 on the Billboard Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart, and currently is the (Greatest Gainer) on The Billboard Singles Sales Chart after rocketing from 54 to 14 on the Top 100 singles Sales Chart, earning him a place in History.
Skull’s video for his current single, Boom Di Boom di is rotation on MTV Tempo, Hype, RETV, and CVM in Jamaica and is gaining momentum here in the US as well. Mariah Carey, whose brother Morgan, manages and has orchestrated Skull’s career outside of Korea has been quoted as saying, Skull is a great artist, I hope people support him”.
Excerpt from a recent article in Allhiphop.com
Skull: I think some Koreans believe I am not proud to be Korean because I love Rastafarian culture and Reggae music, but that is not true. I love my country very much. Many Koreans write me that it makes them feel good to see a fellow Korean being popular in the States. They don’t feel so left out of the American Dream.
In the beginning it would be like, “Hey Chink, get off the stage” or “@$!* where you from?” But after I sing a few bars, they are cool with me, all love. Now more people know about me, but before they would look at me and form an opinion then they would trip like,” is that really his voice?” Music is universal, but sometimes people forget that.
The Korean Military is requiring that Skull serve his obligatory two and 1/2 year term of service, prior to the completion of his US Debut album. Skull who is the first Korean artist to be embraced by Urban audiences and gain a foothold in American Pop Culture may soon disappear off the scene, and with him, the singular opportunity for Korean American youth to look proudly to a prominent star who resembles them, and feel less alienated by an American pop culture machine which has thus far managed to entirely exclude them.
Someone beats Rain and Se7en in the race to break in America—and a reggae singer beats them! Hah. Gotta give the guy respect right there.
What a bunch of haters you are!!! I can’t believe all the racism and myopic thinking expressed here. No wonder Koreans are so far behind everybody else in the Music world….you’re
living in a bubble based on steretypes and ethnocentricism. Wake up!!!! Originality and authenticity are why Skull is so well recieved in the US and Jamaica….you are all a bunch of copycats who think everybody should dress, walk, and talk the same…here in America we call that Communism. Maybe for all the manditory military service, you have already lost the war to the North because that cookie cutter mentality has fully infected your culture. You are slaves!!! The North clearly kicked some ass!
Skull reached #3 on the Hiphop/R&B Single Sales Chart!
1.Somebody should tell Skull that if he has to serve, he may not have to do military service per se, but do public service and help people. 2. Has he tried to petition the government to get out of service as a cultural icon of Korea to the US? Perhaps with the help of industry friends. Or for a “Travel to Korea” commercial for Americans. I hope it works out for him because this is a historical opportunity for Korea, we need one of our own out there representing for us.
“Why do they have mandatory military service? Why don’t they have it be voluntary like the US? Are they afraid not enough people would join or something?”
Voluntary military service in Korea is unrealistic. They won’t meet the requirement manpower for this situation.
If we switched to voluntary military, we will only have 100,000 men in active duty, even less men if we’re talking about the combat service (and not combat service support).
In fact it would be a difficult problem to recruit enough men by 2025 even by the 2-year MANDATORY service. This is due to the fact that is a smaller number of age cohorts (people eligible for military service) by that time.
“Anon you made it quite clear that pretty much the whole point of the army was so people could learn how to shoot in case N.Korea attacks. Or at least you implied that. Isn’t that a fear? A fear that they might attack? A fear that like you stated “that if they attack no one will know how to shoot a gun” without the mandatory army service. Anyway I’m not even going to comment to your next post. I’m sure it’s going to be just as rude as the others.”
~HSG~
Preparing for a strong, indepedent military force and being afraid are two different things.
During the Cold War the U.S. has spent huge amounts of resources on national defense and the general public at the time supported them. It doesn’t mean that they woke up every morning thinking “Oh my god. Today I might die in a nuclear fireball.”
Personally, I don’t think we will ever have a major engagement with the North again. However, the worst crisis happened on the peninsula because of the lack of military preparation (the Imjin wars and the political annexation as an example).
It was because of Korea’s inability to defend itself since the mid Joseon era that lead up to the current predicament we are in now.
I think you completely misunderstood what I was saying. I was commenting on him implying that it was based mainly on fear.
although i respect him for appreciating the rasta faith
and i like that hes a musician
…no one should capitalize like that on rasta, and also, hes a korean, acting jamaican, and is trying to capture an american market…
so i dislike skull. pretty boy rasta panfry pop star.