This is the third in a series about foreign entertainers growing in popularity in Korean entertainment scene. ― Ed.


In the cutthroat world of the Korean music industry, it’s hard for even Koreans to catch a break. Meaning, for the expats who hope to make it in the business, it’s even harder.

But for California-native Black Ilumin, it was unexpected.

The hip-hop artist came here during an artistic block in 2009, hoping to regain some inspiration and start writing again. On a whim, he answered an ad to teach English in Bundang and within 24 hours, he was hired.

“So, I’m thinking in my head, I need a change. And this drastic change might be the best move of my entire life. So I went with it,” he said.

And for now, it was. Within five months he had started a band, Cross Eyed Pony, and won Battle of the Bands at Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon. Then, he was picked up by Aftermoon Inc, a Korean indie label that hails electronic group House Rulez.

His single “Lavita” has gotten air time all over Korea. He’s performed at Global Gathering, Ultra Music Festival, World DJ Festival and in superclubs such as ELLUI in Seoul. He’s been featured in Korean magazines as an artist and a model such as Superculture, Bling and F.OUND and represented brands SugaPoint, Beats Korea and North Face.

Next up is a documentary by a team from the Philippines, who document Filipino talent all over the world, and a photo exhibition with photographer Jesse Lord. The series features Black Ilumin all over Korea and he is planning to give away a mini album at the exbibition.

Black Ilumin attributes his success to being multi-faceted, both with his music and as an artist.

“I cover so many different genres, it’s hard to pinpoint my style. Every song has such a different feel,” he said.

Although he has put out five music videos, he has yet to release an album. In fact, he is currently working on his first album, which he describes as slow and more soulful hip-hop, called “Homecoming.”

“I’m bringing myself back to the place when music started and when music was just fun. And when I think about that time of my life, when I was writing just because I wanted to write, it’s giving me some inspiration and a focus on what I want to write about,” he said.

He added that what makes this album different from his other work is the focus on one theme rather than each song having a different genre.

“Because now it’s like I have only one arrow and I’m shooting it straight at the target. Because I can’t confuse my fans anymore, I need to have a specific theme and just go with that,” he said.

Black Ilumin wasn’t always rapping. He started off singing in a choir when he was young. He also did a traveling musical at 12 where he played a young Elvis.

He admits that while he started choir because he thought it was fun, the fact that girls liked to hear him sing didn’t hurt.

He would record videos from MTV and memorize the lyrics and dance moves. He kept singing until high school when he started his own a capella R&B group. But then he decided singing was no longer for him and quit.

From there he moved into break dancing with a hip-hop routine dance crew called Chain Reaction. They performed at high school talent shows and opened for groups like Black Eyed Peas and Souls of Mischief.

He said it was while he was on stage performing at San Francisco Dance Fest that he had his first major turning point.

“While I was on stage my mind went blank and this question popped up. Chris (Black Ilumin), what are you doing? So, I was in the middle of the routine and I froze and I was focusing on my thoughts, and I ended up walking off stage in front of thousands of people. And from that point on, I quit dancing,” he said.

In college he would go to parties where people were freestyling and beatboxing. So he started to rap. He said he would often get good responses, which made him want to do it more.

This led him to decide at 21 that he was going to be a rapper. He changed his college major from business to philosophy, which he felt would help him as a lyricist.

“I figured, if I’m a philosopher, it’s going to train me to think differently than most people and I can write about things I actually want to,” he said.

To further strengthen his writing, he double majored journalism, hoping to be able to write more direct and straight to the point.

After graduation, Black Ilumin said he had a plan. But two years after he graduated, things weren’t going according to that plan. He was working as a personal trainer and a youth specialist for the city of San Jose. And suddenly, he lost both jobs at the same time.

On top of that, he had hit a creative slump and was no longer writing, performing or progressing as an artist.

“I hit the lowest point in my life. This was the entire 2008,” he said.

Then he found that fateful job posting on Craigslist and everything changed.

Nowadays, Black Ilumin is busy with performances, TV appearances and modeling gigs. He recently appeared on SBS MTV and performed in a show with fellow expat hip-hop artist Pinnacle TheHustler. He also works with his crew, Wisecrue, which he started with British emcee Jake Pains.

In everything he does, he brings in his roots and background, especially on stage.

“The strongest part about Black Ilumin, is Black Ilumin live. Not only am I bringing my roots of being a journalist and a philosopher when it comes to my lyrics and my message, but I’m bringing in the sexy swag,” he said.

And the confident artist is hoping to take that “sexy swag” to the international market now that he is successful in Korea. He’s planning a tour of Thailand and the Philippines. And he constantly works to take himself to the next level, which takes knowing his strengths and weaknesses.

“You really have to reflect and know yourself. To know your weaknesses and limitations. And to know your strengths and embrace those strengths. And let those strengths flourish,” he said.

By Emma Kalka (ekalka@heraldcorp.com)