Music

Tongue Thai�d

As the granddaddy of Thai hip-hop, Joey Boy is once again leading the way

By Nuttaporn Srisirirungsimakul, Photographs courtesy of Kan Khor Club and by Paniti Boonma

Did You Know : Bridging the gap between rap and rock, Run-DMC worked with members of Aerosmith to cover the band�s hit �Walk This Way� in 1986.

Back in the 1980s, break-dancer Abhisit Opas-iamlikhit was mesmerised by Run-DMC�s groundbreaking hip-hop beats. Trading in his piece of break-dancing cardboard for a microphone, Abhisit started from scratch, teaching himself how to rap and rhyme, hoping one day to be like his hip-hop idols.

Today, Abhisit is indeed a household name in the Thai hip-hop scene � but no, not as Abhisit. Long ago, the 28-year-old rapper ditched his formal name and is now know across the Kingdom as Joey Boy.

PHASE TWO

While these days the name Joey Boy alone can guarantee any pub a full house, Joey Boy said it was a completely different story back when he first picked up a mic.

�It was a difficult start,� he recalled. �Back then, dance music was the order of the day. I used to perform in front of stunned audiences who just sat still wondering what the hell I was singing.�

As one of the pioneers of Thai hip-hop, Joey Boy said he is thrilled that the art form he loves is enjoying such widespread popularity these days. But, despite the boom, the rapper said that the Thai hip-hop scene still has some growing up to do. After all, he said, the scene is only entering its second phase.

�Back then no one thought you could earn a living as a rapper, but people like me and Khan from Thaitanium have led the way,� Joey Boy said. �Now it�s the turn of the second generation of rappers who have grown up listening to our music. It�s time for them to show their stuff and expand the hip-hop fan base.�

Once that happens, Joey boy said, the sky is the limit for Thai hip-hop.

�Who knows, maybe someday hip-hop will run in the blood of Thai audiences just like rock music has done before,� he said.

HIP-HOP HAPPINESS

Without a doubt, hip-hop music has already found its way into young people�s hearts. However, the harsh, street sounds are still finding it hard to win over the adult audience.

Many parents can�t help but eye hip-hop suspiciously, believing vulgar language and violent content are a bad influence on their kids.

Joey Boy, however, is quick to defend the music he loves.

�Hip-hop doesn�t have to be rude,� he said. �There are many ways a rapper can deliver his messages without using lots of swear words.�

Joey Boy�s latest album, Sorry I�m Happy, is one example. Despite some biting remarks, the rapper said that every song on the album is presented in a positive way.

�Optimistic and fun are my unique characteristics,� Joey Boy said. �And I want the fans to be happy listening to my album.�

ASIAN INVASION

Along with keeping himself busy promoting his new album, Joey Boy also spends a lot of his time producing albums for up-and-coming hip-hop acts on his record label, Kan Khor Club.

The hip-hop guru has taken it upon himself to help out those getting started in the industry. But Joey said he isn�t looking for a mirror image of himself; he wants new acts to have their own style.

�I prefer lousy singers who have their own styles to those who can rap perfectly like me or Da Jim,� Joey Boy said. �Don�t copy other people. Just be yourself.�

And Joey Boy is practising what he preaches. The ambitious rapper is looking to do something new and is joining forces with hip-hop artists from Japan, Korea and China to create what he calls �Asian hip-hop.�

�We have followed the American hip-hop pattern for so long,� Joey Boy said. �Now that we have developed our own styles, I think it�s time for Asian hip-hop artists to create the music that represents the feelings and attitudes of the region.�

Already a guiding light for hip-hop artists in his own country, it looks like Joey Boy may soon be exporting his sound to the world.

Vocabulary

mesmerise (v): to have such a strong effect on you that you cannot give your attention to anything else
household name (n): a name that has become very well known
full house (n): an occasion in a theatre, cinema, etc. when there are no empty seats
stunned (adj): surprised or shocked so much that you cannot think clearly or speak
pioneer (n): a person who is the first to study and develop a particular area of knowledge, culture, etc. that other people then continue to develop
vulgar (adj): rude and likely to offend
biting (adj): (of remarks) cruel and critical:
guru (n): a person who is an expert on a particular subject or who is very good at doing something

IDIOM

practise what you preach: to do the things yourself that you tell other people to do