I ‘sample’ certain rationales and methods of classical music that I find compatible in creating different variations of hip-hop. Then with them, I make hip-hop music.” With a lineup of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, drum set, bass, a soprano, 2 MCs, and Kim on piano,
they achieve this seemingly impossible fusion with an expert’s finesse.
When asked why he does this kind of music, Kim answers, “Since the end of my undergraduate study (from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA), I had a serious problem with the so called contemporary concert music and wanted to get out of it. Then I found my answer in hip-hop. I thought hip-hop was the next great indigenous American art music after Jazz and wanted to be part of its maturation.”
The Future of Hip-Hop contains mostly covers or “deconstructions” as Kim calls them; he uses the essential parts of well known pieces, then stretches and changes them to create a familiar but very different musical experiences. Included in the album are two cuts from Snoop Dogg’s Doggy Style album, Gin & Juice and Gz & Hustlas, as well as Wu-Tang’s Shame on a N*gga and Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F* Wit, all “deconstructed” with new lyrics by MCs Do D.A.T. and Sandman against a postmodern musical vision.
Earlier this year, ESPN commissioned Kim to re-imagine the Marlena Shaw version of “California Soul” for their 2016 NFL Super Bowl programming, which is also included in the album.
Ensemble Mik Nawooj will unveil the full album live at the Chapel in SF on April 27 with the support of Le Vice, another genre bending outfit from the Bay.
- Christopher Nicholas