Jun Ahn, better known as Jugeki, enjoys a rapper’s lifestyle at Huntington Harbor. Photo by Yasir Khaleq
By Dzuy Nguyen, Staff Writer
Having immigrated from Korea to America in 2007, his experiences of adapting to a new social and cultural environment throughout his childhood are the biggest influences for his music.
“My culture and my heritage… those are what are reflected most in my music. My songs incorporate a lot of Korean, especially in my new EP. I think this call-and-response flow, switching between English and Korean makes my music even more unique,” said Ahn.
His latest EP, titled Sym.phony, released over the summer, bringing forth to the table a whole new dimension of rap and the boundaries of the genre. In his five-track project, he raps about disappointment, sadness and loss, but he also contrasts it with raps about love, friendship and ambition. Most notably, in Temporary, Jugeki pours his heart out on a hypnotizing instrumental, reminiscing about a young flame that has since extinguished. Additionally, in Far, Ahn puts out an exciting, yet eloquent track, rapped on a boom-bap instrumental.
“I just wanted to rap about stuff that I really care about. These things are who I am. If I can show my passion and who I am through my work, then the good music will follow. I’m working on a lot of stuff right now too… a new music video, probably for Far,” said Ahn.
With the increasing popularity of his music on and off campus, Ahn is looking for even more opportunities to expand his work. Currently, he has collaborated with multiple producers at FVHS, including Ebmarah (Paul Vu) and Iida (Sean Iida).
“I’ve worked with a lot of other students here. It’s great. We’ve all been friends before this whole music thing started, and we get to just get together and do something that we all love. Music is our passion, and it’s something that I want to continue doing forever,” said Ahn.
