Conquering mountains and valleys: Chris Cho
By Emma Kalka Photos by Juda
For R&B singer Chris Cho, his single “I Don’t Need” was much more than a song. It is a declaration.
The Maryland native has been through highs and lows in his five years in Korea, but the track, which features rapper Dwang, is meant to remind him that he can accomplish things without relying on others.
“More than just a song, this is just a reminder to myself every time I listen to it that I can do things on my own,” he said at an interview with DKU in Hongdae. The music video for the track, which was released in May, came out today, released exclusively through DKU.
He said the concept came from the fact that when he started out, he relied on others too much. And even though he admits that he still gets a fair amount of help and support from others – namely his producer Jang-soo, girlfriend Trisha, music collaborator NPM and cousin, Korean rapper Double K – he has the ability to create his own career.
Cho moved to Korea in 2011. At the time, he came with the intent to do music with friend. But things didn’t work out and the EP that was planned never came to be. The two parted ways, with one silver lining for Cho: he connected with the recording studio and engineer that he still uses today.
However, bills still needed to be paid, so Cho took a job working in an office. Unfortunately, with Korean office jobs there’s not a lot of time for much else besides work. Being cut off from music pushed Cho into depression and he said that before his eyes, he was becoming someone different than who he really was.
It took a visit from a longtime friend to turn things around.
“He became really scared, because he said he had never seen that side of me,” Cho recalled. “He was like, ‘I really think you should find something else or just keep doing your music.’ So I took his advice. I quit. I gave my one-month notice right after he left, because he was right.”
He took a position teaching English outside of Seoul for a year following that, and it was enough to get his “head out of that depressed state.”
It was after this that he teamed up with Korean rapper NPM for several collaboration tracks, including one released last month, “Swaying”. Cho called the partnership shaky at first, mostly because the two were going through different life experiences outside of music at the time. Nowadays, things are picking up again.
“He stuck with me for the longest time. We’ve been through our ups and downs but I love him like a brother and he’s done so much for me,” Cho said.
He had other musical endeavors during this time, such as being in the band Stun Grenade. But, it was time for a break from performing, mostly from hip-hop show Shining Ground, which Cho had been doing weekly. It was a chance to move in a different direction, Cho mused. And he was able to do that, but only after a misunderstanding brought together him and producer Jang-soo.
“He had the misconception of me actually quitting music,” he said, laughing. After about a week of believing this, Jang-soo called up Cho and took him out to lunch, prepared to convince him to return to music.
“But then he said, “Oh, great (you’re not quitting). That’s awesome, because I kind of wanted to work with you,’” Cho reminisced. “He was basically like, he’s the one who believed in me, pushed me, kicked me in the ass a lot.”
The first project the two worked on was “I Don’t Need.” Jang-soo is also producing Cho’s EP which is set to drop in September or October.
Cho says nowadays, he mostly on faces the same challenges that other independent artists face, such as a lack of financial resources and some disapproval from family. However, his cousin Double K has always been supportive, even helping connect Cho to a music distributer.
“As big as he is, he always finds the time to, like if I want to talk or have a problem, he’ll always try to find the time to help,” he said.
Of course there is also the occasional self-doubt that creeps in. Thankfully he has Jang-soo and girlfriend Trisha to step in and offer encouragement.
“She’s been the real soldier. Because there have been times I was doubting myself and she was the one saying, ‘Why are you doubting yourself? You got it,’” he said, smiling slightly.
Something unique to Korea, according to Cho, is the stigma that the public associates with independent artists. “If you’re an indie artist, ‘Oh, your parents must be rich,’ or ‘You haven’t figured out what you want to do in life,’ kind of things like that,” he said. “At one point, I was very self-conscious about how people thought about me. So, whenever I heard that - it’s very untrue - but the fact that they think that bothered me a lot.”
He said now it doesn’t bother him as much, adding that “I Don’t Need” was also a declaration that he doesn’t care what people think about him anymore.
And while he admits that he does sometimes dream of performing in sold-out shows at Olympic Stadium or Yes24 Live Hall, he says he loves music more than fame. More than big, fancy shows, he wants the everyday person to listen to his music and be able to relate to it on some level.
“I hope that the person going to work, walking to work with their headphones will be listening to my music just because they can feel it,” he emphasized. “Whether it leads me to being in big arenas or leads me to be singing in cafes and pubs, I kind of grew to the point of now, I accept it. I accept who I am as an individual as well.”
But that also doesn’t stop him from confessing that he’d someday love to work with the likes of John Legend – his dream collaboration – or Korean singer Soul Man or Korean-American rapper Kero-One, who he says has a sound that would really fit with his music.
Whatever dreams may end up coming true for Cho, one thing he is sure about is that he appreciates everyone who takes the time to listen to his music. He called the last five years not a rollercoaster, but “going from one mountain to one valley.” Finally, he has found his footing.
“Some of the music you might hear from me, it might sound ridiculous. Some of it might sound good. Some of it might sound stupid. But, I hope that the listeners can accept that this is just me. Who I am,” he said.
To check out more of Chris Cho, visit his Facebook page or YouTube channel.
“I Don’t Need” and “Sway” are both available for download on iTunes or streaming through Apple Music. Check out the music video below.
