Note: This interview was transcribed and edited for clarity. You can find the full interview on Instagram here.
Annie Wang: First question is: What does Asian American or Chinese American identity mean to you?
Alan Z: So I think Asian American identity means that we’re not just bounded by just some nationality. We’re bounded by every group of Asians, right? Whether you’re Southeast Asian, South Asian, or East Asian. So we share this kind of bond, because unfortunately, everyone thinks we are all the same. That can also be a good thing where we can actually stand together for different issues and traumas and actually come together to find solutions for all our issues as a community.
Annie Wang: Yeah, definitely. Important to have solidarity, but also not be a monolith.
Alan Z: Yeah, yeah. It’s the fine line you gotta walk.
Annie Wang: Yeah. Great. So I also love to just hear about your experiences, sort of as an Asian American musician. So can you talk a little bit about your musical influences?
Alan Z: So my favorite rapper growing up was Eminem. Other favorites are people like Michael Jackson, Prince, the Weekend, Chris Brown, Rakim, Chino, XL, Ras Kass. So I’m really into nerdy lyrical, hip hop. So I like that kind of stuff such as more underground 90s to 2000s [style] rap. Because I sing too, I’m a big fan of the classics, like Michael Jackson. And like Ginuwine and authentic R&B type of musicians. I’m also transitioning to acting, so I’m a big film buff as well. For me, I dove into entertainment to provide a voice. I don’t feel like I have the authority to speak for everyone. But I feel that I can speak up for us. There’s stuff that’s going on, and no one’s addressing it. If you have a platform, you have the visibility to make change. So I think being an entertainer was something I’ve always wanted to do because of that.
Annie Wang: Definitely. So what experiences growing up inspired you to pursue becoming a rapper, specifically and writing songs related to the Asian American experience?
Alan Z: Well, I think, um, I mean, I started doing music when I was 12. And I didn’t really dive into AAPI identity until I got older, because when I was young, I just wanted to be taken seriously as a musician. I didn’t really want–because I think at that time, especially if you did address your identity, it just was just labeled corny, It wasn’t acceptable to open up about who you are, until recently, like these past few years. In the back of my mind, I really wanted to do something for us, because I would always see these kinds of images and negative portrayals in the media. And I just [thought], there’s a way to offset this, we just require the other side of representation of how we proceed and how to be taken seriously, and how to be heard. So no matter what I was writing about, I always had that in the back of my mind. And then last year, I was able to do this album with another co artist of mine called Face Valley, which is about Asian American history. And I think that’s a really proud work of mine. Because I put so much research and history and knowledge into that. It’s a pretty nerdy concept of our history and what we’ve been through, but on wax, like on a record that you can listen to just casually. I think that’s something I’m really proud that I was able to accomplish, because people don’t speak about what we’ve been through, right? They’ll talk about COVID and whatever, but you don’t know about our ancestors and what they’ve been through to get us here.
Annie Wang: Yeah, definitely. I definitely am in support of just the idea of more representation, more nuanced representation is sort of the key to combating negative stereotypical portrayals. I’m curious, what did your parents think of you pursuing music and acting as a career? Were they supportive? Or did they have other plans for you?
Alan Z: I think I opened up about how I wanted to be an entertainer, [since I was] very young. And there was a little pushback in middle school because I said I was gonna go to college, which is probably the dumbest thing you can tell an Asian parent. But I think once I went, because I went to Emory University in Atlanta, which is a pretty good school. When someone went there, and I started making actual connections and major labels started hitting me up and speaking to my parents, they were like, “Oh, this is a real thing. It’s not just like you’re in your bedroom making music.” So I think at that point, they just started noticing how seriously I was pursuing this path and the journey that I’ve been taking. My parents have followed along with it in terms of the ups and the downs. They’ve seen a lot of really cool stuff happening in my career, so they know that it’s a real thing. My parents were super supportive of both the music side and the acting side. I’m definitely fortunate in that.
Annie Wang: That’s great. Good to hear that. Could you talk a little bit about Asian solidarity with other BIPOC communities, especially given that being an Asian rapper can be controversial given that rap music has roots in Black culture?
Alan Z: I feel like it’s pretty natural for me, just because I grew up around a diverse community. Sometimes it’s as easy as just making a friend outside the community and just kind of getting to know people outside of what you may think of them and tropes and stuff like that, right? And just listening to people’s stories and just getting to know each other as human beings, right? I feel like too many times we get stuck in these boxes, and one of these boxes and I think really just learn to, like love others, right? And listen to what they have to say and they’ll listen to what you have to say.
Annie Wang: Yeah, definitely. Doesn’t need to be super complicated. Can you speak a little bit about what you think related to Asian American images and pop culture (example from one of our UCA staff) ranging from manga to Kpop and what that means for perceptions of Asian masculinity?
Alan Z: So I’ve definitely seen a boost up, you know, because I grew up seeing so many terrible images of who we’re supposed to be. I mean, like, think about back into the 80s when I wasn’t born yet. There was Long Duk Dong, right? It’s super embarrassing, and very, very dehumanizing all the way to like, The Hangover, which is, again, very dehumanizing. But now, I feel like there’s this uprise right. And I think there is a good side, like anime and Kpop. Facets of our identity and culture are mainstream, but I think what’s important is also for us to kind of be in the forefront of that, right? I’m into anime. I do press for anime conventions and stuff like that. And I’m one of the only Asian people there. And I’m like, yo, this is our stuff. We need to be there. We need to be present and remind people, this isn’t some white people stuff. This is our stuff. That stuff comes from Japan, right? Same thing with Kpop and martial arts . Let’s show up for our stuff. We shouldn’t be ashamed of it.Growing up, we probably were just like, “oh, yeah, I don’t wanna be a part of that, that’s Asian.” No, this is our stuff, non Asians are clinging to this and I don’t want to see our stuff being misrepresented as someone else’s culture. We should be proud of all this. Going back to Asian masculinity, I think there was a lot more I mean, we see a lot more Asian sex symbols now, right, like Henry Golding. Even John Cho, like he’s matured into this super nuanced actor. And I love the idea of a more nuanced representation, like you’ve mentioned, right? [Such as] narratives, plenitude– it’s not just one type of Asian dude, or Asian theme, or woman. The fact that we can have someone like Henry Golding, and then on the other side, we have like Jimmy O. Yang, who had a rom com with Nina Dobrev. I think that’s where it should be right? It shouldn’t just be one type of representation, it should be all of this. So you can be an Asian nerd or a skater or a gangster, or whatever you want to be. I feel like that’s what’s important to show who we are as a whole.
Annie Wang: Yeah, definitely. Thanks for the answer. I definitely think that it’s great to talk about reclaiming Asian culture. I’ve seen my fair share of cringy non Asians claiming Asian culture. So I think it’s important for us to be in those spaces and be proud of where we come from and what we bring to the table. Awesome. What advice do you have for younger Gen Z creators and how to make their own lane and advocate for the community?
Alan Z: I think they’re doing a good job. I feel like all the trauma that I’ve experienced, a lot of these younger cats don’t have that. So I think they’re walking into the industry, with a very like, “du ddu du” just very, like, naive [attitude] but in a good way where they don’t have this baggage so I think they’re doing a good job. It’s just like, don’t let people stop you. Don’t listen to unsolicited opinions. And just listen to your heart. Whatever you feel is right is probably right in your intuition. I feel like I’ve actually had this conversation two days ago, and I was like, man, a lot of these artists that are younger than me like Gen Z artists were Asian like Audrey Nuna and all these people, they’re getting signed, like they’re getting big deals. For people my age, like millennials, we had to go through the brunt of that. We’d go to a label and then they’ll be like, “oh you have everything we want but you’re Asian, or like, Have you ever thought about going to Korea or China?” You ask anybody in my age range, we’ve all gone through that ringer, right? I feel like a lot of these guys and girls didn’t have to go through that. They’re doing better than we were in terms of that kind of arena, I guess.
Annie Wang: Yeah, I think that’s definitely true. I think about all the time as someone who listens to Kpop, like there are certain artists who were American, but in order to sort of make their start in the music career, they went to the Kpop industry because it was an easier entryway for them. But I also love that and now we have large organizations like 88 rising and Olivia Rodrigo, I think is the first Asian American artist to hit number one on the Billboard charts. So it’s amazing.
Alan Z: I don’t know about that. I think Far East Movement was one of the first because he had a number one song with “Like A G6.” They were one of the pioneers of chart topping hits for Asian American artists.
Annie Wang: Yeah. I mean, that probably makes more sense. I think it was just that she was the first name that was like, recognized in that way because she was exploding in popularity.
Alan Z: Because she was in the Tik Tok wave.
Annie Wang: Right, right. Yeah, I’ll have to look more into that song now. Great. Well, what are you looking forward to at this year’s UCA convention in DC? Are there any specific topics that you’re looking forward to speaking about with other Asian Americans?
Alan Z: Yeah, I’m always really interested in Asian American media. Some Asians that hate talking about representation. But for me, I feel like because we haven’t even gotten there, we need to. People are like “Oh, we’re so past it.” No, we’re not. You see how people perceive us? That’s the starting point. Once we get past representation, that’s the easy part where we have visibility and we have a voice right. So I like discussing things with other Asian Americans about where we are right in terms of media, how we can change that and what we need to move forward. You know what I’m saying, whether you’re an artist and actor or screenwriter or whatever it is. So yeah, that’s what I’m looking forward to.
Annie Wang: Great. Well, we’re so looking forward to having you at this year’s convention.
We are thrilled to have singer, rapper and actor Alan Z join us as a panelist at this year’s convention in D.C.! Hear about his thoughts on the Asian American experience, representation, solidarity with other BIPOC communities, and what he’s looking forward to at the convention!