Calling hip-hop trio AMP simply a “rap group” would do their musical fusion pop, synth, rap, and worship a disservice. Consisting of Sam, J. Han, and CL, AMP took some time to answers question about their music, ministry, and being a representation for Asians making music for Christ.
Having three artists undoubtedly influences the variety of sounds in your music. Why did AMP go this route instead of the traditional hip-hop route and do you think it gives an edge?
Sam: The sound of our music is both an experiment and culmination of our musical backgrounds and differences. We wanted to make music that we personally vibe to, which includes a lot of melody, harmony, elements from other genres, combined with Hip-Hop, something we all love.
J. Han: We aimed to make songs that were timeless, something that could stand the test of time. Which meant we would travel an untraditional route to achieve our sonic aesthetic. I think this mindset has allowed our music to stand out because we were able to create a very unique sound!
Is there a genre of music AMP would like to explore more or work in?
Sam: I would like to experiment more with current hip-hop sound textures and also a more acoustic aesthetic. AMP has been pretty synth driven in the past, and if I were to work on another project, I would definitely take it more of an acoustic direction.
Thinking about Korean music, most people would think of K-Pop. How is AMP trying to change the way people view Asians making music? I feel, at least in the U.S., there is a big underrepresentation.
Sam: The K-Pop world is actually very interesting these days. I personally see K-Pop as the pinnacle of fusing western musical elements with an Asian aesthetic. AMP’s goal is to expand this vision to include a generation of Asians that were born and raised in the States, to embody the aesthetic of a generation who grew up between the cultural worlds of the West and East, with a vibe that is unique to Americans.
CL: I think the most important thing is that we are trying to create the best possible music at the highest level we can. For sure, Asians are underrepresented, but historically, we haven’t been here as long as other ethnicities and the fact that we do see more Asians in film, entertainment, sports, etc. just goes to show that it is growing, but no one can force time and things like this.
You guys got a cosign from Jin and Jeremy Lin. What’s it like having two prominent names in the Asian community in your corner?
Sam: It is awesome to see fellow Asians who are trying to do things excellently, and also encouraging to know that we’re not alone.
J. Han: It’s super dope! They are trailblazers so it’s an incredible honor to be supported by them!
Do you guys get stereotyped, how do you get past it? Also, most music deals with issues of black and white, people forget that some people are neither.
CL: Oh yeah, for sure, without a doubt but at the same time, I think it’s an X-Factor because once people hear the music or watch a show, it helps to break certain stereotypes. Hip hop and especially CHH is historically very urban in nature and it makes sense as to why music deals with the black or white experience, but at the same time it’s still music so that is the focus we have: to create excellent music and to share our story. At the end of the day, we have many ways to relate to each other at the core and that’s something we hope we can continue to do across all ethnicities.
J. Han: I’ve been stereotyped my whole life so at this point, I use it as fuel to work harder! I truly believe that if the music and brand are excellent, people will get past their assumptions, and maybe even support the movement. Since there isn’t much music dealing with issues of the Korean-American experience, we’re going to fill the void and represent!
AMP music is explicitly Christian. How do you keep the art fresh while still being bold about Christ in the message?
Sam: We seek to make a sound that hasn’t been tried before or seek to marry concepts together that are a challenge to marry. We make music that we want to listen to personally, and given our upbringing, the sound we make naturally comes out. We try to keep the art and message fresh by speaking with the language and aesthetic of our current culture while also seeking excellence and innovation.
CL: For me, I think keeping things fresh, there is definitely a musical aspect of that and Sam does that very well. For the content, I believe it’s just being honest with what we write because no matter how this life and variables change, at the core of it all, we still deal with the same issues.
J. Han: Our music will always try to encompass the honest expression of a believer living in a broken world trusting in the perfect God who will reconcile humanity back to Himself. People respect genuine faith so we try our best to faithfully embody what we speak about.
Anything else to add?
Sam: We would like to thank Rapzilla for their support! It really means a lot that you guys create a space for AMP, and this encourages us to continue to create art to the best of our ability, that we hope is worth sharing with others!
J. Han: We got mad love for the team at Rapzilla! Thank you so much for the incredible support y’all have shown us over the years.
AMP just released a music video for “Mighty,” the second to come from their newest album FUTUREGEN
