After parting ways with Simon Yin, I made my way to Wan Chai to meet MC Jin (who coincidentally is buddies with Simon and have worked together on a music video- there’s that 2 degrees of separation Simon was talking about earlier). Jin was waiting for me at a basketball court that he regularly frequents and I got to show off some of my (non) b-ball skills while getting to know the Miami-born rapper. Surprisingly, I actually made the one-shot for camera. Like a champ.
Jin’s been living in Hong Kong as a rapper and actor for the past four years and like fellow expats, Jin’s determined to shake up the culture in HK. You may recognize Jin as the first Chinese rapper signed to a major label after winning seven battles in a row on BET’s Freestyle Friday on 106 & Park, inducting him in the Freestyle Friday Hall of Fame. His first single, Learn Chinese, featured Wyclef, and from there, Jin’s collaborated with Kanye West, featured in Far East Movement's "Millionaire," introduced President Obama during his Presidential campaign in New York City, and is pictured on ads across the city. Many fans questioned Jin’s choice to move to Hong Kong and the rapper explained that in the few years he’s lived in the city, he’s experienced more opportunities for acting and music than he has ever had prior in the States. For a dude with as much as hustle in him as Jin, that makes being in Hong Kong a no-brainer.
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