How would you best describe who Johnnyphlo is?

Johnnyphlo is a musician. At the end of the day, that's all I want to be remembered for. While exposure and fame are necessary tools for me to sustain my career as a musician, I honestly don't care about being a celebrity. When you think of Johnnyphlo, all I want people to remember is 'a guy who loves music,' 'a guy lived for music.'

What made you want to be a rapper?

The lyricism is what drew me to rap. As a matter of fact, lyrics are the most important factor in any music for me. As a kid, I was quiet, didn't talk much. I guess I was a little shy, too. I was always looking for an outlet to express myself. Writing lyrics helped me to do so. I hated the fact that I was always too shy to express myself in front of others. Rap helped me to break out of my shell, kind of like an altered ego. As time went on, the shy, quiet kid and his altered ego was able to come together to make who I am today.

You're currently in Korea pursuing music-when and why did you make the decision to go over to Korea to pursue it?

Even though the genre of my music is 'hip-hop' in a broader sense, I always wrote my songs targeting the K-Pop fans and that was the music I enjoyed making. As a Korean-American who was fluent in Korean, my lyrics contained both Korean and English as well. But since most of my songs were written in Korean, it was only logical for me to further pursue my career in the Korean music industry. Fortunately, in 2011, a company in Korea reached out to me with a record deal and I decided to take it. Even though I am no longer with that company, it definitely helped me to settle in and pursue my career in Korea.

As an artist in Korea, who do you currently look up to musically?

It changes everyday. I try to listen and study any new music that comes out, and I learn something new everyday. These days, I've been enjoying listening to a lot of Brand New Entertainment artists - Bumkey, Swings, San-E, etc. If I had to pick someone I look up to as a rapper, I guess I have to pick Gaeko of Dynamic Duo. Personally, I think he's one of the greatest rappers. I learned a lot from just listening to his music.

You've collaborated with stars such as Ailee and Decipher, who would you absolutely love to collaborate with in K-Pop?

I love collaborating with different artists. I love the synergy it creates when I work with great musicians. I guess it's pretty obvious that I want to work with Gaeko. More than rappers though, I want to work with a lot of vocalists - Ali, Jung In, Bumkey, Hyorin, Brown Eyed Soul, Lyn, Lena Park. I can go all day, haha.

I know a lot of fans have been waiting for me to work with Ailee and Decipher again. It's coming. I promise you it will be better than ever. I'm also working with other K-Pop artists as well. I'm just waiting for the right time to release them.

Where do you see yourself in the next two years?

I honestly have no idea. The last two years have been a very humbling experience for me. Starting brand new in another country, trying to pursue my career from the bottom have been a lot harder than I expected. With that said, I've been on somewhat of a hiatus. During this time, I have definitely grown as a musician and I realized that nothing else matters. Whether it's two years or 20 years from now, I will be making the music I love, no matter the outcome.

Where can we find your music and learn more about Johnnyphlo?

https://johnnyphlo.com
https://youtube.com/johnnyphlo
Twitter & Instagram: @johnnyphlo

Any you'd like to let our Kpopstarz readers know?

Some of you already know me and some of you don't. For those who know me, thank you for listening to my music all these years. For those who don't know me yet, I'm excited to introduce my music to you guys in the near future. 2014 will be the year I actively release music again. Watch me.