The Korean rapper, singer and producer tells NME about his career-long mission to celebrate the things that make us unique, bridging Korean hip-hop and K-pop, and working with BTS F or Jinbo The SuperFreak , being an artist is about more than just making music – it’s about using that creative outlet to spread love around the world. The Korean rapper and singer’s fourth solo album, ‘Summer Freak: Sun, Rain, Love’, is his latest vehicle for that message – a record that brightly, infectiously steers us away from the competitive spirit that dominates both hip-hop and society in general to adopt a more peaceful, nurturing outlook. READ MORE: Taemin on new beginnings: “I’ve always been the kind of person who takes on challenges” The impetus behind that idea is inextricably interwoven within his stage name, colouring not just this record but his whole career with this positivity.
“People ask me, ‘Does ‘SuperFreak’ have anything to do with R&B kinky stuff?’” the musician and producer – whose real name is Hahn Joo-hyun – smiles. “Sometimes yes, but most of the time, it’s about being different and having a different perspective from what current society in the world tells you.” Both his moniker and music are different forms of Jinbo harnessing his “unique lens” and sharing his observations on what’s happening around us.
Lately – and what’s fuelled ‘Summer Freak’ – he’s been thinking about the idea of “stepping on others and [b.