KMK: Interview with Marius

With his MV, Marius is my black friend,  riding the Korean inter webs I got a chance to sit down with Marius to ask about his thoughts about the whole experience and the reaction both Koreans and Westerners are having. So, I give to you my Interview with Marius.

How did the idea of the video come about?

Honestly I can take no credit for the ideas behind the video and/or song. That lies solely with the creators 박승주and 정환철 the two rappers in the video. I was simply the muse. However I do have a statement below from them explaining their purpose:

“Numerous black people live in Korea, and some of them even change their nationality to become a permanent resident of the nation.
While they struggle to be one of us, incidents of prejudice and discrimination toward other races in Korea haven’t decreased with globalization.
We made this song to spread the idea that everyone can be friends no matter the color of their skin.
We strengthen the song through empathy and honest emotion to prevent listeners from getting bored.
By contradicting the culturally biased attitudes most Koreans have frankly and interestingly, the song contains a wishful message consoling and encouraging all black people faced with difficulty and trouble.”

Who are the two rappers in the video?

They are both comedians who used to work for SBS. Now they are just focusing on making comedic music videos similar to those by the American group “The Lonely Island.”

How do you all know each other?

I met 박승주, the one comedian with the long hair almost a year ago. He works at a tattoo shop in Hapjeong (Tattoo People) that my friend’s boyfriend owns. The other guy and I met before we shot the video.

What is the aim of the video?

Since they are both comedians they wanted to make a song that was comedic, but had a serious underlying message. They knew that if the song had the same message, but a more serious tone it wouldn’t be as effective in grabbing people’s attention.
(There previous statement above answers this in more detail)

How have your experiences in Korea contributed to your desire to make this video?

Honestly I never even expected to make this video. From the very beginning when Seung Ju told me that he wanted to make a song about me I didn’t believe it. It wasn’t until I heard the actual song that I knew he was serious. He asked me to be in it because the song was written about me. From then on I just wanted to ensure that it remained funny and entertaining without being degrading. Although I know that everyone is going to have their own opinions about the video, I am happy with the way it turned out.

How do you feel about being a black man in Korea today as opposed to when you first arrived? (you’ve been here about three years on and off right?)

I have been very lucky in that I’ve never had any serious problems adjusting to Korea. I think this is mainly because I have always lived in Seoul, and I started out teaching mostly college students. In my opinion the college aged generation is the most open-minded and in many ways stuck in limbo between the old and new Korea. Being in that environment allowed me to get a good sense of the culture and how things are changing. Although many foreigners in Korea often complain about how archaic the society is at times, the one thing I really appreciate is how quickly things have changed. Being able to recognize and acknowledge these changes is one of the major differences from my experiences three years ago to now.

How do you think the target audience will regard the video? Have you had any reactions yet from Korean folk?

So far the reception has been great. I was actually at school sitting across from my co-teacher when I first saw the video. I had mentioned to him that I’d made a music video a few weeks ago so I decided to show it to him. To my surprise he liked it so much that he sent it to ALL the teachers in my school, who consequently showed it to ALL their students. For the rest of the day students and teachers kept coming up to me telling me how they liked both the song and the message behind it. Despite the obvious humor they all seemed to understand the purpose and message.

Is there a sequel in the works?

We haven’t really talked about it. I think we all want to wait a bit to see what the reception of this song is going to be first. If it remains positive there is always a possibility.