South Korean producer and songwriter KOALA has just released his latest track, “RSVP,” featuring rapper Jessi, a close friend in the industry. Watch the music video here.
The track, released on September 14, has already amassed over half a million views. Its lyrics, predominantly in English with a touch of Korean, combine to create a catchy rap and references to his own label and previously produced songs, complemented by a high energy music video.
KOALA, who hails from South Korea, joined us to discuss his unexpected journey as an artist and his role as a co-founder of Bobblehead Music, alongside John John, Jae Riggs, and CuzD. Together, they have produced hip-hop style tracks with artists including Jay Park and Jessi.
KOALA’s music draws inspiration from California’s west side, particularly the Bay Area, reflecting his upbringing there before moving to Korea in 2011. His return to friends in Korea ultimately led him to his music career.
Now, let’s dive into the exclusive interview, ready to roll with “GOOD 2 GO” (also one of his songs featuring Jay Park, check it out here.
We recently listened to your collaboration with Jessi, ‘RSVP,’ and really enjoyed it! I would love to get to know more about your story of how you started your music, getting into your label, and your whole journey.
KOALA: I was born in Korea; I went to California when I was about three years old. I got a little age on me, so I grew up around a lot of West Coast-influenced music: Tupac, Snoop Dogg, T.I., and The Game. When we were in high school, I used to freestyle with my friends all the time for fun. I was always into music and came to Korea around 2011, not for music or anything; I had some friends here. I was teaching English, and then I met a couple of friends who, back in LA, were doing music since they were 16. They’re actually my label mates right now! Their names are John John, J Roll, and Cuz D. When I met them, they got me back into the music industry; they guided me and gave me a lot of influence and motivation to pursue music. We kind of went with the flow, pursuing what we wanted to do. We met Jessi, and one thing just kind of led to another. She noticed we were artists, we were rapping. Then I think she was like, ‘Come to the studio,’ gave us a little motivation. One thing just led to another, and we ended up writing and producing for her. That’s how we’re here!
A lot of your music and things that you produce are deeply rooted in hip-hop; you brought up some artists earlier. How do you find the influence to shape your music today, any specific artists or stories?
KOALA: Of course, I’m very heavily California West Coast-influenced, and that influence is in my music. Specific artists that gave me my style of music these days, I grew up listening to music from the Bay Area; they have a certain story that I really like. It’s very energetic and very fun! The vibe is very good, with a lot of energy that I really like. I put some of their influence into my music and add my own mix to it. I get a lot of influences from artists like PiLO and YG; I really like their style. I draw a little influence from them and put it into my own. I like that hyphy energy.
Are you looking to do any shows soon or put your music out in other places?
KOALA: My music is mostly in English, and I am targeting America and overseas. I’m learning as I go too, and of course, I want to target overseas and keep it domestic a little bit too.
I want to get a bit more into Bobblehead Music; you’re the Co-Founder, right?
KOALA: My two big bros, John John and J Roll, are the Co-Founders. There’s a very talented producer we met out here in Korea, who has been producing for probably well over 15 years. He goes by the name CuzD They’ve been in this music industry for a long time. I came and kind of motivated them too with my energy. We all just did our part; I brought them along, and I knew they were talented lyricists. I just wanted people to see that and have an opportunity to put themselves out there.
What is your vision with Bobblehead Music at the end of the day or a few years from now? Where do you see it going?
KOALA: I always had a vision, and this is exactly the path that I wanted to go. From now until later, our goal is to be an actual company where we can maybe form our own idol group and produce for them. We want to put our influence of that western style and pop, and add a bit of culture into the music to fuse it. That would be the goal. Not only that, I want to run an agency where we could look for other talent, other artists, maybe individual artists, who we can promote. That’s the goal right now.
Is there anyone you’ve collaborated or worked with who is in the scene?
KOALA: When we started off, we worked with Jessi. We got the opportunity to song write for her and produce for her. We are all close friends, so we kind of knew how she is as a person, her character, what she could bring. It meshed well together; when we saw the results for some of the songs that were out, it was very motivating and gave us a lot of confidence. Then we kind of knew, ‘Oh! We’re not that bad; maybe we’ve got something going here.’ It was definitely big for all of us. Just that boost of motivation was crucial. One person I have to mention is Jay Park. He’s one of my closest friends, but even before we got close, he would always give me good advice, always put his hand out, and try to send me in the right direction. My first song with him was called ‘GOOD 2 GO ft. Jay Park,’ and I could say that was a highlight for me. Having this West Coast-influenced song and putting it out there, I liked the track but I didn’t know how other people would take it. When it finally came out and I received positive feedback and results, I was like, ‘Oh wow. This is happening; people actually like my music and like me for who I am.’ After that, I was pretty set.
Is there a message you want to convey to any fans or aspiring artists who look up to you and want to pursue dreams similarly to you?
KOALA: Just keep grinding, keep hustling, keep working hard. Everything is about timing too; that’s very important. I believe if you keep trying, opportunities will come. You’ve got to be patient and willing to take risks and sacrifices for sure! If you have all that and you go all in, there’s going to be a time when someone notices that or some opportunity will come up! You just got to keep going strong.”
You can find more of KOALA in our exclusive interview or stream songs like “RSVP” here.
For more of KOALA:
Instagram: @alaokxv
Youtube: Bobblehead Music