Photography by Colin Lane
Since we named him one of the most underrated new rappers last year, we've kept a close eye on Jackie Chain. He initially caught our attention because well, we just don't really know of that many half-white, half-Korean rappers from Alabama with long hair. Oh, also because he's hilarious, whether rapping about drinking beer, doing drugs, getting laid, or living the good life. This week he'll be releasing his Block Beataz-produced street album, Who Da Mane?, so we got him to offer four contradictions from his life for our "My Complex" column in the October/November issue. Meeting on a rooftop in Manhattan, Jackie spoke on breaking down racial barriers, mixing psychedelics and cocaine, and talking to women when he's drunk. Check out the interview and video of him explaining Alabama slang below...
As Told To Jack Erwin
"There's not that many white rappers, and there's very, very few Asian rappers. A lot of times when I go places to perform, they think I'm a DJ. They can hate and say what they want... BUT GOOD MUSIC SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. Actions speak louder than words. When they see me perform, they can't do nothing but respect it. It's an obstacle I'm willing to take on."
"To me, you can't have psychedelics without drinking. When I eat shrooms, I can kill a pack of beer. It's sort of like cheesecake and strawberries! I gotta have beer and psychedelics... BUT I WOULDN'T MIX PSYCHEDELICS and powder. I could be tripping and do some lines, and I ain't tripping no more—I'm just geeked. Powder kills the trigger. Not that I do that anymore."
"I'm always cool, calm, and collected when it comes to the ladies. If I'm really fucked up, the girl I'm talking to is probably fucked up, too. Even when I'm throwing up, they're usually holding my hair. Don't like no puke in my hair... BUT I GOT SOME FRIENDS that have no business hollering at females when they're drunk. They just make themselves sound like bumbling idiots."
"There are still clubs in 'Bama black folks can't get into. They'll say your pants too baggy or you're wearing the wrong shirt. They got rebel flags flying in my neighborhood. It's definitely there... BUT THAT'S EVERYWHERE. Anywhere you go it's gonna be like that. You can go to Africa and black people hate black people. It ain't nothing but another form of hating. There's haters everywhere."
WATCH A VIDEO OF JACKIE CHAIN BREAKING DOWN SOME ALABAMA SLANG:
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