Far East Movement

Everyone who's a college student has probably heard Far East Movement's "Like a G6" -- if not, perhaps they're a social hermit who never leaves the dorm room. I really like this song though -- "Rocketeer" -- with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder and cameos by some people you may or may not recognize.

It took me awhile -- probably longer than it should have, given the group's telling name -- to realize that Far East Movement is a group of Asian-American artists. But I think most of people would be surprised to learn that the group responsible for "Like a G6" is comprised of Asian-Americans. It has all the catchiness of the Billboard chart-toppers you'd attribute to white and black dance/rap artists -- hell, can you even name another Asian artist on the Billboard charts? (Bruno Mars, perhaps -- but he's half-Puerto Rican, half-Filipino)

Even looking at the Youtube comments for their videos, it seems some people don't take well the idea of Asian-Americans making this kind of insanely popular hit. They make fun of the fact that the members of Far East Movement are wearing sunglasses in their music videos, speculating it has something to do with their "Asian eyes." Once they learn that their favorite song is performed by Asians, they take an 180 degree turn and start bashing on the song.

As I've already discussed in a post back in September, ever since I started taking my Asian-American Lit class, I've become acutely aware of the social perception of Asians, and the recent rise of Far East Movement is especially eye-catching. Obviously, it's not like Asians are completely rejected -- you still have Youtube stars like Nigahiga, Wongfu, and Kevjumba who have humongous followings on the Internet. But at the same time, they haven't reached the same place as Far East Movement, who has done something extraordinary for an Asian-American group.

And I don't like this group just because we share the same racial background. I truly do think they are talented bunch -- their songs STICK. It's exciting to see if they have what it takes to carve a solid place on the music charts.