THE PERRY COLLECTION

Korean pop music is everywhere these days, but my own introduction to the genre came in 2000 when various college friends exposed me to the era’s K-Pop hitmakers, who are now considered “old school.” Amongst all the sappy ballads and cheesy boy bands, the music of YG Entertainment always stuck out to me, particularly the group Jinusean, who completely floored me with their 2001 album The Reign. I didn’t need to speak Korean to appreciate the big, neck-snapping beats that gave the duo’s hip-hop drenched LP its distinctive sound. I soon discovered that an artist named Perry, who rapped on several of the LP’s tracks, was also the producer responsible for creating its music.

Although he’s one of the most influential figures in modern Korean music, Perry Borja is not Korean. A native of Modesto, California who was raised by Chammorro immigrants, Perry was exposed to the burgeoning West Coast hip-hop scene in the ’80s before relocating to his family’s native country Guam as a teenager. It was there that he began making music with high school friend Noh Seung-hwan (a.k.a. Sean), who would serve as Perry’s introduction to the Korean music scene after his group Jinusean became the marquee act for veteran Yang Hyun Suk’s new label YG Entertainment.

In the early ’90s, the notoriously traditional Korean music scene started opening up to modern Western music, thanks to pop groups like Seo Taji & Boys (of which Yang Hyun Suk was a member) incorporating elements of hip-hop, alternative rock, R&B, and house into their songs. When Yang started his new label YG, hip-hop became the focus, and Perry became his go-to hitmaker, cranking out 12 stellar albums in 5 years for a variety of artists (including his own solo album). It’s remarkable to hear how effectively he injected the aesthetic of hardcore American hip-hop into YG’s early music, which quickly established the label as one of the “big three” Korean record companies.

Over the last decade, Perry’s output has gradually decreased, as he has evolved into more of a mentor to the new generation of YG hitmakers. But he should be honored by all for pushing the boundaries of Asian pop and helping hip-hop find a home in modern Korean music. Enjoy my compilation of Perry’s best…

THE PERRY COLLECTION (PRESENTED BY UGGH…NICE WATCH)
1. Y.G. Family “우리는 Y.G Family (We Are Y.G. Family)” (1999)
2. 1TYM f/ Swi.T “Ready Or Not Yo!” (2000)
3. Yang Hyun Suk “약한자가 패배하는 세상 (A World Where The Weak Is Defeated)” (1998)
4. Honey f/ Da Pho “높이 더 높이 (Higher & Higher)” (1995)
5. Jinusean f/ Prodigy & Perry “Holdin’ Down” (2001)
6. Wheesung “Dilemma” (2003)
7. Se7en “I Just Wanna Be…” (2003)
8. Perry f/ Teddy & Masta Wu “Bounce” (2001)
9. Yang Hyun Suk f/ Perry “한번만이라도 (Just Once)” (1998)
10. Swi.T “I’ll Be There (2 Step Remix)” (2002)
11. Taebin f/ Perry “Don’t Stop” (2004)
12. Lexy f/ Big Mama “내게서 벗어나 (Away From Me)” (2003)
13. 1TYM “21세기란게 뭐야 (What’s The 21st Century?)” (2000)
14. Perry f/ Masta Wu “Turn It Out” (2001)
15. Se7en “Baby U” (2006)
16. Big Bang “우린 빅뱅 (We’re Big Bang)” (2008)
17. Y.G. Family “Why Be Normal?” (2002)
18. Jinusean f/ Perry & Legacy “Jinusean Bomb” (1997)
19. Zodiak “R-U-Ready?” (1996)
20. Yang Hyun Suk f/ Perry “악마의 연기 (Smoke of the Devil)” (1998)
21. 1TYM f/ Perry & Lexy “OK” (2003)
22. Gummy f/ G-Dragon “Work It Now” (2008)
23. Perry f/ Swi.T “Don’t Leave Me” (2001)
24. Se7en f/ Tae Yang “허락해줘 (Let Me In)” (2006)
25. Big Bang “Everything” (2008)
26. Lexy “Real Love” (2003)
27. Wheesung “She’s Beautiful” (2004)
28. 1TYM “Good Love” (1998)
29. Jinusean “How Deep Is Your Love” (1999)
30. Perry f/ Sean, Masta Wu & G-Dragon “Storm” (2001)
[DOWNLOAD: MEDIAFIRE / RAPIDSHARE]