It really seems like it was only yesterday when the Beat Freaks’ Seven Super Heroes swooped into America’s Best Dance Crew. Week after week, these steel tempered bgirls not only set the standard for their fellow competitors, but also challenged and defied mainstream portrayals of women. Beyond season three, the Beat Freaks have secured a meaty chapter in ABDC history as the first all-female crew to contend for the championship. More than that, they could very well be the first all-female crew to take home the spoils of a hot ABDC battle. More »

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While there are only three official winners, congratulations are due for all of the performers of Kollaboration 9. While some performances weren’t as strong as others, the whole night was nevertheless an enjoyable showcase of a broad range of talents—from magic, to comedy, to dance, to singing. And, of course, the cherry topper: BoA headlining with a performance of “Eat You Up,” which was followed up with a bonus performance of “Look Who’s Talking.” More »

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Utada’s been out in full force these past few weeks to get herself known in mainstream America. Island Def Jam (Utada’s American record label) sent us this cool little video of what Utada’s been doing out in LA—during the Grammys! With four weeks left to go until the release of This Is The One, Utada is out there making lots of friends — and new fans! More »

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In part one of Ningin’s Justin Chon interview, we learned about his father—a former South Korean actor—and got an idea of both of their approaches to tackling roles and acting in general. In part two, we will learn more about his new drama-packed film, as well as get a glimpse of this inspired film buff’s all-time favorites in the industry. More »

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This weekend, it’s finally time for Kollaboration 9 in Los Angeles! Asian and Asian American artists will be competing in the largest talent show of its kind for prizes of up to $3,000 - not to mention massive bragging rights. But Kollaboration is actually two shows in one! There’s also going to be live performances from Jo Koy of Comedy Central, magician Norman Ng, and dance crews from MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew: Kaba Modern (Season 1), Fanny Pak (Season 2) and Team Millennia (Season 3) (Check out Ningin’s special America’s Best Dance Crew site here.) More »

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During the taping of the Boys vs. Girls episode of ABDC, I got the chance to speak with the friendly and laid back Justin Chon. The 27-year-old actor recently received national attention for his performance as Eric Yorkie in Twilight and is currently on the heels of another success: the upcoming film Crossing Over, an intense drama that weaves together several vignettes about immigrants in Los Angeles. More »

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You’ve got just two days to enter and win a pair of tickets to the largest Asian American talent competition in United States! Ningin will be giving two winners each a pair of tickets to Kollaboration 9 in Los Angeles this Saturday, February 21. Ningin favorite BoA will be performing live as a special guest! More »

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I finally got the chance to speak to the Beat Freak and former Harajuku Girl Rino Nakasone, and what a great experience it was. In search of the dance flavors that originally inspired her to break out from the mold, the Okinawan-born performer came to Los Angeles ten years ago and has traced out a colorful and accomplished career for herself. What you see on stage is pretty much what you get in person: a boisterous and vibrant personality. What you may not get the chance to see on television, however, is her endless reserve of hearty laughter (and equally enthusiastic arm slaps). Even after only speaking briefly with her, it was apparent that she’s bubbling with warmth and personable energy: More »

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More often than not, “soulful” has a way of being casually thrown about in a manner that smacks of the schlocky. But when it comes to Jane Lui, it’s not an empty word or a false praise: listening to her music is seriously a tune-up for the soul. Armed with a billowy voice, a penchant for melody and a way with words, Lui is very much the quintessential singer-songwriter.

At times, Lui is reminiscent of acts like Tori Amos, Leslie Feist (Feist) and Chan Marshall (Cat Power), yet retains a voice, musical approach and stage presence that’s distinctly her own. Simply put, she’s the real deal. After speaking with Lui, it’s clear this woman lives and breathes music—even her answers have a way of turning into lyrical and whimsical musings: More »

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Welcome back, here is part 2 of the Quest Crew interview! In part 1 of the interview, I asked the boys about what they like to do in their downtime, but before we got the chance to get to Dominic, I had to ask about their favorite video games… Now, here are Dominic’s “hobbies,” in full glory: More »

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Joe Inoue’s (井上ジョー) new single “Closer” finally went on sale December 17. It debuted on the Oricon sales chart at #22. The song has had an incredible YouTube run of almost 800 fan uploaded videos before its official release. Propelled by the release of the Naruto Shippuuden Opening trailer, “Closer”-themed fan subs, karaoke, fan cover versions, and slideshow videos quickly spread across YouTube.

Born in Los Angeles, Japanese-American Joe Inoue grew up to be fluent in three things: English, Japanese, and music. Joe plays every instrument in the songs he writes: guitar, bass, drums, and finally the vocals.

In 2005, he signed a record deal with Ki/oon Records in Japan. Joe released his debut e.p.”IN A WAY” in 2007, followed by his first single “HELLO!”.

“CLOSER” is his second single. It comes packaged with a 2009 Naruto Shippudden calendar and sticker as a sweet (pronounced suh weeet!) bonus!

Visit Joe’s website here. More »

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Hey all, a few of you mentioned in the KoreAm blogs that you enjoy Dumbfoundead, so I’ve posted the battle that was mentioned: Dumbfoundead vs. Tantrum. This battle pits clownin’/freestyling (Dumbfoundead) against raw aggression (Tantrum). Both performers are at the top of their games, but at the end of the day, I prefer humor over pure aggression, and I think in this case, most of the judges agree. Tantrum is out to kill: there’s a reason why he’s called Tantrum, right? It pretty much goes without saying that I would never want to be caught dead in a verbal throw down with this guy. More »

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Bandai Entertainment Inc. will be hosting a special event with free anime feature film screenings and sale-priced DVDs this Sunday, December 14th at the Downtown Independent theater in Los Angeles.

The free event begins at 12pm and will also have lots of Bandai Entertainment DVDs for sale in the lobby at heavily discounted prices for the holidays. But you don’t have to buy anything! Instead kick back and relax with a free screening of “Gunbuster the Movie” and “Freedom” from the HONNEAMISE label to show off the amazing quality of Blu-ray High Definition and Dolby TrueHD.

The Downtown Independent (formerly ImaginAsian Center) is located in downtown Los Angeles at 251 South Main Street, Los Angeles, Ca 90012. The best place to park is the lot directly behind the theater which is located on S. Spring Street.

I advise you go to early if you want a seat cause it’s FREE!

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This article is what led me to discover this new Amerasian (1/2 Korean and 1/2 Caucasian I assume) singer. Born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft, she decided to change her last name to her Korean mother’s native name to reflect her Asian heritage. Born in Georgia and after a stint in Korea, she grew up in Pennsylvania. After high school, she was encouraged to expand her musical skills, so she went to Los Angeles, California.

She independently made an album, Priscilla Ahn, and Blue Note Records discovered her talents and took her in to their company. Her next album, A Good Day was released earlier this year, along with her first single, “Dream”. That song’s received more attention when it was used for season four finale of Grey’s Anatomy.

Amazingly, enough, she will actually be on a tour in Seoul, at Hongik University (Hongdae) on December 4, 2008. I actually took the time to listen to a few of her songs and discovered that I like her style. She’s like Norah Jones on the guitar, but better. I like her voice. It’s really pretty. It’s a darn shame that I can’t go to the performance, though. Something called work is my first priority. More »

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BoA makes her American debut on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 in the MTV Times Square Studio in NYC. MTV Iggy, MTV’s new global music and pop culture network, is giving away free tickets to 25 fans who can prove they are most worthy! Email why YOU should get tickets to see BoA live at BoALiveNYC[at]gmail.com and make sure you tell them Ningin.com sent you!

BoA and Ningin to meet in NYC! That’s right. We’re going to sit down one-on-one with BoA while she’s in New York City. We can’t put into words how excited we are about this!

Got a question to ask her? Send it to us! We’ll pick three questions from Ningin members to ask BoA herself. Private Message (PM) your questions to DavidHou by December 3!

L.A. Show information just confirmed: BoA will be performing at The Jingle Ball Village in L.A. on December 6th. It’s a special Pre-Show Performance of the KIIS FM Jingle Ball. BoA will be performing with Tokio Hotel (Yes, spelt with an “i”). Jingle Ball performers will be Chris Brown, Pussycat Dolls, Katy Perry, Jesse McCartney, Estelle, David Banner, and Menudo. For more info check out KISS FM’s site.

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