Get to Know Junoflo, G2, Justin Park, and Year of the Ox!
Fresh off their collab track releases “GOLD ROCKY” and “DALE DENTON” and performance in LA, the group of rappers Junoflo, G2, Justin Park, and Year of the Ox took time to speak with The Kraze about their collaboration, musical influences, and more.
Q: Can you tell us a little more about your collaboration tracks? What was the recording process like? How did this collab come to be?
Junoflo: How this collaboration came together was very natural. We’re all homies to begin with, so with this group of talented people, making all this music together was inevitable.
G2: We’re all great friends, we hang out all the time, work together, and share our individual works, and so all the collaborations happen very naturally.
Year of the Ox: Well, it all happened very organically. We were all homies already and Junoflo, G2, and Justin were like little brothers to us. I (Jaeyoung) like to play tennis and one of the guys I play with, Peter aka Mister Rocks, suggested we all link at his studio and record a track. And I and G2 had been recording together and working on music for over a year and got close with Juno during that time, so we had tracks already in the works.
Justin Park: The collaboration was quite natural, though we’re all so different and have huge age gaps, there was a sort of likeness between us all that I think helped bring that album to be what it is, and I can't say I can be any more ecstatic to show this project to the world.
Q: How does an idea for a song come to you? Is it random inspiration or experiencing something and wanting to put words to it?
J: It really just depends on my mood, what I went through during the days following up to it, and what type of music I’ve been listening to. But usually, the beat is the heart of the song, so based on what I’m making, a melody comes first.
G: I just like when everything comes naturally and nothing’s ever forced.
YO: It definitely comes from a bit of both and when it hits, it hits. Also, the beat needs to really launch us into the apex of the vortex and take us somewhere we never imagined being.
JP: The creative process, I'm not going to lie, has taken a long time to polish and, even now and forever, will be in the works. How I make music though is very simple, and usually I’d either let inspiration hit or work hard at a beat to scrub out a melody and a solid topic. Every day is a different cocktail, you know?
Q: What's your favorite song by one of your tour mates?
YO: We both vibe with “Outlaws” by G2 and Junoflo, they really hit hot potato with it and were nestled in that pocket, and it was refreshing to hear.
J: My fav song by G2 is “1999 (ft. GRAY)” because he was talking about some real life stuff.
G: “DALE DENTON” and “GOLD ROCKY”!
JP: My favorite song on the album from my brothers is probably “DALE DENTON.” Just the energy on the record and the bars really blew me away when I first heard it. To be in the music video was something so fun and dope; I wish them the best.
Q: Junoflo and G2 released an album together in 2021. Is that something anybody else would be interested in doing as well? If so, would you want to release with somebody on tour or another artist?
YO: Nothing is currently in the works at the moment, however, we would work with all three of these artists cause they all spazz in different ways.
JP: I would love to make an album with any of the guys really. I think the time for that will come, but I think for now we can bask in the glory of the upcoming album with the rest of the music we’ve made that is currently unreleased. If the fans like our new singles, they will LOVE the songs on the album. And as for any artists I’d like to work with to make an album, I’d say I don't have any at the moment. I think I want to take my time to create something super spectacular myself before we get there!
Q: What artists were your inspiration for getting into music?
J: Some of my influences would be Nujabes, Method Man & Redman, Specifics, and A Tribe Called Quest, just to name a few.
YO: I (Jaeyoung) was definitely inspired by Lyricks, Manifest, and J-Smaals when I started rapping in college while listening to a lot of 50 [Cent] and Lil’ Jon at the time, and [I] grew up listening to Biggie Smalls, Wu-Tang [Clan], and Bone Thugs to name a few.
I (Rick) listened to a plethora of different types of music, from Bjork to Black Thought.
G: Year of the Ox and other influential Korean-American rappers like Dumbfoundead, Zo, etc.
JP: My biggest musical influences are Stevie Wonder, Bobby Caldwell, Luther Vandross, Usher, Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, and Thundercat.
Q: How do you define success, and what has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
YO: Success is what you make it. For us, we reached millions with our music and performed in so many cities and different countries. Songs like “Viral” and “Captain America,” when we spoke out about things that were bothering us, were something special for both of us.
J: I think it’s hard to define what success is, especially as an artist, because we have big goals and dreams with no real end in sight. But if I can make a living, eat off my music, and impact and inspire others, then I’d say I’m pretty successful.
JP: Success for me is defined by whether or not a person has completed a task that they have set for themselves at a previous time. A person who is able to do this consistently is a successful person in my eyes. Because why? Success by definition is one who succeeds. If a person who completes their goals is not successful, I don't know what is.
Q: Do you have any advice for those who are passionate about music and want to pursue a career in it?
J: Trust your ear and your gut feeling. Usually, if it makes you happy, you’re on the right path.
JP: Take care of yourselves, and be kind to yourself because if you aren’t then the world won't be either! Learn to love your art and work at it every day. There will be times you hate who you are, so become someone you can love. I struggle with all of these things daily, so you are not alone.
G: Just do it!
YO: Just keep at it and keep learning from other artists who have been through it before and/or even go to school for things you want to be better at as an artist. Or just YouTube it.
Thank you once again to the artists for taking time to speak with us! You can follow each artist at their social media channels below for future projects: