CHUNG: «My goal with Rap is to be in people’s top 5».
We asked a few questions to Chung, an ambitious and talented up-and-coming rapper from Montréal (Canada), who told us how her rhymes have attracted the attention of several heavyweights of the scene from Havoc to Conway The Machine and Roc Marciano. She also told us about her goals, her next projects, her origins and those of her name, inspired by the female character of Street Fighter …
Canada’s Hip-Hop scene is incredibly interesting. It is no coincidence, in fact, that some of the biggest names of the planet come from these latitudes. However the Drakes and The Weekends are just the tip of the iceberg that hides an even more varied and vibrant panorama below the surface level. The highest buildings must be built on extremely solid foundations in order to withstand the altitudes of the peaks. The Canadian underground, undoubtedly, is today one of the most fertile soils internationally and we at ThrowUp Magazine have come across one of the most intriguing emerging talents that Montréal’s scene could offer and we are lucky enough to be able to exchange some words with. In fact, we reached the very strong rapper from Montréal, Chung, who answered our questions:
Hi Chung! We are delighted to have you here on our pages. Your style and personality struck us immediately! You might be one of the dopest upper coming artists we heard around but we have not found much information about you. So we would like to ask you to tell us something about your story: where you are from and what’s your background?
CHUNG: “I’m Canadian, from Montréal, Quebec. I grew up in a neighborhood called “Lasalle/Texas/Section 13” and my background is Jamaican”.
Where does your passion for Hip Hop and rapping come from?
CHUNG: “I’m a fan of hip-hop first then an artist, second. As kids, me & my siblings loved free-styling for fun — my passion to write came about in my teenage years”.
How would you describe the place where you grew up? Is there also a solid hip-hop scene there and are there any spots to get noticed for what concerns music?
CHUNG: “I grew up on the (South) West side of my city, mostly English, a lot of West Indians and Italians in my area. There’s definitely a solid hip-hop scene, both anglophone & francophone. But Lasalle for sure bred the best rappers”.
At what moment and why did you decide to take making music seriously? Have you ever received any kind of co-sign or feedback about your music from any artist you particularly respect?
CHUNG: “I’ve been doing this on & off for a bit over 10 years. I decided to take it serious in 2019. I would put out short freestyle videos on Instagram, got fire emojis/a compliment from Havoc (Mobb Deep) and Freck Billionaire. I came across Nicholas Craven’s work, set a day to connect with him, and made a few songs on his productions, and haven’t looked back since. Artists like Roc Marciano, Conway, Nick Grant have been in contact with me— those are some names that I respect in the game”.
https://youtu.be/9yZwHjq3TVY
Can you tell us the story behind your name Chung?
CHUNG: “It’s from the Street Fighter character. That name was given to me because I was a fighter and my features (eyes)… it’s a Jamaican thing too”.
At the moment the only project you’ve officially released is CHUNG Shui with the producer Cotola. Isn’t it? How was this project born and how did it develop? What can you tell us about the collaborations that you have on it?
CHUNG: “Besides a few single releases, the Chung Shui EP is my first and only project so far. Cotola & I were introduced through a mutual friend, I liked his work, and we decided to do a full project just like that— Cotola found King Shadrock, I got my long-time friend Boy6lue, and we both asked Kiylah to be apart of it“.
What are your songs that you consider most important and for what reasons?
CHUNG: “The songs that I consider important on this project would be “Love Rollercoaster” because it’s based on how I feel about someone & “High Waves” because it gives Anthem energy, I’m proud of that 1“.
You’ve collaborated several times with one of our favorite producers of the moment, Nicholas Craven. How did you meet and will you still collaborate with him soon?
CHUNG: “Craven & I met through social media and us collaborating again is yet to be determined.” “.
Can you tell us more about your goals both in music and life? What about your next projects? Can you tease us with something?
CHUNG: “My goal with Rap is to be in people’s top 5, to become successful, and to make sure my family, kids, kids kids are set for life. I am aiming to drop 3 projects this year. One with Cotola, another with Mike Shabb (producing), and the last is a mixture of different producers— don’t want to give away too much.
Stay tuned in. One love!”.
