The Wordsmith: Dumbfoundead

Dumbfoundead
Rapper, producer, actor

Dumbfoundead (aka Jonathan Park), 24, wants to take over the world as a “universal superhero.” He kids, but he’s already gone global, from his beginnings as a 14-year-old underground Koreatown rapper to a now-seasoned Asian superstar. He has since polished himself into an all-around musician after battling across America and jetting to Asia to perform and work with Korean hip-hop legends (he calls Drunken Tiger’s Tiger JK his mentor). “I’m trying to reach out everywhere. I don’t want to just reach out to Korea. I want to reach out to all of Asia. I want to reach out to Australia, Europe, South America. I don’t think there’s any reason to limit yourself to one area, especially now that we have an awesome tool like YouTube to reach out to everyone across the world.” Now he’s back in Los Angeles K-town, collaborating left and right with his friends, from Clara Chung to Joseph Kahn, the Korean American producer who has directed videos for music industry cash cows like Eminem, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. Under Kahn’s wing, Park is dipping his feet into entertainment’s acting realm. He’s currently filming Detention, a high school horror film slated for release next year.

By Julie Ma
Photographed by Brian Lee and Kevin Lee in Los Angeles.