By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
October 23, 2020
Born in New York City, Jessica Ho decided early on that in order to follow her dreams of becoming a singer, she would need to leave the United States. She saw very little positive Asian representation in U.S. pop culture, which didn’t bolster her confidence that an Asian American would get recognition here. Like many Korean American artists (Eric Nam, Jessica Jung, Tiffany Young, Jay Park) seeking to make their mark in the entertainment industry, the musician left home to give it a shot in her parents’ native South Korea.
Ho was just 15 year old when she moved to Seoul and began to reinvent herself simply as Jessi. As a teenager, though, she attended the Korea Kent Foreign School with Jung and Young — who would go on to become part of Girls’ Generation — and passed an audition to join SM Entertainment. Though it was tempting to join SM — one of the biggest and most prestigious agencies — Jessi chose to follow a different path that would allow her to pay homage to her New York hip-hop roots.
She didn’t get to where she is today easily. Jessi spent many years straddling two cultures and sometimes struggling. She was too dark, critics said. She was too overtly sexy, others complained.
But Jessi is enjoying huge success these days and doing things her way. Her recent collaboration with her label mate, Dawn, on “DAWNDIDIDAWN” was met to rave reviews. And she’s also become a regular on Korean television as a coveted guest.
Of course, sometimes netizens can be cruel. After she teased Yoo Jae-Suk for having a mole (it was actually a pimple) on “Sixth Sense,” some viewers took her to task, saying she was rude to point that out and should’ve kept her mouth shut. Excuse me? Yoo may be the nation’s MC, but he has dished out more than anything she ever said to him and he can certainly handle a little good-natured ribbing from a friend and colleague.
Here are some of our favorite Jessi appearances:
Jessi recently debuted as one of the Refund Sisters on “Show! Music Core!” Comprised of Hwasa, Lee Hyori, Uhm Jung-Hwa and, of course, Jessi, the group represents strong women of all ages — from 25 to 51 years old!
Her throaty, sexy voice is recognizable to many people. Do you think the judges knew who it was right away?
Fellow expat (by way of Canada) Henry Lau describes Jessi’s performances as “chewing up the stage.” He’s not wrong!
Jessi can speak and understand Korean very well. But as with many expats, it’s more challenging for her to express her thoughts writing Hangul. We feel you, girl! You’re doing great!
Hwasa’s sweet vocals and Jessi’s fiery rapping on “Invitation” are … chef’s kiss! Two queens showing how it’s done. And let’s face it. Yoo Jae-Suk fanboying in the background is all of us.
Sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of all the shows airing in Korea and its even more difficult to keep track of all the various cast members. When Kim Seon-Ho showed up to ask her to help him complete one of his challenges, it was clear Jessi wasn’t sure who he was, but immediately asked why she hadn’t been invited to appear on the reality series. Ha! She offset the awkwardness by saying she wasn’t familiar with the show (or him!) not because they’re not famous, but because she doesn’t watch much television.
“Real Men”
Jessi appeared on the military reality series twice, first as a private and later as a sergeant. She says the first time she participated, she had a really difficult time because her Korean wasn’t good enough to comprehend all the military terms.
Asked to select an eligible bachelor, Jessi begins to mention Kim Jong-Kook, leading the show’s hosts (and the panel of mothers) to giggle. But even more interesting is how she talked about what it’s like working with her label president, PSY. She describes him as fair and meticulous and how their partnership is based on respect. He doesn’t interfere with her creative process…especially after her hit single “Nunu Nana.”
These are some of our favorite Jessi moments. What are yours? Sound off in the comments below!
KOCOWA reposted this article on October 10, 2021:
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