Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Z.
Hi Alan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My musical journey started in my teens: rapping at the age of 12 and singing at 15. I loved writing, so penning songs was the ultimate form of self-expression in my childhood years. However, being a rapper in middle school meant incessant bullying, social exile, and public ridicule. The amount of hate and condescension I received at school made me double down and decide that I would use success as my source of revenge. When I entered the music industry, I was scouted by many prominent producers and label execs who recognized my talent. But their issue was always the same: my race. They made it seem like being Asian was the ultimate sin and impossible to market. Then K-Pop blew up in America and suddenly, their tone changed. But by then, I was already jaded and tired of the mainstream music industry.
So, I made the leap into acting. And it’s been a game-changer for me. Acting opened up a whole new world of joy and excitement that I hadn’t quite found in all my years as a musician. All those years of crafting lyrics turned out to be a blessing in disguise. My pen game transferred like magic from songwriting to screenwriting. It was like fate had its own plan for me. So, now I’m fully embracing this multi-hyphenate life, diving into filmmaking and wearing different creative hats. Don’t get me wrong: I still make music, do tons of shows, and create songs for TV and film, but I’m a lot happier now that my identity isn’t tied to just music.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not. The biggest obstacle in the music industry was racism. I started my journey in music as a teen before the explosion of K-pop, so whenever major labels or music managers found me, my race was always the elephant in the room.
I’ve heard every microaggression imaginable dressed up as non-constructive feedback:
“You should go back to Asia and blow up there first; you’ll sell millions of records since everyone looks like you there.”
“We should hide your face until it’s time to reveal you’re Asian.”
“Your music is great, but you should give them to a white artist to sing them.”
On the acting end, every step is hard but when I land the role, it’s so rewarding.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an actor, musician, and writer. My music has been featured on Netflix, HBO Max, and The CW. I have garnered press from FOX 5, NBC 11 Alive News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NextShark, and Yahoo News.
In 2021, I released a joint album called “Face Value”, which featured well-known Asian entertainers like Ronny Chieng, Dante Basco, AJ Rafael, Ruby Ibarra, and Bee Vang. This project allowed me to go on a tour as the headliner in 2022, hitting five cities on the East Coast. Throughout my career, I have done many festivals, shows, and conventions. Recently, I’ve been releasing music that I’m really proud of, especially “Not Adjacent”, “Pull Up”, and “Rotation” with Hickman L.A.
I’m currently in post-production for a film that I wrote and co-directed called “Porcelain”: a romantic drama that is a homage to the song of the same title by Tonedeff.
How do you think about happiness?
Hitting milestones, leveling up in my career, quality time with family and friends, being recognized for my accolades and talents, and staying booked and busy.
Contact Info:
- Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/
alanzmusic - Instagram: https://instagram.com/alanzmusic
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/alanzmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/alanzmusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/alanzmusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2sSwCAZDFSHkjrhh6M0ycx?si=cpAKng14RiCtqCTeYU-iPw
Image Credits
Photography by Deseri Rice of Au Courag Studios and DevFlicks
