Michael Grant-Smith hails from Bronx, New York, not a place that would come to mind when you think of K-pop fans. In 2008, he was hooked after the summer hit "Gee" was released by the mega K-pop group Girls Generation. From there, he found personal favorites KARA, B.A.P and AOA, and became enraptured by Korean dramas. The deal was done and Michael was officially hooked!
This love for Korean entertainment has manifested into a multimedia company, Seoulwave Inc. Having been in business and gained a positive reputation, Seoulwave has worked with top K-pop groups such as Rania, Tahiti, Wa$$up, Global Icon, and much more. I had the opportunity to interview him.
What is Seoulwave?
At first, it was supposed to be a regular website I would use to update my youtube videos. After I created the layout, I decided to switch it to a legit media website. Seoulwave will focus on 'social entertainment', which is entertainment shared by the majority. In our case, it’s mainly K-pop with soon to be Manga/Anime, beauty and more. One thing led to another and here we are today.
What's a typical day like for you at Seoulwave?
Post a couple of articles during my scheduled time. Map out ways to continue funding the company, reaching out to possible investors, and planning/organizing future content. Usually, it's a lot of planning since we are still very small, but like our motto, “baby steps lead to giant strides,” we will get there eventually. We plan so we can put those into action when the time is right.
Is Seoulwave an international company? Or just based in America and Korea?
Seoulwave is based in America, New York City at the moment. Our bigger goals are to build awareness with domestic fans interested in international music, film, culture and more. We have a small team in Seoul, South Korea that helps us secure interviews but we hope to expand further by next year.
Any plans to move outside of Kpop?
Before K-pop, I was into J-pop and J-Rock. I am still into Anime/Manga and recently I am learning about Korean webtoons and manhwa. All of these forms of entertainment bring great discussions on social media. I definitely plan to expand outside of K-pop and further into the Japanese and Chinese markets within due time.
What are some of the difficulties and challenges of being in charge of a company like Seoulwave? Does being Black or American ever play a part in those difficulties?
There are a lot of difficulties from all sides. Breaking through the ceiling in that market might seem impossible. We are a small team, so I have to handle all the major duties that most startup companies have multiple employees for, but I've made it work. This is a passion of mine so I will always find a way.
For the second part of the question, I do believe being Black has played a part in the difficulties. It may not be said outright but there is discrimination and racism that gets tossed around. Have you ever been told, "sorry, we want to preserve the quality and culture of our event," after you've already actively participated in behind the scenes and front-line marketing? It won’t be the first or the last time, but it’s one of the reasons I created Seoulwave. Breaking cultural barriers and stereotypes are what I plan to do. I can't put an end to discrimination and racism everywhere, but I can put the company in a position where we can lessen those types of actions.
What can fans expect from Seoulwave next year?
For the 2016-2017 year, we are focused on building around original content and bringing respectability back to journalism and media coverage within the K-pop community. I can't tell you how many websites overdo it with click-bait articles, poorly translated articles, or encourage fights between Korean netizens and international fans. Where has the originality gone? Where are the longer interviews? Is there no room to further collaborate or create original content?
Myself, along with other YouTubers within the fandom have found ways to engage with the likes of K-pop artists through reaction videos and dance covers, but I know that’s not all we can do. Right now, I'm learning Korean and I believe that there is so much more that can be brought to the table that hasn't been done. K-pop is trying to expand in the American and Chinese markets because they want to further bridge the gap between their entertainment industry and the world. I hope to debut my own K-pop acts, but expansion and pushing the envelope to new heights is what Seoulwave aims for in the near future.
Michael is a man with a plan. I am definitely excited and eager for what awaits him and Seoulwave Inc. in the future!