Singer Lim Teams With Outkast

Singer Lim Jeong-hee, center, and music producer Park Jin-young, right, will release an album together with top U.S. hip-hop duo Outkast.

By Sa Eun-young
Staff Reporter

Korean singer Lim Jeong-hee, 26, will collaborate with a Grammy-winning group to take her music to the United States. Lim will release an album with top U.S. hip-hop duo Outkast as the two sides agreed to co-produce a record, JYP/Big Hit Entertainment announced Thursday.

JYP Entertainment CEO Park Jin-young, a music producer and singer, was largely responsible for setting up the successful deal. Park, with a wide network among leading figures in the U.S. music industry, distributed a demo record of Lim voicing pieces written by Park, which was well received.

Lim, a highly accomplished singer in Korea, went to New York last year to receive vocal training and tune up her English. The singer, dubbed ``diva of the streets" in Korea for her mini street concerts, which made her famous even before her official debut, previously released two popular albums, ``Music is My Life" and ``Thanks."

Apparently, groups other than Outkast also showed interest in joining hands with the Korean pop diva.

``Not only Outkast, but world-class producers like the Neptunes and Pharrell Williams made official proposals to produce a record with Lim Jeong-hee. We took Lim's music style into consideration and signed a contract with Outkast," the entertainment label said.

The six-time Grammy winning hip-hop group Outkast, consisting of Andre 3000 and Big Boi, are highly acclaimed for their original music style and have sold more than 20 million CD copies since their debut.

``Big Boi was stunned by Lim Jeong-hee's vocals and Park Jin-young's music. He signed a contract to co-produce an album with Lim and asked that Park write music for Outkast's new album," JYP/Big Hit Entertainment said.

Park, better known as a producer who led Korean heartthrob Rain to become a world star, launched a U.S. division of JYP Entertainment last June, which is said to be the first U.S.-based Asian recording company. Lim will be the second female Korean artist he will debut in the U.S.

Park is currently working with top U.S. producer Lil John to co-produce the official debut album of teenage Korean singer Min, which will be released in October.

eysa@koreatimes.co.kr

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