Some bands release seven or eight albums and never make it very far - Korean rapper Keith Ape has sold out shows in New Zealand without releasing a single one.
He's Down Under with his collaborative partner and translator Bryan Chase. They create 'trap' - a gritty, multi-layered type of hip-hop almost exclusively done by Americans.
But Keith has been welcomed with open arms by the international trap community, his viral hit 'It G Ma' racking up 30 million views on YouTube.
He says the song's popularity in the US comes from hip-hop's interest in Asian culture.
"In a good way or a bad way, I think I'm an outsider - that's the truth," Keith says.
His popularity led to a remix, and the artists he asked to collaborate with agreed - including Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame, who helped out for free.
Keith's Auckland show sold out in three days, forcing a venue upgrade. It's a long way from Seoul, where he got into hip-hop for the first time as a youngster.
"I was 12, I thought I was nerdy and tried to be cool, and hip-hop music looked cool."
Most westerners hear the term Korean music and think of K-pop and Psy's 'Gangnam Style'.
Keith respects their music, but bucks that trend.
"It's unfortunate different countries only see K-pop and not our style of music," he says.
That's something Keith is trying to change. He's performing in Wellington and Auckland over the weekend and expecting to release his debut album by the end of the year.
Newshub.
