About this user
Considered as one of the first bilingual Asian-American Hip-Hop artist (starting in '91), Only Won's music and rhymes are inspiring diverse audiences everywhere. first EP, "Glory" produced by music veteran Maximillian (JC Crew, T-Bone, Nitro Praise) released singles "Glory" and "Desperate Cry" that garnered radio airplay across the U.S.
Only Won's latest full-length album on LOG Records, titled "The Lyrical Engineer," has more tracks highlighting his positive lyrical wit, depth and intelligence.
For this project, Only Won joined forces with Grammy nominated producer Noel, of the pioneering Hip Hop duo, The Dynamic Twins. The new album allows Only Won's rhymes to cover a broader musical landscape that includes not only current Hip-Hop beats but also Reggae, R&B, and Gospel. This further shows that Only Won is no ordinary rapper and is not bound by stereotypes.
Only Won, has developed a following on the web due to his clever music video, "Cantonese Boy," a personal re-imagining of the hit song, "American Boy," by Estelle and Kanye West. "Cantonese Boy" also featured the vocals of singer-songwriter and JCTV host, Larissa Lam.
Only Won was born in San Francisco and grew up in a Chinese family with humble beginnings and later moved to Sacramento. Though he played ball and hung out with different people from the streets, Only Won stayed out of trouble and was a creative honor student who played the viola in orchestra. Instead of being an "Original Gangster," he was an "Overachieving Geek" aka, the OG.
Influenced by RUN DMC, Will Smith and Holy Hip Hop pioneers DC Talk, JC Crew, and T-Bone, Only Won began to find a voice of his own in high school. He began rapping/singing at talent shows, youth events, and church worship services as well as later DJ'ing "The Holy Hip Hop Hour" at his college radio station. Word began to get out about this unconventional talent who would sometimes mix in Chinese with his clever rhymes. Soon, more established artists were inviting Only Won to share their mic.
He has shared the stage with many including T-Bone, Washington Projects, KaBUC of K2S, Minister RMB, Izreal, Maximillian, and E-DOGG Montana. He has performed at Spirit West Coast Music Festival, Knott's Berry Farm, JCTV, Green Planet Movie Awards and numerous events around the country.
Only Won brings a refreshing angle to the current music landscape. His unique story and positive themes continue to attract a growing fan base. Alongside his faith driven songs, tracks like "DIM SUM", "SOH LO" and "Lyrical Engineer" unleash witty lyrics on unconventional subjects. The lastest of these is his remake of "Billionaire" titled, "I Wanna Be An Engineer."
He attended Sacramento State University and is a professionally licensed mechanical engineer. In addition to being an entertaining performer, Only Won is an inspiring speaker who champions education and less glamorous, but nonetheless important careers such as being an engineer. He also promotes racial reconciliation and cross cultural understanding through his music and speaking.
In addition to music, Only Won is a professional actor who has appeared in films such as The Pursuit of Happyness, Hulk, and The Matrix. He is also an advanced level martial artist that teaches and choreographs stunt work. Most recently, Only Won has teamed up with the legendary Gospel Gangstaz and Faces Behind the Labels to head up a new fashion line. Only Won is currently based in the city of Los Angeles.
Hometown
San Francisco
Country
United States
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