SungBeats

Last updated
SungBeats
SungbeatsLive.jpg
SungBeats in 2018
Born
Sung Lee

October 25th, 1989
OccupationBeatbox Loop Artist
Years active2011 - Present
Known forApollo Night 2014, Kollaboration 2014, American Beatbox Championships 2018
Stylepop, hip-hop, trap, dance
Websitewww.sungbeats.com

Sung Lee, professionally known as SungBeats, is a beatboxer, live looper, and former busker based in NYC. He is best known for winning Amateur Night at the Apollo (2014), and the American Beatbox Championships, Loopstation (2018). [1]

Contents

Background

SungBeats was born in South Korea but immigrated to the United States when he was 9 years old. He first discovered the art of beatboxing by watching a video of Tampa's beatbox EFFEX when he was 13. [2] Despite being discouraged by his peers, he continued to pursue beatboxing and won the annual talent show at Leonia High School as a freshman. Sung studied Psychology at Rutgers University and performed at various open mics and social events on campus. [3] Prior to embarking on his music career, he worked as an office manager in Las Vegas.

Professional career

SungBeats quit his job to perform in the subways of NYC when he was 23. [4] [5] A year later, he won Amateur Night at the Apollo (2014) and Kollaboration, the premiere Asian American talent contest in the United States. [6] [7] [8] Since, SungBeats has been a vocal advocate for Asian-American representation in mainstream media. [9] [10] In 2015, he shifted his musical focus from solo beatboxing to live vocal looping, recognizing that live instrumentation was the future of the art form. The same year, he became the first American to represent at the Grand Beatbox Battle, Loopstation category, placing 8th. In 2016, Sung partnered with Defy Ventures and toured maximum security prisons, including Solano State Prison and Riker's Island.[ citation needed ] In 2017, Sung's work as a busker in the New York City underground was featured in various news outlets. [4] In 2021, SungBeats appeared on several national commercials including Mars Wrigley's M&Ms Mix commercial. [11] [12] [13] He currently tours and performs his combination beatbox and looping show all over the United States.

Musical style

SungBeats is best known for his live-looping and ability to layer precise vocals to replicate covers. Stylistically, he has embraced music of all genres ranging from hip hop, EDM, and house. [14] Sung has credited some of his early beatbox influences to be Rahzel, Kenny Muhammad, and FaithSFX. [2] In terms of equipment, he uses the Roland RC-505 MKI to layer and sample his vocals in real time, and is a frequent user of the IOS app Loopy HD for vocal production. [15]

Competitions

Tournaments and Competitions
YearCompetitionFinal Result
2011American Beatbox Championships, Solo2
2014Kollaboration NY1
2014Kollaboration Star (Finals)1
2014Amateur Night at the Apollo (Season 80)1
2015American Beatbox Championships, Loopstation4
2015Grand Beatbox Battle, Loopstation8
2018American Beatbox Championships, Loopstation1
2021Grand Beatbox Battle, LoopstationElimination

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatboxing</span> Vocal percussion involving mouth, lips, tongue and voice to mimick drum machines

Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines, using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve vocal imitation of turntablism, and other musical instruments. Beatboxing today is connected with hip-hop culture, often referred to as "the fifth element" of hip-hop, although it is not limited to hip-hop music. The term "beatboxing" is sometimes used to refer to vocal percussion in general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shlomo (beatboxer)</span> Musical artist

Simon Shlomo Kahn, known professionally as SK Shlomo and previously as Shlomo, is a British singer-songwriter, beatboxer, music producer and live looping technologist.

Killa Kela is a British beatboxer and rapper from West Sussex. He is widely considered to have been the first beatboxer from the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beardyman</span> English musician

Darren Alexander Foreman, better known as Beardyman, is a British multivocalist, musician and comedian from London known for his beatboxing skills and use of live looping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vineeth Vincent</span> Indian beatboxer

Vineeth Vincent is a Beatboxer, Musician, emcee and performing artist from Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He is considered one of the biggest beatboxers in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KRNFX</span> Musical artist

Terry Im, better known by his stage name KRNFX, is a Korean-Canadian beatboxer and singer. He is perhaps best known for his participation in the first season of Canada's Got Talent in 2012, as well as winning the first Canadian Beatbox Championships in 2010 and his YouTube videos.

Nguyen Cuong, best known by his stage name Mr. T, is a Vietnamese beatboxer. He became more popular for his appearance in Vietnam's Got Talent. He had been famous after his winning K-Battle Beatbox in Thailand on 9 November 2012. He's now a leader and trainer of Saigon Beatbox Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatbox House</span>

The Beatbox House is an American beatbox crew based in New York City originally consisting of six beatboxers. The Beatbox House has since its formation helped many beatboxers along their journey.

Terry Lewis, also known by his stage name Kid Lucky, was an American beatrhymer, beatboxer, singer-songwriter, teacher, and activist born in New York City. He coined the term "beatrhyming", which he defines as "rapping, singing or performing spoken word while beatboxing simultaneously".

Soul Inscribed is an American hip hop–fusion band and Beatbox crew from New York City.

<i>Incredibox</i> Musical beatbox game and website

Incredibox is a music video game, developed and published by the French company So Far So Good (SFSG). The concept of the game is users dragging and dropping sound icons on different characters to make music. The player can find combos to unlock animated bonuses and record mixes to integrate a ranking. An automatic mode is also available to generate an endless composition of randomness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaila Mullady</span> American beatboxer

Kaila Mullady is an American beatboxer, beatrhymer, musician and actress. She won on Beatbox Battle World Championship 2015 & 2018 by category solo female. She is a former member of the Beatbox House crew. Kaila is a current member of the improv rap group Freestyle Love Supreme under the name Kaizer Roze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Shinozaki</span> American musician

Gene V Shinozaki, better known as Gene Shinozaki and formerly GVSBeatbox, is a Japanese-American beatboxer, singer-songwriter, street performer, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer. He is currently a member of the beatbox crew Beatbox House and half of the world-champion tag team Spider Horse.

The Beatbox Battle World Championship (BBBWC) is hosted triennially hosted by Beatbox Battle Tv in a week-long festival held in Berlin, Germany. Face-to-face beatbox battles take place in five different categories:- individual male, individual female, tag-team, loop station and crew battle. In 2015, more than 150 national or major event champions of beatboxing gathered from 50 or so countries, after qualifying to participate in the world event by winning their respective national championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Beatbox Championships</span>

The UK Beatbox Championships (UKBC) are hosted every year in London, England. This historic annual all-day event, which brings together the country's top beatbox artists for gladiatorial knock-out of face to face beatbox battles, in five different categories solo, female, team, loopstation and under-18. The 2019 UK Beatbox Championships was held on 23 and 24 November 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berywam</span> French beatbox crew

Berywam is a French beatbox crew based in Toulouse, France. They won the French Beatbox Championship 2016. Their EP was released on 2 June 2017. They also won the Beatbox Battle World Championship 2018 in crew category.

Yoon Dae-woong, better known as Bigman, is a South Korean beatboxer, singer-songwriter, composer and producer. Bigman is perhaps best known as Top 8 in the Asia Beatbox Championship 2017, as well as got to viral from his wildcard winner video in upload YouTube. Bigman officially signed under Sidus HQ and made his debut with released single album DAY BY DAY on May 31, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D-low</span> English beatboxer

Dan Lowes, better known as D-low, is an English beatboxer. He was inspired to start beatboxing after watching Beardyman performing it.

Sota Kato, better known as SO-SO is a Japanese beatboxer, looper, singer-songwriter and producer. He is currently a member of the beatbox crew SARUKANI.

Andy Balcon is a British singer, guitarist and composer.

References

  1. "Sung Lee". HUMAN BEATBOX. 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  2. 1 2 September 08, Diane J. Cho; Pm, 2021 04:40. "What It's Really Like to Be ... a Professional Beatboxer". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2022-02-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ""Amateur Night" at the Apollo, now 80 years young". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  4. 1 2 "Underground Money: NYC Beatboxer Sung Beats". NowThis News. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  5. Tarantino, Christopher. "Music Under New York". Insomniac. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  6. "Beatboxer Sung Lee from NY wins Kollaboration Star 2014 – The Korea Times". The Korea Times USA. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  7. Yoo, Reera (2014-11-22). "Beatboxer Sung Lee Wins Kollaboration Star 2014". Character Media. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  8. "KollabCast: Episode 85 - That NYC Hustle w/ Sung Lee". kollaboration.libsyn.com. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  9. "Nonprofit Showcases Asian American Talent". HuffPost. 2014-08-29. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  10. "Sung Lee". KoreanAmericanStory.org. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  11. "M&M'S MIX | M&M'S". www.mms.com. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  12. "M&M's mixes three flavors in one bag in two varieties - classic and peanut". pennlive. 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  13. "Mars Wrigley Asks Artists To Remix 'The Candy Man' As Part Of M&M's Mix Launch". NCA. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  14. Stanley, Adrienne. "Kollaboration Star Finalist Sung Lee Brings Beatboxing To The Apollo Theater & Beyond". Kpop Starz. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  15. SUNG BEATS | SBX Beyond the Beats 2021 | Episode 59 , retrieved 2022-02-04