BOBO.XX and Tablo Collaborate on the “Crazy Skater Punk” Single “Pain”
If you’re looking for an Asian-American rockstar, look no further than BOBO.XX.
He’s an up-and-coming musician from Los Angeles who’s released a slow burn of singles since 2021 beginning with the excellent “head first into shallow waters”. But this week BOBO.XX, whose friends call him Bobo, is leveling up for his highest profile release yet.
This Friday, Bobo will drop “Pain”, a new single featuring Tablo, the legendary leader of the hip-hop group Epik High. “Pain” is a track that Tablo describes as ” a “crazy skater punk song” and it’s a collision of two dynamos in the industry. Bobo might be a rising star, but he can tear apart a beat as easily as Tablo can write a mean rap verse.
It’s also a sweet pairing that almost felt inevitable. You’ve likely seen Bobo’s work, even if you didn’t know his name. He’s Epik High’s masterful tour photographer who’s currently on tour with the group in North America, making “All Time High” his sixth year as a photographer. Last nigh, he opened for the group. This collaboration presents a unique opportunity for fans attending the tour: Will we be catching Bobo on stage with Tablo for a performance of “Pain” at a tour stop?
“The reason why I’m doing pop-punk is because I look in the media, and there’s no Asian-Americans really chasing this shit right now,” Bobo.xx told ENVI Media in 2021. “Everyone’s an R&B singer or rapper—no shade to any of those at all. But who the fuck is doing real punk rock shit? Where is the fucking biggest Asian-American rock star? We can’t name anybody.”
Bobo intends to change this. His brand of punk is the aggressive, sweaty kind I moshed to in skateparks and underground clubs when I was in high school in 2006. Take for example, the video for “No More Talking '': Shot in a style that resembles grainy black and white film, Bobo turns a photo shoot into a punk concert. He’s hard to look away from as a performer: Forceful and confrontational, like someone who wouldn’t back away from a swing. The music builds and collapses, swirls and swells, with remnants of mid-2000s punk heroes like New Found Glory and Sum 41. “Pop-punk was like, the un-coolest thing back in 2006, but I like it so why the fuck not?” he said in the same interview.
But Bobo’s goals are deeper than music. He’s also focused on representation, especially as the only Asian American active in a largely white punk scene. This is a scene that has largely shut out Asian American voices because of racism and stereotypes. “I wish I had someone to look up to,” Bobo said. “I was always told to not cause controversy or attract too much attention, but when I shine, it’s going to help the next person shine, and I hope to be that inspiration for other Asian-American kids who have that angst in them.”
PRE-SAVE “PAIN” NOW and follow BOBO.XX on Instagram.
