Sound Stories

I slid into McKinley Dixon's DMs to help him out when he is on tour in China. He ended up on my podcast. That's just how this works.McKinley Dixon is a rapper and multi-instrumentalist from Virginia, the kind of artist who makes rap music that sounds like it was built from the inside out. This is a last minute thing, the sound wasn't the best, I'll do better.Also: if you win a fight in China you go to jail, if you lose you go to the hospital. We love those signs.This one got deep faster than either of us planned. Part two is coming — and I promised it'll be funnier. Go follow McKinley. He deserves it.

Fair warning: I recorded this episode once already and forgot to press record. So what you're hearing is female rage, twice distilled.Pink tax isn't just about paying more for a pink razor. It's a design system — built to extract money from women by first creating the problem, then selling you the solution. This episode, we go deeper than the shampoo aisle.I'm part of the problem, as well as the victim. I said it. I own it. But knowing the system doesn't mean you have to keep paying for it.

I met Kwaca two days before this was recorded. He sat down, we just became good friends immediately.Kwaca is a Korean singer-songwriter, producer, and guitarist based in Seoul. He's the kind of person who writes music the way other people journal, to feel things and then get over them. He's also the chief producer behind Gemini, one of the most exciting voices in K-R&B right now, and he's currently working on his own solo project.We talked about growing up between Korea and the Philippines, what it actually sounds like when a Third Culture Kid makes music, why his dating checklist keeps getting longer (and why that's a sign of growth, not pickiness), and the very Asian experience of loving your parents while waiting for them to say it back out loud.Also: Shanghai is punk and funk. He said it. I stand by it.If you're not already listening to Gemini, fix that first. Then come back here.

This episode has been living rent-free in my head for a long time. I almost made it a 5-minute video of me just yelling. I found a direction instead. You're welcome.We're talking about why everyone wants to be a DJ but nobody wants to dance. And I mean that literally and as a metaphor. We broke down why the barrier to entry for DJing is lower than ever, what that's doing to the culture, why "DJ" as a personality trait has gotten kind of cringe in 2026, and what it actually means to be a real curator — not just someone with a deck and an aesthetic.We also talked about why nobody dances anymore. Phones. Self-consciousness. The fear of being recorded looking like an idiot in a dark room full of strangers who do not care about you. Get over it.And then there's Fred Again — who I'm using as the exception that proves the rule. Put in the work. Build the community. Make people lose their minds on the dance floor. That's the job.Leave me a comment. Tell me I'm wrong. I can take it.Listen, send it to your people, or leave a FIVE STAR or a 💚! Just do it loudly so my mom thinks I’m employed.

Kicki Zhang, I met her though the old fashion way, I slid into her DMs. Now she's on the podcast. This is just how friendships work when you're a Third Culture Kid, you find each other in the wild and you just never let each other go.Kicki is a content creator based in Berlin, and one of the few people I know who has actually thought deeply about what it means to grow up as a visible minority in a country that never fully claims you. We talked about the "model immigrant" myth and why it's one of the most offensive things you can say to someone. About the phase where you tried to bleach yourself into someone else. About what it actually means to be a girls' girl in a competitive industry. And about why straight guys trying to be internet famous is, statistically, a red flag.We also checked Taobao for crocodile meat. In real time.Are you ready for this episode?#SoundStories #KickiZhang #ThirdCultureKid #TCK #Podcast #AsianDiaspora #GirlsGirl #RacismInEurope #InfluencerCulture #Girlhood #ChinesePodcast #DiasporaStories

Quick question: when you think about the people and things you love, are you on that list?Yeah. Didn't think so.This episode is about small, low-effort habits to stop being your own biggest bully. No vision boards. No 5am routines. Just a few things that might make you slightly less mean to yourself, one day at a time.Also I have a theory about white rice and soy sauce that I think you'll appreciate.Listen, send it to your people, or leave a 💚! Just do it loudly so my mom thinks I’m employed.#SoundStories #SelfTalk #PersonalGrowth #MindsetShift #PodcastRecommendation #ChinesePodcast #CreativeMindset

There’s a difference between spending money and spending it like an adult, which one are you gonna be? I'm not saying you gotta buy what I'm telling you, but use it as a point of reference from who has spent a lot of BS money before. #SoundStories #AdultMoney #IntentionalLiving #QualityOverQuantity #LifeStandards

Not everything cool costs money, some of it just costs intention and they can create a good time.This episode is 10 random, low-cost things that make life feel better, sharper, slightly cinematic. No productivity pressure, no self-improvement agenda, just small shifts that change the texture of your day. Give them a try, let me know how it went.

Everyone loves talking about China, good or bad. But very few bother to really understand it. Consider this episode is your Chinese Modern Culture 101,through five real entry points, not stereotypes, not headlines:王菲2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony张艺谋郭培/上官喆张爱玲I also talk about the Western habit of casually talking shit about China, while simultaneously living through their own “Chinese time of life.”, it was hella fun!Let's argue in the comments.Listen, send it to your people, or leave a FIVE STAR or a 💚! Just do it loudly so my mom thinks I’m employed.Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

我是特意在过年前录好这一集跟大家聊聊的。问问你自己，你人生里， 第一次听到“我是为了你好”，是在什么时候？这句话听起来很温柔，但为什么觉得是一种暴力？这一期，我想把这句话拆开， 聊聊它如何在“关心”的名义下，对自己人生的信任。Listen, share it to your people, or give me a 💚! Just do it loudly so my mom thinks I’m employed.

My 2026 first guest on Sound Stories is Leeyung 李睿洋.We talked about his new album Taste of Youth, and the five albums that influenced him the most — the records that shaped his taste, instincts, and relationship with music.Listen, send it to your people, or leave a FIVE STAR or a 💚! Just do it loudly so my mom thinks I’m employed.Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3y45LciBq3hkAiLewfzPjy?si=58ae298f5d86435fYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

2026 isn’t about more trends, I'm personally soooo ooooover IT. It’s all about backlash now.The end of “clean girl.”AI everywhere — and the human response to it. Offline experiences becoming super important again. We are craving less polish, more personality.These are not predictions for the algorithm.They’re observations from watching culture crack, shift, and reassemble.Agree. Disagree. Let’s argue about it.Listen, send it to your people, or leave a FIVE STAR or a 💚! Just do it loudly so my mom thinks I’m employed.Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

These were the songs I kept coming back to in 2025, on walks, in cars, at 2am, on repeat like a crazy person.No rankings. No “best song ever” claims. Just the singles that refused to let me think of anything else.I did not include any songs from my best albums, just know it's implied. Let me know if any of these were your favorites, or not.Spotify:Qz 2025 Choas https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0AOjDlxljwWjVt3aFcZrgR?si=b732e1ad48bb4442NetEase: Qz 2025 Chaoshttps://music.163.com/playlist?id=17502919119&uct2=U2FsdGVkX1+ncpMDQZJ5hOxR1ySItA2A6+iTRxpUjN0=Listen, send it to your people, or leave a FIVE STAR or a 💚! Just do it loudly so my mom thinks I’m employed.Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

You have to admit, 2025 was a great year for music, and I don’t care which genre you gel to.  So here are my best, not yours, mine. With way too many late nights, skipped plans, and “one more track” tendencies.No filler. No algorithms. Just great music that stayed with me.Agree. Disagree. Let’s fight it out in the comments, nicely and intelligently, please.  I'm dropping another video on the most interesting singles of 2025, stay around and I’ll see you later in it.#SoundStories#BestAlbums2025#YearEndWrap#AlbumOfTheYear#MusicTaste#MusicDiscovery#ListeningNotes

Honestly, there’s no theme for this one — it’s just me yapping about films, directors I love, and whatever else comes to mind.Consider this episode as you and me just hanging out, talking about cinema and everything around it.Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3y45LciBq3hkAiLewfzPjy?si=58ae298f5d86435fYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

So… do you actually know any of these women?  Everyone can name Nicki, Cardi, maybe Megan, but female rap is way deeper than the charts. I’m putting you on to the underground queens who spit harder, stranger, smarter, and sometimes sexier than the mainstream. If you already know them, congrats — your playlist is on point. If not, consider this your cheat sheet before someone side-eyes your ‘rap knowledge.’ Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3y45LciBq3hkAiLewfzPjy?si=58ae298f5d86435fYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

This solo episode came from a comment someone left me: “How did you get yourself out of a very low point in life?” So I answered. I share the lessons, the mindset shifts, and the little things that helped me climb out, maybe this can help you too.Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3y45LciBq3hkAiLewfzPjy?si=58ae298f5d86435fYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

Today I sat down with Hip Hop OG Doughboy (yes, he’s a big pro-wrestling fan) along with MKW’s Adrian & Coldray. 🖤 I don’t know much about professional wrestling, especially professional wrestling in China, so I asked them a punch of questions 🤼‍♂️🎤.

Let’s talk about my favorite musicians 🖤 and why I think relying on online music critics is one of the most unreliable things you can do. In this solo episode, it’s just me, my playlist, and some brutally honest thoughts. 🎶

Today I sat down with my friend Billy from Esoteric—many of you remember him from his OG influencer era, but now he’s living a whole new chapter as a young dad. 👶✨We talked about Kanye (yes, kinda), fatherhood, and meditation.Drop a comment and tell me what you think! 🖤Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3y45LciBq3hkAiLewfzPjy?si=58ae298f5d86435f

🖤 In this solo episode, we’re going full Goth.Ever since I was a kid, I knew I belonged in this world—not just because of my naturally jet-black hair, but because it’s dark, witchy, and endlessly fascinating. Let’s talk about it. 🦇Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

I've asked Yvonne to come have a chat with me, being Third Culture Kids ourselves, we have a lot of common grounds.We talked about our take on racism, food cultures, and some other random stuff, hahaha.Show love by following other outlets:IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundstories.official/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundStories.Official

 之前和朋友聊到这个话题的时候，我发现我真的不觉得金钱是邪恶的根源，我们来聊聊我为什么会这样想吧。

Just got one of the realest OGs I respect the most — Wes Chen — on this brand new episode of Sound Stories 🖤We had the best time chopping it up about all things hip-hop, clout chasers, why he wants to have kids (?!), and more.Go give it a listen & show some love! ✨

[Mandarin ep] This solo episode is about some mainstream behavior that I truly don't understand, like having a conversation in the cinema..Fucking WHY???Let's talk about it.

If you're listening to this, just a heads up: the audio quality’s a bit rough—our mic had some sudden issues and we kept switching between languages. Sorry about that!This episode took a while to put together because of the complex subtitles, but trust me—it’s worth the wait.Back in April, I spent an afternoon at Zhongshan Park with Shixin Wenyue, also known as the Prince of Wangjiang. He was in Shanghai for his Grey Sun tour, which is already one of my top picks for Chinese Album of the Year.We got into so many stories he's never shared before—from a hilariously failed pickup attempt in his youth to his current philosophy on how to approach people. He also opened up about what he calls his “young grandpa energy”—funny, honest, and full of heart.

Sometimes I feel like the "self-help" industry is just like any other, there to make money, but this is with a mask of helping you. Don't get me wrong, I do believe people who write these books stems from a very nice place, but not all self-help books are actually helpful.Being in the creative industry, I want to recommend a few books that really helped me.Let me know what you think.

You have no idea how much I love music, especially music from the 2000s. So let's see this list that Rolling Stone made, yes I know I'm late to the game, whatever!!I only did from Number 30 to Number 1, I didn't want this episode to be soul-sucking long.So what do you think about the list?

Just grabbed a chance to talk to 2Hollis, we kinda just let the convo flow. He actually said a lot of shit I didn't expect, so fun!If you wanna see the video, it's up on YouTube.

(Ep in English) Have you noticed people weaponizing their incompetence? This topic recently came up again, and I thought it would be interesting to talk about it. I am definitely guilty of it, but I'm trying to do better. Hear me out...

I had a chance to meet this lovely angel and we just had a super chill talk.So chill that we jumped right into the conversation and forgot all about a proper intro, but it's ok, grow with me, let me make mistakes!

Ep. topic in Mandarin (Deal with it!)Is blood really thicker than water?I want to walk about it on my own, and maybe I'll have a guest for this later.

欢迎来到 Sound Stories，这里有大胆的对话、真实的故事和一丢丢随性的聊天。关于时尚、文化、关系，还有很多有趣的事。新节目即将上线，敬请期待。🖤今天第一集我来聊一下我对「血浓于水」的看法！Is Blood really thicker than Water??