Magnetic North

Magnetic North hit the ground running in 2003 when emcees Derek Kan and Theresa Vu came together to write a song for an Asian American rally in Berkeley, California. The piece, titled “We Will Not Be Moved”, was an ode to their heritage – a mix of refugee war stories and ruminations about skin color and stereotypes. Their mix of refreshingly honest rhymes and organic beats has since become the duo’s trademark as they went on to rock stages and move hearts at hundreds of venues nationwide. Derek, the mastermind behind their instrumentals, draws upon his classical roots to create beats heavy on melody and acoustic stylings. He tops off his production with insightful lyrics and a uniquely versatile flow that make his vocals as much an instrument as a message. And then there is T-Vu, a female emcee with no need for the “female” qualifier. A wordsmith of rare caliber and presence – she’s known for her precise delivery and no-nonsense rhymes.

Since their debut album release in 2006, Magnetic North has turned heads from execs at Universal Records to renowned civil rights activist Yuri Kochiyama. They’ve also collaborated with a number of artists including Vienna Teng and Wong Fu Productions, who produced their AAIFF award-winning music video “Drift Away.” In the summer of 2010, Magnetic North finished their second LP, “Home:Word,” a collaboration album with their good friend and fellow emcee, Taiyo Na.

Taiyo Na

Honored by Governor David A. Paterson and the State of New York for his “legacy of leadership to the Asian American community and the Empire State” in May 2010, Taiyo Na is a singer, songwriter, MC and producer. His debut album Love is Growth (Issilah Productions, 2008) established himself as “a multi-dimensional talent with a unique creative voice that fuses the rhythms of the city that raised him with the soul of the Asian immigrant culture that birthed him” (Okayplayer.com). The album features the song “Lovely To Me (Immigrant Mother),” an ImaginAsian Entertainment Original Song Contest Winner. Heralded by MTV Iggy as “the realest thing seen in a while,” the music video to the song was directed by Gary San Angel in 2009 and has screened at film festivals throughout the country. His website: www.taiyona.com

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