Khant Zin Ko (; born on 9 September 1985), better known as J-Me, is a Burmese

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

singer and

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

who began his musical career in the 2000s. He has been dubbed as the "Myanmar's Underground Hip Hop Legend" for his hip hop works and successful music career.

Early life

J-Me was born on 9 September 1985 to

Aung Ko Latt Aung Ko Latt (; born 10 January 1954), also known as James Patrick, is a Burmese director, cinematographer, storyboard artist and musician. He is the CEO of Aung Ko Latt Motion Pictures. Career After having lived in Japan in the late 1980s and ...

(James Patrick), a director, and Tin Moe Khaing (Marie Conway), a half- Irish singer. He has one elder sister, Michelle Anne Latt.

Career

J-Me began his career in 2000. Around the age of 13 to 18, he attended frequent rap group shows held in parks, including Myaw Sin Kyun in

Kandawgyi Lake Kandawgyi Lake ( ; ), is one of two major lakes in Yangon, Myanmar. Located east of the Shwedagon Pagoda, the lake is artificial; water from Inya Lake is channelled through a series of pipes to Kandawgyi Lake. It was created to provide a clean wa ...

. He featured alongside rapper Ye Lay and began rising to fame. His first hit song "''Burn Em' Up''" caused him to gain popularity. His subsequent hit song "''Hallelujah''" is known as one of his most popular rap songs.

Influence

J-Me has been rapping and beat-boxing for almost 10 years. He has tread carefully with his lyrics, and avoids directly criticizing the government in his lyrics. In addition to his work in the pop-culture field, his older sister used to break dance back in the 1990s. It was through her that J-Me first heard hip hop in the 1990s, when they would both listen to her

MC Hammer Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, e ...

and

Vanilla Ice Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in Dallas, raised in Miami, he was the first solo white rapper to achieve commercial success foll ...

records. J-Me, Zayar Thaw, and other members of Myanmar's first hip-hop group,

Acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...

, have been considered inspirational because of their social activism– marrying traditionally Western hip-hop beats with issues close to the hearts of people in Myanmar.

Notable work

He became one of the leaders of the growing underground subculture of Myanmar, including graffiti artists and political activists. One of J-Me's English-language songs, titled "Burn 'Em Up", gives a shout-out not only to US artists

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's WQHT, Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed ...

Ryan Leslie Anthony Ryan Leslie (born September 25, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. Working predominantly in contemporary R&B and hip hop, he has released six studio albums and written songs for artists ...

and

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

but also to the city of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

, a growing centre in Southeast Asia that promotes international hip-hop.

Departure and comeback

In 2014, J-Me took a break form the hip hop scene. He was struggling with addiction and cycling through relapses and rehab. In an interview with the ''

Myanmar Times ''The Myanmar Times'' ( ), founded in 2000, is the oldest privately owned and operated English-language newspaper in Myanmar. A division of Myanmar Consolidated Media Co., Ltd. (MCM), ''The Myanmar Times'' published weekly English and Burmese-lan ...

'' in 2018, J-Me, then 33, discussed his absence and changes in his lifestyle. During his retreat, he had given up using, drinking, and smoking, and became an

born-again Christian To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

. J-Me's album ''A Mwe Sar A Mwe Khan'', which means "Inheritance", is about his personal story and transformation. It was produced by Sun Music Production and released across Myanmar on 26 May 2018.

Other work

In addition to his music career, J-Me has produced films and worked as a columnist for the ''

'', a job he began in 2013 and held for several years.

SEA Games

One of his songs, "Born to Win", was chosen as the anthem for Myanmar athletes at the

2013 Southeast Asian Games The 2013 Southeast Asian Games (, ), officially known as the 27th Southeast Asian Games, or the 27th SEA Games, and commonly known as Naypyitaw 2013, were a Southeast Asian multi-sport event took place in Naypyidaw, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from 11 ...

, held in Myanmar on 22 December 2013. The song, performed with the singer Zara Hnin Thwin on vocals, has J-Me rapping about "persistence" in a dedication to the young athletes and their fans.

Personal life

J-Me married Jungmaw Mary on 7 September 2011. J-Me identifies as a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Discography

Single albums

*''Ko Bawa Nae Ko'' (2007) *''Bawa Ye Neibban'' (2012) * ''A Mwe Sar A Mwe Khan'' (2018) Yangon to Cyprus (with Hein Gyii)(2025)

Mixtape

It is what it is(2023)

References

External links

* {{authority control 1985 births 21st-century Burmese male singers Burmese people of Irish descent Burmese hip-hop musicians Burmese rappers Burmese Roman Catholics Living people Singers from Yangon