Going Back Home with Jackson Wang | GET REAL Ep. #34

What's up everybody?
This is Eric Nam and I'm here

to talk to you about a brand new,
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and it's called "MINDSET"

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"MINDSET" by Dive Studios is a brand new platform

where we have audio collections
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including myself

and we go through our lives.
And we go through the highs and lows

the struggles, the triumphs-
there's gonna be tears

there's gonna be laughter, there's is all sorts of emotions thats's you're gonna get

out of this "MINDSET" application

And myself, I'm doing it because I want to be able to

impact listeners in a very positive way

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Support the cause!

We've worked really hard on it and I hope you absolutely love it

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GetMindset.com

And now back to our show! Bye!

Alright! Welcome everybody again to another episode of Get Real hosted by us

-BM

-Ashley B Choi

-And Peniel of BTOB
-And Jackson

We will get honest about our ups and downs of our young adulthood but from our perspective

And if you guys are in here

We got Jackson Wang from China in the building!

TEAM WANG IN THE HOUSE!
We got Team Wang in the building!

Oh my God! I've been wanting to come to the show long time ago

But..You know...

You guys never reached out

-P: We didn't?

-BM: Hold on! Wait a minute...

(Inaudible)

-P: Who didn't reach out?

-J: No, actually I really wanted to be on

-J: I know there's another podcast with Eric Nam, right?

-J: And there's one that Jae is on

-BM: Right, right.
Yeah!

-J: Do they have they have, like their own seperate ones?

-J: Or what? What is it?

-P: Yes, they're all seperate
-A: Yeah, they have their own shows

-J: All seperate?

-J: Jae has his own. And Eric has his own

-J: And this is the most popular one, is it?

-P: Propably

-A: Yeah..

(Laughter)

-BM: Shut that sh*t down

-BM: Like Peniel was saying..

-BM: Welcomeagain to the most popular podcast

-BM: Today's episode, we're gonna get into

some different topics this time

-BM: We're gonna get into hometown heroes

-BM: Where do we grow up?

-BM: What do we remember most about our childhoods' stamping grounds?

-BM: Do we ever forget where we come from?

-BM: Distance makes the heart grow fonder after all?

-BM: And we've come a long way since leaving the comforts of home

-J: Man!

-BM: Yes, sir!

-BM: Interact with us on our socials @thedivestudios

-BM: Or leave a comment on our full episode videos @youtube.com/divepods

-BM: And subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple podcast

-BM: Leave a review on Apple podcast sp more people can know about our show

-BM: And join in on the fun!

-J: Nice, nice!
-BM: Yes, sir!

-J: So, Dive Studio has Instagram?

-A: Yes
-BM: Yes, we do! Yes, sir.
We do!

-BM: Ohh..he about to follow it right now

-BM: Get upon that!

-P: While you're following, watch our Instagram.
So, everyone can follow

-BM: There you go!

-J: Dive Studios are not following me

-J: Ok, let me follow first!
Yes, friends now!

-P: Who's in charge of the social media team right here

-P: Everyone is pointing a finger

-J: I love this Dive Studio

-Well, first things first.
How have you been Jackson?

-J: Oh my God!

-A: What have you been up to?

-J: Personally, just... I'm starting to really really try to work in Korea

-J: This year.
We just finished our contract with JYP

-J: But we're still GOT7

-J: We're still gonna come out with songs

-J: But this year, I think... The majority of the whole year..

-J: Everyone is just trynna prepare...
Do their own stuff

-J: Each member...Someone wants to act

-J: Some are going back. Mark went back to LA.

-J: JB, Yugeom preparing their albums

-J: Bambam...have no idea what he's doing

-J: But he seems like he's doing a lot of stuff

-J: Commercials...He's really like the prince in Thailand

-J: He's doing still music. He's also thinking about acting

-J: But we didn't really have a deep conversation about that

-J: And Youngjae is preparing his album

-J: Me...I'm Also preparing my album.
English and Chinese album

-J: Also a lot of collaborations this year
And I was even talking about a song with you

-BM: We're working on that right now

-J: And also at the same time I'm running my own company.
It's called Team Wang

-BM: Team Wang! Let's talk about it

-P: Great
-A: Wow

-J: So, it's two identities

-J: One as an artist, singer and performer

-J: And the other as... just running a company.
Whatever you call it

-BM: CEO!!

-J: Not really CEO. It's more of...

-P: Chairman!!

-J: No,no. It's like a guy who runs the company

-A: A founder?!
-P: As in as CEO?!

-J: No,no!

-BM: Founder. Nice!

-P: I'm not the CEO but I own the company

-J: Founder. I was a presid...
No,no,no

-P: Oh, president! Ok!

-BM: Jackson is being humble!

-J: What do you call it?
Founder, just founder

-BM : That's dope
-P : Founder, founding father

-BM : Team Wang has been alive for

- BM : how long now? Cause you started that

- BM : when you're in JYP right?

- J : Yeah, started that when i was 23

- J : So 4 years ago

- P : I think i could barely walk when

- P : i was 23 bro

- J : Yeah 4 years ago and I worked

- J : as a solo over there and it was

- J : I could work everywhere except for

- J : Korea.. That was the deal. So then

- J : You know since the contract ended

- J : You know I'm trying to bring

- J : everything back.. you know

- J : On my music, endorsement, and just

- J : Everything, what i've done

-J : in 4 years, to try

- J : to bring it back

- BM : Right, so you're initially trying

- BM : to build your brand again

-J : Yeah in Korea, cause since my songs

-J : You can't find any of my songs

-J : in Korea

-A: What?
-P: Oh really?

-J : On every platform, so this year i'm

-J: trying to like distribute it again

-J: in Korea.. so trynna connect with the

-J: Korean audience again

-P: Right,right, i mean i feel like

-P: it should be pretty easy right

-P: if you did the partnership

-P: with Sublime

-J : Yeah, i mean sublime has been a

-J: Great-great team, great team and very

-J: friendly, family, very good to

-J:work with, and so i suggest if your

-J: contract ends please come to Sublime

-J: Just kidding.. Opinion

-P: Personal opinion, everyone is entitled

-P : to their own opinion, you know

-J: Yeah

-P: Alright-alright

-J: Very great team tho, very great team

-A: That's good, that's good to you

-BM: You've been grinding, you've been

-BM: Trying to rebrand the Team Wang

-BM: You've been in the studio

-BM: I think like everyday for the past

-BM: two weeks right?

-J: Yes, uh just recordings and recordings

-J: Cause you know uh nothing else to do

-J: You know like nothing else I have to

-J: prepare.. prepare the bullets you know

-BM : Yeah
-J: Or else cause i think my album is

-J: coming out.. global album is coming
out in August

-P: Uuuh.. Okay 2x

-J: Ten songs and a lot of singles in between

-J: And collaborations

-J: My next single is gonna be in March

-A: Wow
-P: That's soon, very soon

-BM: What's that like?

-J: That's a love story

-P: Is..just you or you got a feature
on there

-P: Or is that a secret?

-J: No, no. Just me

-P: Just you..Ok,ok!

-J: I have to...You know...just preparing

-J: All these days just trynna write

-J; Cause (for) all of my music videos,
I write my own treatment

-J: And then...It takes time.
It really takes time to find the location

-J: And rehearsals and shoot a demo music video

-J: And find the right actress, actor and

-P: Choreo

-J: And choreo...And then we film

-P: And you're gonna be shooting all that
in Korea?

-J: Yeah, I'm shooting that at the end
of February

-P: Ok! And then, in March...
Is it gonna be out in Korea and globally?

-Globally, globally

-P: Not in Korea yet?

-J: No! This year in Korea

-P: Oh, ok,ok!

-J: Yeah, from now on

-BM: Worldwide! We're getting it!

-BM: So we have a couple of questions
from some fans

-BM: On Instagram and Twitter

-BM: Aqua Beom asks:

"What do you feel
is the thing that drives you to work harder?"

-J: Aqua Beom?

-BM: Yeah!

-P: Aqua Beom like...
-J: Damn

-A: B-e-o-m

-J: Honestly, like, since I debuted...

-J: Noone really..not noone

-J: The only person, the only people
that really believed in me

-J: And had faith in me were my fans

-BM: Right

-J: And then, I've always wanted
to make them proud

-j: So, to a level that when they're
with their friends

-J: Or when they're outside.
When they talk: "Hey, I really like Jackson"

"I like Jackson's music", "I like Jackson's this"

-J: When they mention the name
Jackson Wang

-J: I want the people around them to agree

-J: To feel like they agree with

-P: With your fans

-J: Yeah, my fans

I wanted that to happen

So whatever I do,

I just wanna make them proud.

That motivates me the most.

BM: Nice, I mean besides
all like the hard sh*t you do.

Like all the hip hop and stuff

And all like..

You know the macho stuff
you show..

And portray on music videos,

You do do a good job I think
on your platforms

Showing your fans appreciation
and stuff too.

So that's dope man.

P: For sure.

J: Yeah and also like..

That, at the same time
you know..

I'm Chinese.

And at the same time
asian.

I'm really trying to..

Share the asian culture more and more.

To the western audience.

Like I feel..

There is a barrier.

You know we asians-

Westerners, they don't know
100%..

About our culture.

P: For sure.

J: And we don't either so..

I want to connect more with..

Globally.

This is my goal too.

P: You wanna be that bridge.

J: Yeah.

BM: I think you're well on
your way bro.

A: We also had a question
from "wjpapillon"

Who says: "What's the most fun/
happiest part about being an artist?

And what's sometimes the hardest?"

J: Oh man, uhh..

The happiest..

I would say, you know
being able to..

Achieve a certain result.

And also to show appreciation to fans.

Every prize or every result that
I have at this moment..

It's all- It belongs to them.

This is my happiest moment.

To show them that "Hey..

"I can make you more proud"

That and also like being able
to perform in front of all the fans.

P: Right, right.

J: In some ways, you know like..

We've all performed in like you know..

In front of a lot of fans, but..

We all know that it doesn't last forever.

BM: Of course, yeah.

J: So, in some way I really
appreciate it and..

That's like a really precious
memory of a lifetime.

Hardest part is..

Hardest part is..

BM: He's like "how much time
we got?"

No, hardest part is that!

A very happy moment, it always
ends up to..

To a question like
"How long can this last?"

That's like the hardest part.

I have to cherish every moment.

BM: Right.

J: And how long can I do this?

You know, my body condition,
my mental-

Physically, am I able to..

You know..

BM: Keep up.

J: Keep up.

BM: Worrying about the future huh?

J: Yeah.

BM: I feel that.

P: Yeah, yeah.

BM: I feel like most artists for the
most part is always like that.

Like how am I gonna top my next..

How am I gonna top my current one
with the next one?

And how am I gonna top
that one after that?

How am I gonna consistently keep
longevity as an artist?

I feel that

J: True. Very true.

BM: Yeah, man.

J: Why am I the only one answering?

Why aren't you guys answering?

A: Because these are questions for you.
P: Cuz these are for you.

J: I wanna know too!

I thought this was gonna be
a conversation.

P: These fans don't wanna hear
our answers. They're your fans!

A: Yeah they're sick of us!

P: Papillon! That's your song!
That's not our song!

BM: Papillon!

J: Just.. long story short!

P: What's the happiest and
what's the hardest part of being a-

BM: I think happiest uhm..

Obviously like Jackson was
talking about.

Releasing music and seeing..

Just fans go crazy over it.

Cuz when you're in a creative field..

And you kind of..

Bring in something to reality
that came from your head.

And you see people rocking with that.

It's like "Oh shit, I'm the shit" kinda

P: Kinda.

BM: There's that. And then there's like..

Like you were saying, appreciation
like damn..

That resonates with you?
Like me and you are one right now.

Tight. You know what I mean?

You build an intimate relationship
with your fans.

I feel like that's probably one of
the best parts because..

Especially when you get to be on tour.
And you get to see it face to face.

I feel like that's literally the best part.

The hardest part..

Come back to me.
Let me think about this one.

P: You wanna think about it?

BM: Yeah, yeah.

P: Uhh. You wanna go first?

A: No.

P: No? Alright.

J: There's so many hardest parts.

BM: We could do a whole episode
on the hardest part about being an artist.

J: I've seen you guys talk about
the hardest part being a trainee.

BM: Oh yeah.

P: Really?

J: I saw that, I saw that.

Oh, that was on another
podcast or what?

P: I don't know I thought-

BM: That was on ours.

P: I thought training was pretty fun
for me.

We had a pretty fun time.

J: We had a..

I had some hard moments.

Because you know like..

You came like..

We were in the same company.

You came two years before me?

Or one year?

P: No I think like a year
J: You came with Mark.

P: Or like six months before you.
J: With Mark and BamBam.

P: No I came a little before them too.

J: Then two years.

J: Two years before me.
P: No, no.

P: I got cut..

Exactly two years.

J: What?? What do you mean?

P: So like.. I was only a trainee
at JYP for two years.

And then I got cut.

So I think I was there for like
maybe a year before you.

J: Oh.

P: A year, year and a half before you.

J: BamBam and Mark came in
a year before me.

P: Oh really? Okay then maybe
like a year and a half before you?

J: Yeah so..

To me, I didn't know korean.

P: Ah, yeah okay.

And I was a fencer.

P: Yeah.

J: What do you expect a fencer will do?

In trainee, like..

What do you expect from a fencer?

You expect them to dance?

You expect them to sing?
To rap?

Nothing.

BM: So you had no musical
or dancing background?

J: I was so happy and..

P: But..

Yeah?

P: Didn't you like audition with
rap or something?

J: I auditioned with dance.

P: Oh dance.

J: Yeah dance but like
just freestyle and..

It was WACK.

Okay, I knew it.

A: No? But you got in!

J: I felt good.

But it was wack!

I knew it!

BM: Did you think it was wack
at the time?

J: It's still on the internet.
A: Oh really?

J: People still...

A: I wanna see..

J: Don't, don't please.

People still laugh!

P: When did your mindset change?

Because I remember when you
first came into the company.

You were like "hey hyung..

It's pretty good right?"

J: I thought- I felt good.

I thought you guys were
gonna feel good.

But I knew..

It was a little wack.

For sure.

BM: Even at the time?

J: But then you know..

The video is still online and
everyone still..

P: You're seriously looking
it up right now?

J: Everyone's still "It's cute, it's cute"

But hey..

What do you expect?

P: Hey, whatever. It got you into
the company right?

J: Yeah, yeah.

BM: How old were you?

BM: At the time when you first auditioned?
J: I was 16.

BM: 16 when you first came to Korea?

J: Yeah, I didn't know korean.
I didn't know how to sing, how to dance.

How to do anything.

I was pretty buff back then right?

P: Yeah, he had like..

Like his triceps..

BM: Uh huh.

P: They were like abnormally
huge.

I was like "what the..?"

BM: It's the fencer triceps huh?
J: My thighs..

P: Yeah and his thighs dude..

J: Like..
Crazy.

BM: Girls love a nice pair
of thighs bro.

J: Apparently they didn't.

Apparently they didn't.

BM: Cultural difference maybe?

J: No, I came in and I was
in depression.

Since the third day in Korea.
Remember? I was telling you.

I said "Hyung, I'm gonna get cut"

Remember?

P: Yeah, that was like the third day.
I was like:

"Bro you just got here"

A: Awwe.

J: The first day he helped me
carry my luggage.

Up the stairs cuz we lived like..

On the fifth floor.

P: There was no elevator.

A: What?

J: Yeah, good days.

And we always hang.

Like me, Peniel, Mark..

BamBam and Don.

P: Yeah and Eugene.

It was like all the English speaking
people.

J: Yeah.

P: That's when my korean skills
stopped improving.

It was like only korean people
so i was like "In order to survive"

And then all of a sudden all these
English speakers started coming in.

My korean skills just went bloop.

BM: It's the perfect segway to talk about
hometown now.

So where were you guys-

Well I know where we were before we
came as trainees.

J: Where were you?

BM: I was in LA

J: Oh right I heard.

BM: I started late bro.
I came here when I was 20.

J: You and Isaac? were high school

BM: Junior high.

J: You and Isaac, you guys were
high school..

BM: Junior high bro.

J: Junior high classmates right?

Or he's your senior?

BM: Churchmates.

J: Oh churchmates right.

In LA?

BM: In LA, yeah.

J: And?

A: New York City.

I mean New York.

P: Chicago.

J: Right, right.

A: And you're from?

J: Hong Kong, China.

BM: You went to international
school out there huh?

J: Yeah, since grade 4.

And the reason I went was because..

I went to a local primary school.

Grade 1 to grade 3.

And then..

The teachers had a serious conversation
with my parents.

Thinking that..

I've like mentally..

Disorder.. uhh..

What do you call that?

BM: Mental disorder?

Like you're struggling mentally.

P: What?

J: They said I have ADHD.

And like mental disorder, whatever.

"I think he should go see the doctor"

So my parents cried.

But one other teacher-

Cuz my mom is a gymnast.

Like a gymnast..

She's a world champ gymnast.

BM: Wow!

J: She's teaching the schools gymnastics.

BM: Okay, okay.

J: At the same school.

And then one other teacher-

One other student's teach-

One of the student's mother is
a teacher in that school.

After she heard about this incident.

She went up to my mom and said like:

"I think he should-

Maybe try to, you know..

Bring him to international school"

"Because he's so active"

"He's open minded"

"Give it a try"

P: Okay.

J: And then I went and nothing happened.

Yeah.

I think in that international school
everyone's crazy.

In that international school everyone
is crazy.

BM: Perfect place to fit in.

J: Everywhere I went like
"Oh shit, I'm normal!"

This is a thing in local schools.

They're very strict about

You can't-

When you go up the stairs
you can't..

Go double at a time.

A: What?
P: Oh what??

A: You can't take two steps at a time?

J: You can't take two steps.
A: Why??

J: If you do, you get like a..

P: Like a mark or whatever?

BM: Is it for like a safety hazard or?

J: I don't know! Maybe.

P: Everything must be so slow
at that school

J: And you can't drink.

Let's say you have a lemon tea.
You can't drink that.

A: Oh just water?
P: Like only water?

J: Yeah so I though like..

I said "Teacher.. excuse me
can I have a drink?"

She's like "Yeah sure"

And I took out my lemon tea.
And I started drinking it.

She's like "Jackson, what are
you doing?"

"Go to the office"

And then they thought like
you know I had..

Mental disorder.

P: Because you drank lemon tea?

J: No, for like- Cuz I didn't listen.

A: Wow.

J: It's very strict.

P: That's crazy..
J: In local schools.

P: Like all..?

J: No, just that school in Hong Kong.

That school was really strict.

P: And then your international school
was just..

J: International school was..

P: Everything goes pretty much.

J: They don't really care.
You sleep on the table,

It doesn't matter.

BM: Ain't nobody taking my liberty!
Not today!

J: No it doesn't matter, as long
as you get your work done.

P: Right, right.

So it's like.. American public schools.

BM: Pretty much, yeah.

Dang, Hong Kong high schools,
they got you on lockdown huh?

J: Lockdown. Until third grade.

P: It almost sounds like uhm..

Aren't boarding schools kinda
strict like that?

BM: I guess so, yeah.
I see Dianne nodding her head.

You were nodding your head.

P: Or like private schools right?

Theyre a little more strict with
this stuff I feel like.

Okay nevermind. I don't know
what I'm talking about.

A: So in your regular school, before
you went to international school,

What languages do they speak mainly?

J: They speak cantonese.

Cantonese and mandarin.

A: And then in the international
school you only speak English?

J: International school..

Cuz there's so many uhh..

People from different countries.

We speak everything.

Or do you mean like the majors?

P: Like what did the teachers teach in?
A: What language do they teach in?

J: English.

And French and Spanish.

BM: Oh wow spanish?

J: I didn't go for Spanish.
I went to French.

For a year.

And I failed.

So I changed back to mandarin.

BM: You gotta stick to what you're
good at.

J: Going to international school
to study mandarin.

J: Haha. Good choice.

P: That's okay.
BM: You beat the system.

P: Easy A!

J: I beat it.
BM: You beat the system.

J: I didn't get an A.

P: Oh, what?

J: I think it was a C or B.

A: Huh?

P: In mandarin?

J: Yeah.

P: Okay, yeah.

It's okay.

BM: Where were your guys' like main
kick it spots when you were younger?

J: Kick it spot?

BM: Like where did you guys kick it
at the most?

Uhh let's say..
J: What do you mean by "kick it"?

P: Like hang out.

BM: After school would there
be like a spot-

P: Yeah like a mall.

It would just be the mall.

BM: The mall is a good place.

P: It was like that or we were just
outside like running around.

J: Running around??

P: Yeah.

J: Schools over!

P: We were just outside or
at the mall.

Its pretty much where I hung out.

BM: What about you Ashley?

A: Well, in New York, malls-

The closest mall is like 40 minutes
away by car so.

P: Damn.

A: Mall would be just like a
special thing that you would do

On a special day.
BM: Like with your friends.

A: Ask your parents for a ride.

So usually after school.

I'm from Queens so we
hung out in Flushing a lot.

Flushing was basically like..

Korea, but like from the 80s.
It was just like..

Korea in the 80s.

BM: Wow.

A: We had all these Korean stores
and stuff but it was just very old.

BM: Like Morning Glory and those?

A: Yeah, we had Morning Glory.

A; We had like
(continues to name Korean stores that the American subtitler can't understand T-T)

A: Like all these Korean restaurants

A: Uh we would basically, we had like a ritual, we would

A: Uh, we basically, we had like a ritual, we would go take sticker pictures at this one place called (Korean Name),

and we would go to karaoke, sing for an hour,

and then we would go to (Korean Name), eat 치즈돈까스 with 김치 볶음밥,

J: K-Town? New York?

A: Yeah, in Flushing, it’s like K-Town basically.

BM: You guys, you were basically in Korea in the States.

A: Yeah I was!

P: You had a set routine.

A: Yeah, yeah, seriously.

P: “Its uhhh 1:00 PM, time to eat that 김치 볶음밥.”

A: Yeah! And to do all that we only needed $20 because it was like $5 to take sticker pictures,

A: it was $5 for a karaoke, and it was like $5 for 치즈돈까스.

BM: Dang.

A: Yeah so, it was really cheap back then.
P: Dang.

A: That was what I did.

J: I loved the pizza.
A: Huh?

J: The $1 pizza.+
A: Ohhh yes, it's so good.

J: Oh, China Mac brought me