We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Misko Kim a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Misko, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Becoming the woman of my dreams today happened through some of the most pivotal and painful moments of my 20s which gave me the push I needed to pursue my next level fully. Becoming a songwriter and recording artist happened officially in 2021 when I decided to spontaneously leave Los Angeles and move back to Maryland to start over at the age of 27. Before I started pursuing my music career, I was in the TV/Film space as an actress and lived in New York and Los Angeles until 2021.

The moment I realized that certain environments were no longer serving my purpose, I truly leaned into my faith. I was led back to my hometown in Maryland to be closer to my family and become a signed artist by my team in Orlando, Florida. I never took any formal training on how to write music but when I was faced with the reality of having to start over, I committed to learning how to write music and also invested all of my resources into building my sound.

Nobody will tell you what’s best for you but the biggest risk I was willing to take was on myself and my true potential. While I was living in Los Angeles, I started freestyling on TikTok as my outlet while going through a personal moment in my life where I felt alone. Building this online community during this time in my life truly inspired me to push for my potential of becoming an artist because I started to believe in the reality of my talent.

Growing up, I have always been involved in classical music, dance, and even K-Pop training. My parents were always very supportive of my creative endeavors as I led myself with confidence knowing that I can do it.

Personally, I have seen the most growth in my career as an artist when I am faced with outside circumstances which require me to choose myself. No matter what, you need to be secure in who you are as an individual because you never know the intentions of other people until they show you their true colors. I believe that the reason why I operate the way I do today is because I believe in myself and also accept the fact that not everybody will be able to come with me on this journey.

My label, 4 ZERO ENTERAINMENT, has watched me grow into the woman I am today and helped me develop into my character heavily. I met my mentor and producer Video4.0 while doing an Instagram live during the pandemic hosting an entrepreneurial live. This was before I started pursuing music and prior to me moving to Los Angeles.

The journey is a risk.
Wanting more for your life is a risk.
Becoming the dream version of yourself is a risk.

but,

In my opinion, the biggest risk I was not willing to take was NOT pursuing my dream due to a fear. I refuse to be average and even though I may not be performing at huge stages right now, I am honored and thankful to represent Korean American culture in the hip hop scene with my team and absolutely proud to say that I write all of my music.

My team and I performed at SXSW last year and we are also set to perform this year on March 17 and 18.

The biggest risk I took was on myself when I realized that I deserve better in my life and will not slow down for the sake of acceptance from others who are simply projecting their insecurities onto you. Right now, my music career has been the one thing in my life that has opened doors and opportunities which allows me to bring diversity and proof that betting on yourself will be the biggest payout of your life.

No matter what, choosing myself first while wanting the best for others is what brings me happiness and being a Korean American woman in the American music scene is something I will always cherish.

The woman I am today is simply a reflection of the choices I have made as an individual taking risks for a different life and wanting to pursue a life long dream which is becoming a reality.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my story.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Before pursuing my music career I was in the TV/Film space as an actress living in New York and Los Angeles. Pursuing this creative field has taught me valuable lessons as an artist as the business side of the creative industry is not talked about enough. No matter which creative field you choose to pursue one day, all I can say is that education is key and working in silence pays off. During the 2.5 years of working as an actress, I made it a priority to seek proper training after graduating business school which has led me to representation and roles within my first year.

By applying the same principles into me starting my music career, I took the time to seek coaching from my mentor and then was challenged by his partner to write a minimum of 4 songs in 6 months to be part of the team. After leaving Los Angeles, I wrote my first EP in the summer of 2021 and met their minimum requirement in half the time. I share this part of my journey as authentically as I can because I see a lot of creatives focusing too much of their energy on “looking” the part without actually creating substance.

The reason why I enjoy working in silence is because I know that my work will speak volumes for me and that this career is not to “fill a void” but to create an impact. It has been a dream of mine since working in TV to become an influential Korean American artist and entrepreneur that represents my community. I very much value our youth and younger generation heavily where they actually motivate me to keep going even when I am tired.

If I don’t keep trying, then they won’t have someone to look up to and truthfully, I can not accept that to be my reality. I have always loved and admired Korean female rappers such as CL, Jessi, 2nE1, and many more but to be a Korean American woman pursuing this sound gives me the opportunity to connect with the Korean American community and also the AAPI network.

One thing I want people to know about me is that becoming an artist was not a decision I made overnight. I chose this path knowing that it was unconventional and extremely challenging at times. All while growing my personal brand, I feel that my life has shown me how resilient I truly am and that any and all shortcomings today are only temporary and those who understand the value of their work will succeed.

No matter what, love yourself before wanting to seek the love of others through your new career changes. People love you for who you are and also understand that not everyone is meant to go with you in your next level. My family is everything to me so being able to record music in Florida while living in Maryland and performing at shows like SXSW is my ultimate happiness right now.

Choose yourself

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest pivot I made in my 20s which propelled me into my career today was walking away from a toxic situation while living in Los Angeles and leaving all of my belongings there to spontaneously move back to Maryland and start over from ground zero.

I dropped my TV career, decided to pursue my music career, and also obtained my real estate license when I moved back to Maryland and this was one of the hardest times of my life. During this time in my life, I had hit a new ceiling for my tv career and was being asked to audition for major roles as a non-union actress while having two of my short films circulating in film festivals where we were winning. It was never in my thought process to drop my tv career but when I moved back to Maryland, I knew that this part of my life had to be paused.

While healing from the situation I had exited in Los Angeles, I decided to go all in on my music career and started traveling to Orlando 4-6x during the summer and fall to record my music. Without any experience of writing in the past, I self taught myself how to understand sequences of writing and released my first EP in October 2021.

During this time in my life, I learned a very valuable lesson. No matter how insane your life may seem at the moment, everything will make sense in the future if you keep trying.

I got closer to my family, grew as a woman, and most importantly re-prioritized my life and things started falling into place. Even right now, I am going through a major shift in my life but I understand how to navigate through chaos and stay grounded.

I think if anything, this would be the most important lesson to learn from my story. When there is chaos, there is a breakthrough coming but you have be grounded and break through.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I look forward to being a mother one day and want my children to be proud of me. I want my children to admire their mom and dad for being super badass but have values that have not been diluted in a society like today.

I want to create a legacy where my children will not only be proud but also see resilience, vulnerability, and perseverance as part of their upbringing too.

No matter what, being authentic and real will always outweigh pride and the need to seek validation.

My future husband will be the luckiest man on earth to have my children therefore before I create a legacy with my future husband, I want to become a legend.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://miskofits.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planetmisko/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miskofitsllc/