Sam Kang and his band will perform at our Bittersweet Issue teaser party in L.A. on May 7.

Ready, L.A.? For the first time ever, Hyphen is throwing an issue teaser party in your neck of the woods. Little Tokyo will soon play host to our amazing lineup of performers, special guests, surprise appearances, and tons of giveaways. You’ve been waiting—now don’t miss it!

We're getting tons of great responses in the run-up to the event, and we'll be sharing more details of our teaser party as the day draws nearer—so keep checking here to see who’s going to be spinning tunes, creating art, and dropping rhymes for you at Chop Suey on May 7.

We are excited to have R&B singer/songwriter Sam Kang perform with his band at our event on Saturday! This guy is sure to be a heartbreaker.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, Sam started writing songs when he was only 14 years old, in order to help a friend impress a girl. “[My friend] freaked out, and I wound up singing to that girl for him." Luckily for us, that act of friendship turned into a lifelong love of singing and songwriting.

Sam grew up listening to alternative rock groups like Duncan Sheik and the Dave Matthews Band, but it wasn’t until his college years that he discovered a love of R&B. You can hear both influences in his music, which blends down-to-earth acoustic pop with soulful beats and, of course, Sam's crazy-sexy-cool voice.

You might also know Sam by the moniker “Geunjin,” which is a Korean name given to him by his dad. “The name is about encouraging people to find their identity," he tells us. "I wasn’t born with the name because my dad didn’t want me to deal with the racism [that my parents experienced]." But on a solo trip to Korea, Sam discovered his roots. "Everyone seemed so similar to me. It was reassuring and inspiring. [I want my music to be] about lifting people up and finding peace."

These days, Sam is busy working on his new production company, Bluebook Productions, and a project to collaborate with YouTube stars on an album. His goal is to create more opportunity for Asian American performers like himself.

But in the meantime, you can hear Sam's amazing voice live at our Bittersweet Issue teaser party this Saturday, May 7!