"Ima Korean" is a parody of The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" by American comedy rapper Rucka Rucka Ali. The song was released on February 20, 2010, as a single to iTunes.[1] It makes fun of then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il as well as the culture, and stereotypes associated with his country and the wider East Asia. The song's cover claimed that it featured Asian–American DJ Not Nice, which is an alias of Ali's.

"Ima Korean"
Single by Rucka Rucka Ali
from the album I'm Black, You're White & These Are Clearly Parodies
ReleasedFebruary 20, 2010 (2010-02-20)
GenreComedy Hip Hop, Parody
LabelPinegrove Records

In June 2010, BBC News reported on the song when a child of Korean heritage was offended by its playback in a school presentation at Portchester School in Bournemouth in the United Kingdom. The principal apologized to the student's mother, stating that the video was 'probably racist'.[2]

Rucka Rucka Ali released an album called Probably Racist in 2011, referring to the incident in Bournemouth. It included the song "We're All Asian", which featured the quote "the principal said DJ Not Nice is probably racist." He later released a sequel called "My Korea's Over" which is a parody of "International Love", taking place after Kim Jong Il's death in 2011, when his son Kim Jong Un took over as the leader of North Korea.

A third song in the series, named "Kim Jong Un Song", was released in June 2013. It references the 2013 Korean Crisis.

Charts edit

Chart (2010) Peak
position
US Billboard Comedy Digital Tracks 2 [3]

References edit

  1. ^ "Ima Korean (Feat. DJ Not Nice) by Rucka Rucka Ali & DJ Not Nice on iTunes". iTunes. 20 February 2010.
  2. ^ "Bournemouth school pupils told off over 'racist' video". BBC News. 2010-06-17. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  3. ^ http://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?f=ts_chart_artistname%3A%2ARucka%20Rucka%20Ali%2A&f=ts_chart_search_title%3A%2AKorean%2A&f=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=1&artist=Rucka%20Rucka%20Ali&title=Korean [dead link]