Tabber was one of the first artists you.will.knovv revealed to the public. He then got a spot on Show Me The Money 10 even though the show focuses on rap and not on vocals. With his “Different R&B” style, the singer talked with us about his experience in a Latino house and how it is to work with producers like APRO, DEAN and 2xxx.
Kim Hyeon Jun, his birth name, evolutioned into Tabber around 2020 when he made his debut with ENTER, a single produced by APRO.
THE START: HOW DID TABBER BECOME TABBER?
Without knowing how he got here, Tabber has collaborated with big artists from the R&B industry such as DEAN, Syd of The Internet and Keyon Christ. Despite the fact that his career began at the age of 25, for some as a latecomer, Tabber explains,
”I don’t know why, but since I was a little kid, I had a feeling that I needed to become a musician. It felt like destiny.”
But, does working with known producers make him nervous or anxious? Like it’s nothing? The songwriter replied: “No, I don’t feel nervous or anxious about working with other people. I only feel nervous and anxious about myself.”
Still with all those feelings, Tabber released a 6 song-first album DEEP END MIXTAPE. Which reached 7 million streams on Spotify in January 2023. One of the main singles was 3AM Freestyle, a track with Kim Ximya and DEAN. Additionally, the songs Look At My! and Like a Vampire had a shared music video.
Almost all of the songs on his first album were produced by 2xxx. So we wondered if he’d want to work with another producer in the area to which he replied:”Yes, always! I’d love to work with multiple people to get different sounds.”
WHAT DOES TABBER WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR?
The answer was clear: “007 feat. Syd”, and we can sense why. Tabber has always been a fan of the American singer. The track expresses not only her sound, but the essence of the vocalist of The Internet along with Tabber’s vocals… Which makes it almost perfect.
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But how has Tabber been able to create this particular sound?
“I’ve lived and traveled to many places and countries, so I was influenced by lots of things. I used to live in a Latin family when I was in high school, in Minnesota. So there must be some influences from that experience.”
For some musicians it can be difficult to figure out who to collaborate with to fit with their music style. Tabber, being so into the feeling and atmosphere of the song, he always tries to find someone who is a perfect fit.
Tabber has listened to singer Syd (The Internet) since he was a child, and when he finally met her in Seoul, he described her as “a very cool and chill”. He also said: “Working with her was an amazing and unique experience. I’m very thankful for her support.”
LATIN AMERICA: SOON OR A LONG-TERM DESIRE?
Although he is always studying something, whether he is immersed in music or artistically, Tabber also studies himself in a sentimental and very internal way. So when we asked him about visiting Chile or Latin America, the musician said that anything is possible.
“I’ll make it happen in a few years! Anything is possible. I heard that there are many unique, exotic places in Latin America. Latin people should keep an eye on me, so I can go on tour.“
Tabber released the single “007” with Syd on September 21, a project in collaboration with Dingo Freestyle.
Follow Tabber on social media as Instagram and his label’s SNS.
