Atlanta, GA
Ian the Korean Emcee · Drummer · Artist
Atlanta-based emcee, Soul Food Cypher competitor, and SFC NEXT graduate. Every fourth Sunday, the cypher opens up — and ITK is in the circle.
Atlanta-based emcee, Soul Food Cypher competitor, and SFC NEXT graduate. Every fourth Sunday, the cypher opens up — and ITK is in the circle.
I go by Ian the Korean (ITK) on the mic. I'm an emcee — someone who lives for the cypher, that spur-of-the-moment, off-the-top circle where different emcees take turns laying down bars. Rapping isn't a side project; it's how I process, express, and connect.
I joined Soul Food Cypher (SFC) in 2024 — Atlanta's freestyle rap community founded in 2011 with a mission to provide lyricists a safe, nurturing environment where their voice and artistry can grow. SFC meets every fourth Sunday of the month and has been featured by ArtsATL, Atlanta Magazine, WABE, and Creative Loafing. In 2025 I graduated from SFC NEXT, the artist development program for emcees ready to go deeper, step into the responsibility of representing Soul Food Cypher, and help shape what SFC becomes next. Through SFC, I also taught a freestyle class at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in Kennesaw, Georgia — an organization established in Cobb County in 1973 that provides individualized therapeutic services for children and adolescents.
Music started long before the mic. I spent five years as a competitive snare drummer in DCI and WGI — marching with ConneXus Indoor Percussion (2017–2019) and the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps (2018–2019), where I served as drumline section leader in my final season. That background — the discipline, the precision, the relentless pursuit of clean execution — carries into everything I do on stage and in the booth.
Soul Food Cypher competitor since 2024. SFC NEXT graduate (2025). Off-the-top freestyle every fourth Sunday.
Taught freestyle at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in Kennesaw, GA on behalf of Soul Food Cypher.
Atlanta raised. Rooted in rhythm, driven by rhyme. Everyone eats.
Former DCI/WGI snare drummer. ConneXus (2017–2019), Crossmen (2018–2019). Section leader ’19.
Tracks, freestyles, and features — coming soon
Active SFC competitor, contributor, and freestyle instructor. Building the ITK brand and carrying the art of freestyle forward. Everyone eats.
Selected for and graduated from SFC NEXT — the artist development program for emcees ready to go deeper, step into the responsibility of representing Soul Food Cypher, and help shape what SFC becomes next. Completed the full Boot Camp process.
Taught a freestyle class at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in Kennesaw, GA on behalf of Soul Food Cypher — an organization that has provided therapeutic services for children and adolescents in Cobb County since 1973.
Joined Atlanta's freestyle rap community founded by Alexander “Cost One” Acosta in 2011. Every fourth Sunday, emcees gather for spur-of-the-moment, off-the-top freestyle. Started competing and never looked back.
Five years as a competitive snare drummer. Three WGI seasons with ConneXus Indoor Percussion and two DCI summers with the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps (World Class, San Antonio TX). Drumline section leader in 2019.
Performances, shows, and moments
Competitor since 2024. SFC NEXT graduate (2025). Every 4th Sunday in Atlanta.
Freestyle instruction for youth in Kennesaw, GA through Soul Food Cypher.
ITK. Atlanta, GA.