On April 8th, legendary American musician Quincy Jones recently visited Korea for the first time in his career, where he also held a press conference at the CJ E&M Center in Seoul. During the conference, Quincy Jones expressed his acknowledgement for the rising K-pop industry, mentioning the likes of BoA, Tiger JK, and YG as some of the most influential Korean artists. Check out the full translation of his interview down below! - It's your first time in Korea, what was your first impression? In the 50 years of my career I'd always wanted to come to Korea, but was never given the opportunity. I think you could say this place to be one of the best countries in the world, and I want to express my gratitude towards CJ. I got to meet with artists who cover a wide range of musical genres, and I thought they were amazing. I felt that the soul of Korea is similar to the soul of Chicago. I think this place has a sufficient soul for music and I had a great time here. This country really is superb. - What do you think about Korean culture, and were there any events that made you deeply impressed? It's really hard to pick just one thing that has impressed me the greatest. I met with rappers, singers, and even watched traditional Korean music. I got to experience a lot here so I can't pick just one, but what's definite is that they were all amazing. I met with Tiger J.K, YG, and BoA, and I thought they were amazing. I've been to China and Japan a lot of times before, but I think I can safely say that Korean artists are the best. - There are some Korean artists who are not only advancing into other Asian countries, but also into the American market as well. Do you think Korean artists can succeed over there? I'm usually someone who's stingy about compliments, but I think they could succeed. I don't have any concerns over the artists that I've met so far, because they already have a sufficient amount of competitiveness in them. From their choreography to their body language, all artists had an intrinsic nature for music, regardless of genre. I really met some of the best artists out there and I want to say that their chances of succeeding are very high. - What method do you think Korean artists should take in order to succeed in America? In order to succeed anyway in the worldwide music market, rather than where the artist came from, they must be able to communicate well. They need to use methods such as the internet or iTunes in order to catch people's attention and allow ways for them to enjoy the music. - When you return to America and someone asks you about Korean music, what will you answer them? At the end of the day, I don't think I would say more words of praise than Korean music being wonderful. What I want to emphasize is that I'm not one with a lot of compliments. I don't always say that American music is amazing. I watched a wide range of concerts from traditional to band music, and I was genuinely impressed. The production, choreography and presentation of Korean performances were amazing, but what is most important is that I really felt the soul in the music. The future of Korean music is bright. - Is there a possibility of a collaboration with Korean artists? There is definitely a possibility. A lot of discussions are happening right now. The reason why I decided on the possibility of a collaboration was because of the good impression I received from my visit to Korea. Source: Newsen