AZNRaps: What up Paul? For those that don't know about you, you've had album credits on some major albums over the last few years. Tell us more about that.

Paul Cho: Yeah I did two tracks, “So High” and “Refuge” on John Legend’s first album, “Get Lifted”. I also did the track “Let There Be Light” off of Nas’s latest album, “Hip Hop Is Dead.” I also have a track called “Blowin’ My Phone Up” on Consequence’s new album, “Don’t Quit Your Day Job”, although I think there’s a chance that the song may end up being an iTunes exclusive.

AZNRaps: How were you able to land such great album credits?

Paul Cho: HARD WORK!!! LOL Nah, I’ve known John (Legend) since like 1999 or 2000 when we were both fresh out of college. Back then he was just grinding on the local NYC soul circuit, and I was messing around making beats over at his place. I hooked up with John through my man Devo Springsteen, who went to school with John and is also Kanye’s cousin. Devo and John lived together in NYC, and I would just go over and hang out/make beats. I did “So High” and “Refuge” over there, John liked the beats, sang on them, then Kanye blew up, John followed suit, and the rest, as they say, is history! “Let There Be Light” happened by me staying connected with the G.O.O.D Music family.

AZNRaps: What exactly is your musical background? What are you trained in musically? Also, did songwriting come naturally to you were you trained in that?

Paul Cho: My main instrument is the guitar, but I also play the bass, keyboard, a little bit of drums, and some classical instruments. Like most Asian kids, my parents forced me to learn piano when I was young, and then the clarinet in grade school. I had really rigorous classical training in those instruments, but I picked up the guitar in college and pretty much taught myself how to play. I think by teaching myself, I really cultivated the ability to write my own tunes. I didn’t have any training in songwriting, but I certainly knew enough about music to be able to teach myself anything I wanted to learn.

AZNRaps: It's interesting that you are gaining more and more success in the music industry, yet you're still going to school at USC pursuing a law degree. What made you want to take this route?

Paul Cho: I think there isn’t one main reason that drove me to law school, but a lot of compelling smaller ones. First off, I didn’t want to limit myself to being purely on the creative side, I also wanted to be able to work on the business end. I’ve met all kinds of successful lawyers in the entertainment field and am fascinated by what they do! Another reason kind of relates to my previous answer about schooling, by the time I got into law school, I didn’t have any tracks out (John’s album came out during my first year in law school), and had no idea that I would soon be on a Grammy award winning album! I wanted to go to law school to have the ability to move onto the business side of entertainment.

I absolutely LOVE being in law school. Besides the whole academic part of it, being in school is just fun! College was probably the most fun four years I’ve had in my life.

AZNRaps: Some ideas younger people get is that "maybe I don't need school if I'm going to pursue an artistic career". What is your take on that mentality? Have you seen any first-hand experiences of artists being successful or unsuccessful by taking on this mindset? What advice do you have for those people?

Paul Cho: Yes, it is true that you don’t need to go to school to pursue an artistic career, but you also don’t need to go to school to become a pro basketball player! I’ve seen all kinds of people in the business, and regardless of their level of academic education, they are all smart. However, I personally think that a good academic education is very important to success, especially considering that the odds of becoming a superstar artist are generally slim to none. Worse comes to worse, think of your education as a “fallback” that will always be there. Also, I think if you want to go on the business end, then you should have at least a college education. You should see the resumes of the people that work at FOX (the TV station)…it’s crazy! My advice – go to school!

AZNRaps: Some people on the "outside looking in" on the music industry have this myth that if they produced one beat for a platinum selling artist that they're set for life financially. True or false?

Paul Cho: I wish!!! Having a platinum credit definitely helps the wallet – a lot, but not enough that I never have to work again. Plus, I think in this business, if you have the mentality that you just want to have one hit and then coast the rest of your life, you are not setting yourself up for success.

AZNRaps: You've got your schooling, you also have a high positioned job over at FOX, you co-produce on platinum albums, and you also have a newborn daughter (congrat, by the way!). How are you able to take on so many projects at once and stay hungry and focused?

Paul Cho: I think I have adult ADD! I can’t stay still for long periods of time, so I’m always doing something. I think it’s because I grew up as an only child and hated being bored! I’ve been incredibly busy lately, so I haven’t really been sleeping much. The good thing is is that I don’t really consider a lot of the stuff “work” like a normal 9-5. I love doing all the things I do, and if I ever stop loving it, I’ll probably slow down.

AZNRaps: Tying all of this together.. the music, the film, and the law degree, what is the ultimate goal for Paul Cho?

Paul Cho: I want to be best producer/lawyer in the history of music and law! .

AZNRaps: Let's talk about your ethnicity. Has the race issue ever come into play while you were dealing with some of these major labels, and has it ever affected your life in the music arena?

Paul Cho: Fortunately, not at all. To me, and to the people that I’ve dealt with, a hit is a hit! I’ve definitely gotten comments that it’s hard to believe that such soulful music comes out of a Korean dude, but that’s actually been mostly from Korean people outside of the industry. I’m definitely a minority when it comes to hip-hop and R&B, but I love being different – I can invite people over for yummy Korean BBQ!

AZNRaps: Some Asian American's play off the idea that being an Asian American has its disadvantages and want to push the envelope and mention it on there songs. What's your take on that? Should it be actively referred to, occasionally referred to, or just plain non-existent in there music?

Paul Cho: I don’t really have a problem with people mentioning their ethnicity on their songs, and I kind of like it. Credibility is very important in music, especially so in hip-hop. Plus, I think the best songs are those that are real. With that in mind, I think it’s totally natural to refer to your ethnicity on your songs. However, there’s certainly a line, that if crossed, really takes away from the music. I can’t say whether or not and to what level it “should” be referred to. I don’t think it’s a good idea to approach a song with the idea that you are going to refer to ethnicity X amount of times…it should be something that is naturally dictated by the feel of the music.

AZNRaps: My boy Chops was an original member of the Mountain Brothers (who had a critically acclaimed album in the mid-90's). He’s produced for Paul Wall, The Game, and recently Young Jeezy. I'm curious.. have you heard of him? Are all the Asian American producers in the same circle?

Paul Cho: Yeah man, of course I’ve heard of Chops! I remember seeing the video for “Galaxies” on MTV waaay back and thinking that those dudes were pretty tight! I actually bought that CD. I heard that Chops doesn’t sample, if so he’s REALLY TALENTED! I’ve never met Chops, and in fact I’ve never met any other Asian producer (w/a major label release) so I can’t say that we are all the same circle.

AZNRaps: I know a lot of people with dreams and aspirations in entertainment are going to be inspired by reading this interview about you, what you’ve accomplished, and your views on things relating to your cultural background. What advice do you have for them?

Paul Cho: Man, just work hard at what you do! If you make beats, keep making 'em. If you sing or rap, keep writing! There’s certainly a little bit of luck you need to break into the biz, but there’s something to be said for setting yourself up to be lucky!

Also, I’ve found that people like to work with people they actually like! Relationships are VERY important, and you should do everything you can to maintain positive relationships because you never know what could happen!

Finally, I personally don’t like dealing with too much bullshit, so my last peace of advice would be to be honest to yourself and others.

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