A rising star who has topped headlines with her musical prowess and vivacious personality in TV shows and YouTube series, South Korean rapper Lee Youngji kicks up the gear as she begins her first Asia tour.

If you are part of the K-wave right now, the name Lee Youngji (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/youngji_02/?hl=en">@youngji_02</a>), our October 2023 "Innovation" issue's cover girl, will ring a couple of bells as she holds multiple accolades that shot her to international stardom in the past year.
For one, she was crowned the first female winner of the wildly popular South Korean rap competition, Show Me The Money; and she is the host of her own YouTube series My Alcohol Diary, where she gathers some of the biggest K-pop acts including IVE, BTS and BLACKPINK for candid, fun-filled interviews which have amassed millions of views and a huge following globally.

L'Officiel Malaysia October 2023 issue - Youngji in Coach

Capping all those achievements with her latest appointment as <a href="https://www.lofficielmalaysia.com/fashion/korean-rapper-artist-lee-youngji-coach-global-ambassador-2023">Coach&rsquo;s Global Ambassador</a>, Lee has risen to be an unstoppable force in fashion, arts and entertainment. We had our first encounter with Lee at the recent <a href="https://www.lofficielmalaysia.com/fashion/nyfw-insider-jennifer-lopez-lee-youngji-lil-nas-x-and-more-at-coach-spring-2024-s">Coach Spring 2024 show</a> and it proved to be everything we imagined her to be &mdash; a warm, humorous and charismatic personality that lights up the room with her electric energy.
Post fashion week, Lee is diving straight back to work as she readies herself for her first Asia tour, titled &ldquo;The Main Character&rdquo;, which will be held in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and more. Ahead of her Singapore show, we managed to catch Lee for our cover shoot to talk fashion, music and the &ldquo;Courage To Be Real&rdquo;.

"As an emerging artist, I don&rsquo;t think I have faced a huge amount of adversity. I had the opportunity to debut on a survival show under very favourable conditions. It was a great opportunity for me and it helped to kick-start my music career that was already under the spotlight."

The past year has been a very meaningful year for you with multiple new projects and being named Coach&rsquo;s Global Ambassador. How are you feeling right now? 
I feel great! You said last year was a meaningful year, but I think last year and this year are more like my resting period. I was working on a lot of things, but I still feel like there&rsquo;s more to the journey and room to grow. For the coming year, I&rsquo;m looking to ramp up to be more involved and show much more.
How do you think the rap music industry has evolved through the years and what struggles did you face as an artist?
Actually, instead of delving too deep into how rap music is changing, I&rsquo;d like to say that the musical landscape for all artists has expanded. From my perspective, various rappers are using rap as a musical tool or device, blending it with a wide range of elements to transform their music. It feels like they are diversifying and adapting rap in many ways which is pretty exciting. Plus, there&rsquo;s a lot more to listen to which is a great thing too.
As an emerging artist, I don&rsquo;t think I have faced a huge amount of adversity. I had the opportunity to debut on a survival show under very favourable conditions. It was a great opportunity for me and it helped to kick-start my music career that was already under the spotlight. If I had to pick a struggle, I think the fact that I had to participate in a survival show before I could truly develop my self-identity as an artist, leaving some room to be desired in terms of how I was telling my story, since I was getting constant feedback and being judged.

Through your many TV appearances and your YouTube series, we find that you have always showcased your authentic personality and energy to your viewers and fans. How do you stay true to who you are without conforming to people&rsquo;s expectations and criticism?
I think staying true to who I am has been a common theme throughout my childhood. Even at a young age, I didn&rsquo;t care too much about what others thought about me. For me, being happy and activating dopamine is important at every waking moment.
So, I&rsquo;ve always thought that if I stayed positive and entertaining in my actions, thoughts and speech, it would also rub off on others and force their hand to be positive towards me as well. I think this mindset and personality helped me when I was participating in such TV shows as well. I truly believe if I&rsquo;m true to myself and showcase that, then people will surely like me for who I am.

"I think the slogan &ldquo;Courage To Be Real&rdquo; is the reason why I&rsquo;m collaborating with Coach. It reflects the brand&rsquo;s desire for a confident and self-assured ambassador who is unafraid to express themselves."

Coach&rsquo;s core message now focuses on the &ldquo;Courage To Be Real&rdquo; &mdash; as its global ambassador, how does this resonate with you?
I think the slogan &ldquo;Courage To Be Real&rdquo; is the reason why I&rsquo;m collaborating with Coach. It reflects the brand&rsquo;s desire for a confident and self-assured ambassador who is unafraid to express themselves. And since I&rsquo;m someone who is not afraid to reveal myself, Coach probably saw me in that light. In a society where individuality is highly valued, having the courage to be yourself is more important than anything else, and I resonate with that slogan.
 What was your first fashion week experience like with Coach?
I was never the type to go to fashion shows or attend red carpet events. I love performing on stage and doing music and I never really truly appreciated the greatness of fashion or gave it much attention.
But, after attending the Coach Spring 2024 show at the recent NYFW, I was able to appreciate and see firsthand how much work goes into fashion and understand it better, and of course, as the Global Ambassador for Coach, it added significance and responsibility for me to attend this show.

When it comes to fashion, what is your go-to style?
My fashion philosophy is all about being comfortable, and I prefer wearing co-ords whenever possible. At the same time, it must be bold with a touch of cute factor. I love giving my outfits extra finesse with accessories like hats.
How do you unwind and de-stress from work and life?
My favourite way is to sleep like I&rsquo;m a corpse. I sleep for a minimum of 13 hours and 18 to 21 hours maximum. My favourite sleeping position is to put a pillow under my leg and sleep while drooling [laughs].
Right now, you are in the midst of your first Asia Tour and Singapore is your next stop. What can fans expect from this concert tour?
This Asia Tour focuses on showcasing the history of my career rather than something entirely new. I want to focus on a newer side of my music for next year, so I wanted to pay tribute to my career so far and move on to the next chapter through this tour. It&rsquo;s especially exciting for me because it&rsquo;s the first time I&rsquo;ll be collaborating with dancers, so I think it&rsquo;ll be extra fun!

Are there plans for &ldquo;The Main Character&rdquo; tour to show in more countries in Asia?
As an Asian, I&rsquo;d love to visit all the countries in Asia. Indonesia, in particular, holds a special place in my heart because the people there have shown me a lot of love and support beyond my expectations. I want to go where my fans are.
To wrap this interview up, can you give a shout-out to your fans in Malaysia and Singapore?
I wish you good health and thank you so much for your love and support &mdash; I&rsquo;m so grateful for all the hope you have instilled in me. I may not fully understand your language, but I appreciate all the translated letters and support. The interest and love you show from across borders are incredibly meaningful and appreciated. In return, I&rsquo;ll do my best to be a more global star for you all in the future!

"I want to go where my fans are."

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 Our October 2023 "Innovation" issue featuring South Korean rapper Lee Youngji will be available in selected major bookstores and newsstands in Malaysia and online on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.magzter.com/SG/AMTD-Digital-Media-Solutions/L%27OFFICIEL-Malaysia/Fashion/">www.magzter.com</a>.
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 Cover Credits:
 Photography&nbsp;JI+DOH Creative Direction John Ng Styling&nbsp;Lee Yemin Makeup&nbsp;Kang Dain Hair HI Videography Cimona Photography Team&nbsp;TETRIS Production Manager&nbsp;Kim You Hah Styling Assistant Lee Yeyoung Hair Assistant Jeong Jiyun Makeup Assistant Park Yujin Set Styling Assistants Noh Cheri &amp; Kim Bora Outfits &amp; Bags Coach
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Cover Girl: Lee Youngji kicks up the gear for our October 2023 issue

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