[Exclusive Interview] Going Full Circle with Bobo.Xx
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit with one of my artist inspirations, Isné Bobo Nuyent, aka Bobo.Xx. My first encounter with Bobo.Xx was at KAMP Los Angeles last year, where I saw him on stage with Epik High. He was basically the only tour photographer I saw at that festival, which left a lasting impression. Bobo.Xx’s photography work is impressive, as he’s toured with legendary performers such as Jonas Brothers, Dumbfoundead, Eric Nam, Jaden Smith, and Gryffin. While also doing film street photography and behind-the-scenes with features like Frank Ocean, Tyler The Creator, ASAP Rocky, Demi Lovato, Hyolyn, Dev Hynes, PnB Rock, and more.
Speaking with Bobo.Xx was an honor as we talked about full circle moments, his views and philosophy on life, and his latest music and photography endeavors. As a fellow AAPI, it was empowering to speak to an individual who is the epitome of excellence in the arts.
We started the interview with some icebreakers, which helped set the tone moving forward.
Three Songs on Bobo.Xx’s Playlist
Dominic Fike - Dancing in the Courthouse
Kamal. - free flow
Labrinth & Zendaya - I’m Tired (From Euphoria)
Three Things Needed in the Studio
Good vibes
Food beforehand
Coffee
Comfort Food
Pho
Favorite Place to Travel
Melbourne, Australia
Go-To Coffee Order
Coffee Mco’s Cohen
His comfort food is a must he will look for, “Even if the pho is terrible, I feel like I need to have Vietnamese food anywhere I can.” When asked about travel, Melbourne was one of his favorite places he’s ever been to, “If I ever had to retire and get out of the US, I would straight up go there.” The last icebreaker question was an add-on when Bobo.Xx mentioned he needed coffee in the studio. How does Bobo like his coffee? “I like it super sweet. Everyone else likes black coffee. My heart is black enough, so I got to stay sweet somehow.”
I was surprised to hear about the origin of Bobo.Xx’s stage name. I thought it was a play on Bobo the Clown since I thought that he was using makeup references from Insane Clown Posse (ICP) and mime performers. Bobo.Xx explained, “My real name is Isné. When I was younger, I watched a lot of Robocop. My dad started calling me ‘Bobocop,’ and Bobo became a derivative. It’s stuck with me my whole life.” Bobo.Xx found it amusing that I tied his aesthetic to ICP and mentioned he liked Joker vibes and anime, as some of his looks are inspired by Hisoka from Hunter X Hunter.
I asked Bobo.Xx about the experience of being a photographer and performer at the same while on tour. “It’s amazing, stressful, and scary.” He told me about the scheduling challenges, as well as the challenges of having to photograph the key events – sound check, getting makeup, behind the scenes, and the performance itself while having to go through these same events as a performer. He’s getting his makeup done before Epik High, photographing them in full makeup and performance outfits, then going on stage. “I would go on, then return to the green room exhausted as I’ve just put my heart out on the stage, right? I have about ten minutes to re-switch gears and prep all my camera gear, make sure everything is set, and get the positions right. It’s a crazy mental experience of things that are moving so fast that my adrenaline is pumping the whole time. I knew it would be like that, and I really wanted the challenge. I don’t think anybody has ever done this at this scale before.” People have asked him how it’s even possible and if he’s tired, but Bobo.Xx wants to show you that it can be done. “You want to push your boundaries, push your limits every single day. That’s ultimately what I want to do.”
Bobo.Xx isn’t just an artist with visual creative skills in photography and videography; he is a musician paving the way in the punk rock genre. Bobo.Xx shared how lately he’s been transitioning into music full-time. Whether it’s his photography or music, his work resonates with me because he works in multiple lanes and continues to expand his breadth and depth in those lanes while considering where else he can take his creative energy and passion.
Let’s take this year’s Head in the Clouds Festival (HITC) in Los Angeles as an example. In 2022, Bobo.Xx was shooting for Dumbfounded, who was the first to hire him as a tour photographer. A year later, Bobo.Xx is performing at the event thanks to Josh Pan, “Josh and I were hanging out, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll come and shoot.’ But Josh is like, ‘Dude, why don’t you just come out for a song?’” It’s a full-circle moment for Bobo.Xx and one that shares Bobo.Xx’s vision of collaboration. “I feel very blessed to be in these positions where my friends just trust me and my music.” Whether it’s being in front of or behind the camera, Bobo.Xx curates a vision that matches his environment at any given moment.
I asked him if he knew which song he would perform, and he replied, “I didn’t know until the last minute. I put all the songs on a USB and was just going to feel it out. Forty-five minutes into Josh’s set, and I’m looking at the stage set-up, which is 15 feet from the ground, and asking myself, what song would fit this moment right here and then?” Bobo.Xx decided on “No More Talking,” and when the bridge hit, he decided to jump off the stage and hop into the crowd. For other performers, jumping off a stage that high may seem daunting, but for Bobo.Xx, it’s putting his tricking skills to use. Bobo.Xx is a 4th generation member of Team Loopkicks, which includes high-profile members such as Andy Le and Brian Le. You may recognize Andy and Brian Le as the martial artist brothers who performed in Shang-Chi and Everything Everywhere All at Once. HITC brought Bobo.Xx another full-circle moment as he and Andy Le connected backstage. “It’s so cool seeing each other as members in the Tricking community for ten years and looking at where we now are in our careers.”
Bobo.Xx talked about how having a tricking foundation has built up his mental fortitude. “There’s a tenacity that you must have when you’re going for these crazy tricks. You must constantly evaluate where you are and determine what went wrong or how to condition your body better. You’re conditioning your mind to be smarter, to go harder. I think it conditioned me, especially for this life in Los Angeles, where I’m chasing the arts. It takes a lot of bravery to chase what you truly love, regardless of the circumstances.”
When talking about chasing his dream, I am reminded of my childhood conversations with my family. When I finally decided to pursue photography, it was after I had established myself in Information Technology. Being AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander), Bobo.Xx understood where I was coming from, “Yeah, you had to be one of the three: doctor, lawyer, or engineer.” But Bobo.Xx told his parents about his desire for something else. When his mother advocated for him to go to school, Bobo.Xx sat down with his parents and told them, “Listen, I’m going to do this for a couple of years, and I just need you to be on board to support me. This is who I am.”
Being an Asian American adds a beautiful layer to his outlook. “Our culture is so beautiful. I think it makes us hardworking. I think it makes us have high expectations of ourselves. I think it makes us have this crazy audacity and tenacity to push through, no matter what the boundaries are.” It gave him the strength to overcome various traumas in life, whether it was being picked on for looking different or for chasing a dream where AAPI’s aren’t mainstream.
The word trauma led the conversation astray as we briefly discussed our life experiences. “I don’t think trauma is bad. You have to be able to use trauma to push through.” It’s part of the human experience. “We aren’t humans having a spiritual experience; we’re spiritual beings having a human experience.” Life hands you a deck of cards of human emotions, and you get to experience pain, hate, trauma, happiness, love, and everything in between. When I spoke about my most recent traumas and how I handled it, Bobo.Xx responded with the magic of being able to take a negative experience into a positive one. “It’s one of the craziest things humans can do. It’s pure alchemy.” I honestly think Bobo.Xx is a master of this kind of alchemy.
“Alchemy is important in this world. My music is all about an essential human experience.” Bobo.Xx started talking about the theme of “Running Off the Track (ROTT)” and asked me, “How do you make a mess look beautiful, sound beautiful?” He explains there’s a hidden emotion and hidden moment behind all the bars. “It’s about being human at the end of the day. About being a mess and being vulnerable with pieces of myself I hate and showing you all my flaws. Running off the track of life and understanding the pain.” He hopes that his latest release helps people understand their own pain and relate to his music.
Bobo.Xx Running Off the Track, Cover Art by Isaac Lee, Original Cover Photo by Jack VÜ
I feel Bobo.Xx’s lyrics have always been raw and relatable. I tell him how the lyrics of “No More Talking” really struck a chord with me, “I feel you said so many things I have always wanted to say, and punk rock aside, you were an Asian American saying these things. Whenever I got frustrated at work, I’d sing it to myself.” Bobo.Xx replied that the song has so many directions for interpretation. “It’s a personal experience for me, but how do I make it personal for you, too? I’m always trying to teeter the line between being honest to myself and everyone else who is listening. I want this to be yours, too. When you put art into the world, it doesn’t just belong to you. It’s for the people, and I wanted that exact feeling that you’re having, so I appreciate it.”
In my conversation with Bobo.Xx, we talked about authentic moments and being real. For example, he is a true punk rock star. His rugged personality and lifestyle are a testament to that. “I want to rage. I don’t just make punk rock. I live it. I really fucking jump off these stages. You can test me any time of the day, and I’ll be ready for it.” He’s a trailblazer, especially for Asian Americans in the punk rock scene. His take on the pop-punk Asian American scene is that it’s a watered-down version of what it could be. “The Japanese pop-punk rock is fucking amazing. But I see all these Asian Americans, they are just putting guitars over like trap drums and singing a little bit. It’s not really pop punk. They’re calling it pop-punk or some derivative of Blink 182. But it’s not. The definition, it just falls; it keeps falling short of what it is.” While Asian Americans are not big in mainstream media yet, he thinks the world is starting to get ready for a pop-punk Asian face. “It’s in the works, but we still have a long way to go. Especially the character of a rugged Asian American that is fucking kind of borderline psychotic. We need to continue to push and show we can make it as part of the culture.”
I asked Bobo.Xx what advice does he have for Asian Americans breaking into the punk rock scene. His immediate answer was, “You better have a lot more ‘fuck you’ energy. Just stop overthinking; just do it. Put it out. Keep going even if you get a couple of ‘No’s.’ You have to be able to use the trauma.” Generational trauma is one of Bobo.Xx’s motivations as he shared his parents’ journey to the USA. They left a war-torn country during the Vietnam War and traveled by whatever means to get to California. He recognized his parents’ struggles, which included having enough money, starting their own business, and other sacrifices for him to have the American dream. “We can do anything we want here, and that's a crazy concept - which is probably also a problem because we have so many options. So just, just fucking do it. Your biggest dream, go!”
Bobo.Xx shared that the advice he’s received from the most successful artists was, “Bobo, you keep doing you. Just keep being you and being authentic.”
Looking at where Bobo.Xx has been, and what he’s accomplished in the last year, I had to ask, “What’s next?” He shared that he’s starting to explore the different sides of his voice and that softer songs are in the works. Having seen Bobo.Xx perform on the OOYEH Tour in San Francisco earlier this year, and being a huge fan of “PAIN”, which featured Tablo, I asked, “Are there any collabs or tours coming soon?” Bobo.Xx laughed and said, “There’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes, and there’s a lot happening; I can’t say too much about it…but life is going to get extremely crazy from here.”
My last question for Bobo.Xx was, “What would you like to say to your fans?”
“Have the audacity to dream, and don't let anybody get in the way. Do your best to learn how to use your negatives and turn them into positives. Stop overthinking things. Stop doubting yourself.”
You can follow Bobo.Xx on Instagram | Spotify | Facebook | and YouTube.
*Special thanks to Bobo.Xx for this interview.
