Photo by Tammy Tso

Calvin Son is a shockingly talented breakdancer and journalist, as well as a self-proclaimed Miley Cyrus fan and an SAT tutor. He runs the b-boy site More Than a Stance, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he came out with a hip-hop album or wrote a book in the near future. Probably a children’s book.

Where are you from?
I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, went to school in Norman, Oklahoma and currently reside near Atlanta, Georgia. Unless you mean where I’m “from,” in which case my parents are “from” Korea.

South Korea.

What do you do?
I’m an SAT tutor. I do journalism-related things. I spend a lot of time wishing for back massages and phở.

Who or what do you use for inspiration?
The same lame stuff as everyone else. The way the beat drops in this. Cool-looking Japanese people. Good writing. The fact that some kid scribbled “Girls are Fags” on the ruler I use at work. Diaphragmatic breathing. Anything.

I have a huge folder of bookmarked sites and blogs for inspiration. This one is good. So are this and this.

What artists do you respect right now?
This is a difficult question. I don’t feel qualified to determine who is or is not an artist.

I will say that sometimes I wonder how stressful it must be to be Miley Cyrus, and it makes me break out into a nervous sweat just thinking about it.

What are you sick of?
The general feeling of helplessness; Demonoid being down; the fact that no matter how much money I spend, there will never be a day when I’ll go to a mechanic and ask, “What do I need to get fixed?” and have him or her reply, “Nothing. Your car is fine.”

What music are you listening to recently?
Instrumental hip-hop. Jacob Abello.

What is your first creative memory?
Once, when I was a little kid, I delivered a prayer in rhyme at church. I think everyone just shifted uncomfortably. Including God.

What is your favorite food/drank spot in Norman?
Little Caesar’s. Cici’s Pizza. That other pizza buffet that used to be on campus.

For some reason Phở Sooner comes to mind, but I think it’s just because I like the name.

Anything else?
It took me a really long time to fill this out because I kept trying to imagine what potential employers would think of me if they read this.

Thanks to Tate and Seth for the interview!

Photos by Evan James French