Justine delivers a fresh blend of R&B that has a lot of soul and a LOT of attitude. Refreshingly honest and real…you are in for an enjoyable ride of emotions as you experience the multitalented singer and songwriter in her element. Strongly influenced by neo-soul, hip-hop, and old school rhythm and blues, she effortlessly integrates infectious melodic lines to edgy tracks. Just one listen to Justine’s soulful delivery and compelling lyrics and she will soon have you bobbing your head, laughing and crying, and as she says, just “feelin’ the music.”
Having lived in Chicago; Seoul, Korea; Greenville, South Carolina; Washington, DC; and Boston, Justine’s life has been just as interesting and diverse as the musical influences she has garnered from those places. Drawing from her personal experiences, Justine constantly strives to redefine herself and bring her music to another level of intimacy. Her influences include contemporary artists such as Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, Deborah Bond, and Goapele.
Justine is currently residing in Boston and just graduated the Berklee College of Music. Having entered Berklee with both the Berklee Entering Scholarship Tour and the World Scholarship Tour, she is just starting to emerge in the Boston singer/songwriter scene performing with artists such as Kevin So, Matt Margallo, Vudoo Soul. She uses her talents to raise social awareness, including Asian-American issues and is also a member of Boston Progress, an Asian-American Arts collective.
Justine is still very involved with the Berklee community. You can find her jamming as a vocalist and writer in Xtacy Xport, an R&B/Hiphop band. She also hosts a corner on the Berklee Internet Radio Show "Anything Else" with Manhyung. Her role as an internet radio DJ futhers the future of Asian-American art and musicians influenced by Asian culture by introducing these artists to the online community every week.
“Her portfolio CD of several works...display a creative and interesting approach to using the technology to achieve her goals. She sounds great! I was very impressed with her skill level as she is a very talented arranger...
In my opinion, she cannot fail...”
—Stephen MacLean, Assistant Professor, Music Synthesis Dept, Berklee College of Music
Justine currently is working with producers like Todd Mushaw, who has worked with renowned artists such as Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland, The Game, and Se7en . She has also been collaborating with fellow Berklee student and Korean recording artist Hyuk Shin. She has been writing with seasoned musicians including Raleigh Neal, E.L. Copeland, and Jonathan Laine, who have worked with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Usher, India Arie, Prince, Erykah Badu, John Legend, and the Roots.
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed; Justine perked the interest of several major record labels and publishing in both the United States and South Korea. These companies are leaders in the music industry such as Warner Music Publishing, Putamayo Records, Palm Pictures, Onda Productions, and SM Records, M-Boat, CJ Entertainment in Korea, just to name a few. They have expressed interest in her development and are following her progress.
Justine is thrilled about her upcoming opportunities. But most importantly as an artist, she is excited about the chance to convey her message on life. Justine says, “I just want to be that big sister figure. I had no older sisters or brothers growing up helping me with issues that I was dealing with. Everybody’s not perfect, and for that matter, shouldn’t be expected to be perfect. I’m not about being a perfect ‘role model,’ but rather, the friend you can talk to when you are down and out, and also the girl you can be chilling with when you’re having fun! You learn and grow so much just by experiencing life and making mistakes. I think that process is beautiful.”
You can look forward to experiencing Justine in her upcoming debut album to be released soon.
"Justine Ok is an absolute pleasure to work with - on stage and in the studio. She is a gifted vocalist and has talent bursting at the seams."
—Kevin So, musician