The name Xab Pheej Kim is derived from a Hmong folk tale of a regular man, who no one can relate to and notices, eventually he later conquers the princess and becomes King. The internal of this man contains these 3 qualities: The Mind, The Body, and The Spirit.
Note XPK1: Khaws Cua Nab:
When I started producing this album, I did not get any family support at all. I was alone. I sang differently and played different. My family kept comparing me to Tub Lis Vam Khwb, Lis Toj and Lis Pheej. They said my music was not romantic and I was too young to sing unrelated lyrics to myself, which meant that it was not parallel to my life. This album I did it alone, one of my older brother who I needed the most turned me completely down financially and morally. This is a great sadness to me; however I kept my mind straight and completed the project.
Note XPK2: Mus Tom Church:
When I recorded Khaws Cua Nab in 1985, I had songs that I wasn’t able to finish and unable to include in this album. The reason I didn’t record them until 1988 was because my first album Khaws Cua Nab had slow sales. When I tried to promote the album Khaws Cua Nab to Hmong Markets, many vendors shook their heads and rejected me. They didn’t want to accept and put my album on their shelf because it was not the traditional Hmong love songs they were used to listening to. They said it sounded weird and not sellable.
On my first run of Khaws Cua Nab production, I sold it by myself. I begged lots of friends and relatives to help me buy. During this time I came to believe that what everyone was saying to me was true. The Khaws Cua Nab album was totally crap. I was ashamed of myself. I promised them that I wouldn’t make another album this way again.
Two years later in 1987, I began to receive many Fan letters from Hmongs in China, Thailand, USA, and all over the world, encouraging me and congratulating me on this Khaws Cua Nab album. They said it was so unique, realistic, not just the sound but also lyrics too. They could relate to my songs. So here I am again; this motivated me and gave me the enthusiasm to do the 2nd album Mus Tom Church.
This album focused on our moral, confused decision between our traditions, beliefs and new era. I was thinking of the year 2000 (Y2K). That the world might come to an end. The conflicts between the churches and our culture. The music tone of this album was set at a hype of disagreement, depression, and death.
Note XPK3: Ua Tsev Qaib:
After I released Mus Tom Church, Many of my Fans disliked this album. Saying that it was too crazy, depressing and UN associated. I realized that when you produce confused music, people will be confused by it too. I was imagining too much beyond the conscience. I left too many gaps in between the sounds and unanswered lyrics question. I told my self, let time answer itself.
Year 1988- 1991, I was away from the music business. I was focusing on my college studies. Graduated and finally in 1992 I married and started a family.
In 1996 after establishing family and career, I felt that I had one more chapter to complete the Book of Xab Pheej Kim before year 2000 (Y2K). As the Bible says “the world’s going to come to end. Now I need Love, assurance, new opportunity, and get away from CITY, family nagging and each other‘s conflicts. I called this album The New Dream the Final chapter.
Note XPK4: Hluas Nkauj Internet:
Year 2004, I am family man now. Y2K has come and gone, and we are still here. But we are now approaching a new world. A world of Fantasy, Material Love and Greed, where internet and computer is the commodity of daily life.
Now I am searching my own tune of Music and redefine the Xab Pheej Kim’s lyrics. This album I have carefully selected word by word and the technique to put it together in a line. I tried to sing as the Hmong words are pronounced, not the way Thai, Laos, or American sounds pronounce. Example like Hmoob ni Hmoob, not Hmong ne Hmong.
Note XPK5: Mus Tom Church Part 2:
From 1985 to 2005: 20 years in Music. I have seen many things, and how I’ve grown within this music business. One album that tickling my mind is the album Mus Tom Church. In 1988. As I call it the Confuse album. One of my missions is to make and change it to being more understandable. I have rewritten the music, the lyrics and the tune. The title songs are the same, but the body of Lyrics has been modified. I hope this will clear the confusion in that album. I call this album Mus Tom Church Part 2.
So far I’ve not had a chance to perform in a live concert. I lack musicians who are able to play my songs. I‘ve called upon many bands, but either my callings have been ignored or rejected.
Thank you to all my fans and your support throughout the years. I’ve chosen this road of being myself. My songs are not meant for entertaining. They are lyrics of life. It is either you love it or you hate it. Life’s always changing and so are my albums.
XPK
XabPheejKim
