They Call Us Bruce - Episode 79: They Call Us Sophia Chang

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

On this episode, we welcome music industry veteran Sophia Chang, who talks about her many identities: former manager of some of hip hop and R&B's greatest acts (RZA, GZA, Old Dirty Bastard, A Tribe Called Quest, D'Angelo and Raphael Saadiq, to name a few), kung fu practitioner, daughter of Korean immigrants, and now, author of the new audio memoir The Baddest Bitch in the Room.

Angry Reader of the Week: Sophia Chang

"The Baddest Bitch In The Room."


Photo: Dana Scruggs
Hello, friends of the internet. It's time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Sophia Chang.

Sophia Chang is 'The Baddest Bitch in the Room'

Former Wu-Tang manager will tell her story in a new audiobook memoir.



Sophia Chang calls herself "the first Asian woman in hip-hop"... and she has the resumé to back up the title.

She has extensive record company experience, including marketing at Atlantic, A&R at Jive, A&R Administration at UMG, GM of Razor Sharp Records, Cinematic Music Group and Pro Era Records. But Chang is best known for her time as a manager with an all-star roster of clients, including Wu-Tang's RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard; D'Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Q-Tip and more.

Now, after a career of helping artists tell their stories, Chang will tell her own in the upcoming audio memoir The Baddest Bitch in the Room, available in September. And maaaaaan, I bet she's got some stories.

Here's an excerpt, in which she recounts that first time Method Man brought the ruckus on her behalf when someone asked her that eye-rolling question, where are you from?:

Shout Out To The Racists I've Met

Sophia Chang has a message to all "the myriad of douchebag racists" she's encountered since childhood.



Sophia Chang is a self-described "music business matriarch" who has worked with Paul Simon and has managed the likes of ODB, RZA, GZA, Q Tip, A Tribe Called Quest, Raphael Saadiq, and D'Angelo... and she doesn't take shit from anybody. Especially racist shit. During a recent college lecture, she closed out her talk with a message to all "the myriad of douchebag racists" she's encountered throughout her life.