MC Jin

Jin Au-Yeung (born 4 June 1982), who performs under the stage name MC Jin, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actor of Hong Kong Hakka descent. Born in Miami, Florida, and later living in New York City, he decided to reside permanently in Hong Kong before returning to New York to reside permanently in the summer of 2012. He speaks both Cantonese and English fluently, although he is not literate in Chinese. In the United States, he was both the first American solo rapper of East Asian and Hong Kong descent to be signed to a major hip hop record label.

Early life

Jin Au-Yeung was born on June 4, 1982, in Miami, Florida, to Hong Kong immigrants of Hakka descent. He was raised in the general Miami area, where his parents owned a Chinese restaurant, and where Jin attended school. While a student at John F. Kennedy Middle School in North Miami Beach, Jin participated in many rap battles with his peers. After graduating from high school in 2000, Jin decided to forgo college, and in 2001 he moved with his parents to Queens, New York City.