The fantasy goes something like this: An aspiring rapper leaves his cushy suburban life for the big city, raps his ass off in countless emcee battles, is discovered and signed to a major record label, blows up, makes millions of dollars, and lives happily ever after with diamond-encrusted everything.

Although most who chase this dream end up on grill at a neighbourhood Wendy's, the journey has been almost that easy for 21-year-old rapper Jin Tha MC.

The son of Chinese immigrants, Jin was born and raised in Miami. After discovering his passion for hip-hop and competing "everywhere possible", he threw in the dishtowel at his parents' restaurant and headed for the bustling hip-hop metropolis of New York.

"I moved really for family reasons," he rationalizes, on the line from the city that never sleeps, "but then at the same time it was like, if I'm going to do the music thing, what better place than NYC?"

But how does a middle-class suburbanite earn credibility in the step-or-be-stepped-on Big Apple? Standing 5-6 with a fuzz-free baby face, he certainly didn't have an intimidating physical stature. Additionally, he listens to R & B, doesn't ride spinners, and has never been riddled with bullets. How are impressionable youths supposed to know he's cool?

Jin started gaining recognition during an impressive seven-week run on Black Entertainment Television's viewer-participation music show 106 & Park, where he humiliated countless competitors with his wit and freestyling abilities. That caught the attention of the people from Ruff Ryder, which is home to big names like DMX and Eve.

Currently, the video for his first single, "Learn Chinese," can be seen on MTV and BET. His debut album, The Rest Is History, is slated for release on July 13 and features production by Wyclef Jean, Swizz Beats, Kanye West, Bink, and Ruff Ryder beatmakers such as Elite, Devone, and Neo. (On Thursday (April 2), Jin performs at Richard's on Richards with Vancouver's Usual Suspecs.)

While climbing the ladder to success, the MC admits there have been loose rungs in the form of skeptics.

"I don't think people really realize the position I'm in and really how difficult it is," he explains. "Not that I'm complaining, but I just think people look at shooting videos, and the glam and the glitz, and think that it's easy. It is hard. On top of the music industry and rap, and all of that being a hard business to be in, I've got to deal with the extra stuff like the criticism and the nonbelievers. To an extent, I feel like I'm representing for certain individuals who hate me or don't want to see me succeed."

Ironically, Jin claims that the bulk of criticism he receives is from other Asians, who are quick to accuse him of using his ethnicity as a gimmick.

"All I know is, I go to sleep every night knowing I don't compromise anything, and as long as I'm comfortable with myself and those around me know that what I'm doing is with the right intention, then that's cool," he says. "They know the pride that I have in who I am."