Jay Park on the Secret Sauce for 'McNasty' and What Drives His Work Ethic: 'I'm Just a Human Being as Well' (Exclusive)

Hip-hop and R&B sensation Jay Park dishes out his latest club banger and the values that have kept him pioneering throughout a 16-year-long career

Jay Park is back in the kitchen, and he’s cooking up something hot.

With the bite of a sandwich dripping in sauce, a signature side of breakdancing and the garnish of a catchy rap, the 37-year-old artist is serving up yet another tasty club banger with "McNasty" and its remix, "Xtra McNasty."

The fans of the hip-hop and R&B performer, also dubbed the JWalkerz, will notice how the sizzling single falls into the footsteps of a previous hit that took the club scene by storm.

"I had a song that has that ‘MOMMAE’ energy, and so before I get older, I wanted to put it out so that we can enjoy it at the Waterbombs and at the festivals," the Seattle native tells PEOPLE on a late evening in Korea.

What fans might not realize is how long the hit track had been cooking on the grills. According to the international hitmaker, "McNasty" was first recorded three years ago, as well as a number of other unreleased R&B songs since. Yet, after balancing the tightrope of being an entrepreneur and a performer, he never found the luxury of time to release his versatile catalog in the way his artistry envisioned.

Now, Park is continuing to pioneer in his own distinct way with 16 years in the music scene behind him. So far, the singer and rapper has released over 400 songs and features while working as the founder and former CEO of three hip-hop labels — AOMG, H1GHR MUSIC, MORE VISION —  and the founder of modern soju brand Won Soju. Yet, the accomplishments have only been the highlights of a career filled with ups and downs.

Before Park could ever rise up in the music industry, breakdancing first gave him a sense of identity while growing up in Seattle with minimal Asian American representation. Although his passion as a b-boy led him to never take school as seriously, he made a group of friends that he continues to stay close to.

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Soon after, the “Dedicated 2 U” singer left everything behind to become a K-pop idol in Korea after a successful talent audition and struggled to adjust in an unfamiliar environment. After a turning point, Park decided to “start from zero” and re-build his career as a solo artist. From there, he hustled with a work ethic unheard of for most idols and artists.

"Even though I’m not broke anymore, I still work like I’m broke," Park muses. "I need something going. Otherwise, if I get complacent, then everybody that I’m working with will get complacent and there’s no progress. I feel like humans were put on this earth to continue to progress and evolve and to learn, and so that's what I'm trying to do."

Being a pioneer can eventually take its toll, and the "All I Wanna Do" singer doesn’t hide the fact that he faces constant challenges despite external success. However, he tells PEOPLE he’ll sometimes remain private about his hardest battles to keep his parents and closest friends from worrying. In that spirit, the "WYA" artist emphasizes the merits of being kind to those around him and to constantly practice gratitude.

"You never know what kinds of hardships or what kinds of demons anybody’s fighting or whatever it may be,” Park says. “Everybody’s the same, whether you’re a singer or you’re working somewhere or whatever it may be — everybody’s going through something, but it’s just different."

Keeping his old friends in his life has always helped him stay grounded and humble during the highest moments. But as the course of life naturally drifts people apart, he recognizes how much effort it takes to maintain relationships.

"I’m just a human being as well — I’m not a God," the dancer says. "But to me, I always try to see the good in people. I always try to inspire and try to create something positive out of every situation because there’s so much negativity and evil out there in the world. I try my best not to add to it."

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It often takes just as much effort to sail through the tougher moments of outside scrutiny. But that comes with the territory of his job, and he knows he can either let opinions of him control his behavior, or control his mood instead. But with how fast the landscape of the industry changes, he tries not to waste his energy in the wrong direction. After all, achieving something is one thing — but maintaining it for a long time is much more difficult, according to Park.

"There’s always new faces, new people coming up," the songwriter says. "I have to be on the edge of my seat and stay on my toes in order for me to not lose my spot and to maintain it."

"It’s something that I think about all the time, and that’s why you see me working nonstop all the time," the "SOLO" performer adds.

What can be a “blessing and a curse” is getting older in an industry that’s hard to age well in, Park says. Though many fans believe the 37-year-old still has the energy of a young twentysomething with the way he dances and maintains a fit physique, Park says he still feels the rising pressure to not lose the people and the things he’s responsible for.

"It’s like a double-edged sword, where I hate it and love it," Park says. "I need it in order for me to progress and to level up, but I would rather live without the pressure."

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He also notices how the K-pop industry tends to focus on the numbers and what’s trendy at the moment. What then falls into the background are the legends who paved the way despite hardship at the start, but are unappreciated because of their older age. The blind focus on commercialism over artistry is not only what inspired the opposite values in Park’s labels, but also how he evaluates his future legacy.

"I think people who appreciate me, appreciate me," the "GANADARA" performer says. "People that don’t — they see me as an uncle, I don’t know. But I think it’s one of those things where when I’m gone, I think they’ll appreciate me more than right now."

"I’m content with that because at the end of the day, I never sold my soul," he continues to reflect. "I have the same people around me that I had in high school, and I provided a better life and opportunities for all of them while maintaining my status and building our businesses, and not a lot of people have done that. I’m content and proud of what I’ve accomplished."

Creating better circumstances for himself and those he cares about has always been what his purpose has boiled down to. After all, being a singer was never his initial dream, but became an opportunity that fell into his lap. From there, he knew he had to do his best to take advantage of it.

"It’s not about sales, it’s not about how many views I get," he says with resolute confidence. "At the end of the day, I can be proud of who I am and the people that support me can be proud of me. As long as it’s that, then I’m good."

"McNasty" and "Dedicated 2 U" are now available to stream.

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