Welcome to Sori Zilla
My name is Jack "Zilla" Lyons. I am an entrepreneur, actor, rapper, amateur photographer, and all-around multi-player. Although I grew up in the US, I have been living, working, and playing in Seoul, South Korea, since 2010.
I chose the name Sori Zilla for my overall brand back in 2012. Here in Korea, a musician shouting 'sori-jilleo' (소리질러) is similar to an English-speaking musician shouting, "Make some noise!" Inspiring people to 'make noise' and stand out within their chosen passions and vocations...that's what I'm all about!
Upon arriving in Korea, I immediately immersed myself in the music scene. I taught myself how to DJ and started working at various bars and clubs throughout Seoul. This brought me deeper into Seoul’s nightlife and eventually led me to host my own parties and events in popular neighborhoods such as Itaewon and Hongdae. Hosting my own events allowed me to explore a hidden passion of mine... rapping. From the first time I hit the stage, I knew it was for me. Although I never produced my own album, I have been featured on several songs and have performed in concerts and festivals all over Korea.
In 2014, I started my career as a professional actor. Since then, I have appeared in numerous major films, dramas, and commercials. Along the way, I have been fortunate to work alongside top Korean actors and actresses such as Ha Jung-woo, Lee Jung Jae, Ra Miran, Nam Googmin, Lee Sungyun, and Lee Sung Kyung, as well as director Bong Joon-ho. I’m not as active on film and TV as I once was. However, I still act from time to time.
In 2015, I joined the nightlife entertainment startup Entourage Seoul as its Chief Operations Officer. At Entourage, we produced several successful concerts, parties, and events throughout Seoul and consulted some of the city's top live entertainment companies and venues.
I continued my mission to inspire artists and entertainers by founding FAME Entertainment Group in 2017, a Seoul-based artist consultancy. FAME, which stands for Fashion, Art, Music, & Entertainment, aims to support artistic and creative entrepreneurs in growing their businesses through the FAME Creators Network, which we launched in the winter of 2018. My goal with FAME is to challenge the stereotype of the "Starving Artist." I firmly believe that art and creativity are as valuable as the practices of medicine and law. It is important that individuals pursuing creative careers are not discouraged by the perception of risk. This is what FAME ultimately aims to address. Unfortunately, like many other businesses in the winter of 2020, we were forced to cease operations of FAME due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we have not been active. However, I remain inspired as members of the artist community often inquire about the potential relaunch of FAME, and I remain hopeful that that will happen.
During the pandemic, when the entire entertainment industry shut down, I had to find alternative ways to use my skills. I decided to delve into corporate marketing and learn about global trade principles. Consequently, I transitioned into roles such as a marketing consultant, communications director, and corporate matchmaker for startups and multinational corporations. I've been utilizing my expertise to facilitate connections between Korean companies and businesses in the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Subsequently, I launched a sub-brand of my family’s business called The 2X Project.