"Thirty years ago, from a mall kid, I became the mall owner" has become a famous line quoted from a song. Be The new release from KHSD THAITAY marks the "Coming Back to the Game" as legendary rapper JROC returns to the mic with a new single.
Those familiar with the scene may already know JROC as one of the pioneers who pushed Thai hip-hop since the 1990s, but many do not realize that he is also “Junior – Watchara Watcharaphon.” He is also the third-generation heir currently serving as co-CEO of Thairath TV and Thairath Online.
Few would believe that the "countercultural" image of a rebellious hip-hop artist from the underground scene—known for fierce, satirical, and direct lyrics—would be the same person holding a top executive position in a major national organization.
This article from Thairath Money in theHow to Make Moneycolumn will explore JROC’s journey—not just as an heir of the Watcharaphon family but as a young man who helped pioneer Thailand’s underground hip-hop scene. It covers his choice between personal passion and family duty, leading him to helm one of the country’s leading media companies.
Watchara Watcharaphon was born and raised in Thailand’s prestigious Watcharaphon family. He is the eldest grandson of Kamphon Watcharaphon, the legendary founder of Thairath newspaper since 1950, and the eldest son of Yingluck Watcharaphon, the second-generation heir and chief director of the Thairath Group.
Following Kamphon’s original intention to maintain business unity and family cohesion, all grandchildren were requested to use the Watcharaphon surname, and the eldest grandson was nicknamed "Junior" as a symbol of representing and reflecting the founder.
Watchara grew up with his two younger sisters, Nick - Jitsupa Watcharaphon and Nat - Thanwalai Watcharaphon, who later became the three pillars managing the third generation of Thairath Group.
With a passion for records and dreams of being a DJ, he entered the Thai hip-hop scene early on, befriending Khan-ngern Nuenuan and BMT, who at the time formed the group KHAN-T (Khan-Tee). He then met others sharing the same artistic passion, including Way - Prinya Intachai, known then as an actor and singer.
Life brought him the stage name JROC (reportedly given by foreign friends). His earlier stage name was “BIG JR.” As he immersed himself more in music, he discovered that writing rhymes and rapping could express his sharp, straightforward attitude. At just 15, BIG JR had the opportunity to record with KHAN-T on the track "Personal Story (Represent)".
In the 1990s, this was among Thailand’s pioneering hip-hop acts, breaking ground with bilingual rap and introducing American-style hip-hop culture more prominently. However, this period also coincided with Watchara’s departure to study abroad for high school at Suffield Academy in the U.S., after graduating from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School and attending Institut Monte Rosa boarding school in Montreux, Switzerland.
After high school, JROC pursued a bachelor's degree in Business Marketing at Hofstra University in New York City, living there for over five years. This period also saw the rise of the legendary hip-hop group
formed by Khan-ngern (KH), Way (then known as P.Cess), Day (SD or Sunny Day), Junior (JROC), T (BMT), Joey Boy, and many others, leading to the project “AA Crew.” KH once said the initials stood for Antic Artist, though it could mean anything from Artistic Asian to Asian Association.
This group embodied a full DIY spirit, recording and producing black cassette tapes stamped with a yellow AA Superman-style logo, distributed underground without a label. The first batch of only 100 tapes met huge demand, leading to continuous reissues.
AA’s success introduced Thai Rider, the debut album of Thaitanium, one of Thailand’s earliest hip-hop groups to gain serious recognition. Their crafted lyrics and idea exchanges created an underground wave that shook Thailand’s alternative music scene. JROC was a key figure behind this movement and is known as Thaitanium’s fourth member.
During the Thai Rider era, JROC graduated from Hofstra University and faced a crucial life choice. While his comrades remained in New York dedicating themselves full-time to albums, he chose to take on "responsibility" by returning to Thailand to continue the family legacy.
Bearing the surname and duties of a famous media heir, he returned to the Vibhavadi Rangsit area and spent over three years assisting his mother Yingluck Watcharaphon to learn management structures, newspaper editorial processes, and the country’s largest print distribution system.
By the late 2000s, the onset of digital disruption was apparent. He recognized that reliance on print media alone could not guarantee long-term survival, prompting him to initiate new business experiments. He established Trend VG3 Co., Ltd. to fully manage the Thairath Online website.
The VG3 name carries strategic meaning symbolizing lineage: Thairath Electronic News Development Vacharaphon Generation 3. Spinning off as an independent company served as a corporate sandbox, allowing younger teams to experiment with real-time news, digital content, and agile online ad revenue models without being trapped by traditional print operations.
Thairath’s move into Thai motion media began with joint cable TV investments with CTH to study network and production systems. The true turning point in Thairath’s history since founding the printing press came with the decision to bid for a digital terrestrial television license from the NBTC.
Under Triple V Broadcast Co., Ltd., the bid and launch of Thairath TV Channel 32 involved massive investments exceeding 6 billion baht, including licensing and network infrastructure. The first-year content production budget was set at 1 billion baht, aiming aggressively to place the station among the country’s top five within three years.
Under Watchara’s leadership as CEO, Thairath TV energized the industry by raising news standards to international levels, introducing Virtual Studio and Immersive Graphics technology to simulate in-depth news events, breaking away from traditional newsreading styles.
Program schedules prioritized news content as the station’s main draw. In an era of media fragmentation, Thairath now spans newspapers, websites, television, and multiple social media platforms. The three third-generation heirs manage the group collaboratively, modernizing its image while upholding Kamphon Watcharaphon’s original mission to serve the public.
When duty led him to become co-CEO of a major media company, his personal passion remained intact. Although he no longer tours full-time, JROC holds his status as the unofficial fourth member firmly. The hip-hop community recognizes his Old School rap skills, notable for flow, rhythm flips, clever wordplay, and unique sharpness.
JROC remains an important guest feature on nearly every Thaitanium album, delivering classic tracks fans can sing along to, such as "Twin Tower," "Run BKK," "I Am," and "Sick," with JROC himself writing the memorable hooks.
Strategically, JROC plays a key behind-the-scenes role in producing all Thaitanium Mixtapes. This platform acts as an incubator for new hip-hop artists nationwide, with Watchara deeply involved in talent scouting, recording supervision, and distribution to pass opportunities to the next generation.
In a past interview answering "If not a Thairath executive, what would you do?" he said he would likely run a small record label to work in music and promote emerging new talent.
Most recently, with "Be," the work of KHSD THAITAY unit—featuring Khan-ngern, Day, and Mega Perk—he returned to the recording studio.
From the iconic line, “I told you before, the world changes to Beast Mode and my life controls feel like remote,”
“Coming Back to the Game that I built, releasing slang I wrote,”
“But status changes from where life leads, thirty years from a mall kid to mall owner,”
to
“Grateful for all my crew, so blessed to receive all your support,”
and
“Y’all know me it’s JROC, let me be Imma set it free.”
Overall, the lyrics imply that true success isn’t about reaching the stars, but about living a balanced life with loved ones, awareness, and gratitude. Ambition remains good as long as one remembers the present is a gift. It also proves that believing in oneself and controlling life’s decisions is possible.
He never shed his artist identity; his rapper persona remains distinctive and instantly recognizable with smooth flow, rhythm shifts, wordplay, and sharpness reflecting his journey, which he embraces fully, blending both paths seamlessly.
Today, when time and opportunity allow, JROC still grabs the mic to join friends, DJs events, or rap on stage happily. His return to music is not for fame or money—his business status surpasses that—but serves as soul nourishment and honors his true passion’s roots.
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