The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 69

Verse 11. Hommie Vol.1 (End)

Junhyung’s weighty low tone, yet fast rap.

Inhyuk’s high tone and swaggering, sauntering rap.

Kim Hwan’s relaxed rap, maximizing delivery while keeping the beat.

Minji’s sharp, feminine voice with offbeat rap.

Hayeon’s melodic yet solid rap.

The verse combination of Eight, Eight, Eight, decided upon after much deliberation by all six members, created a tremendous synergy effect.

Two rappers painted their colors within 16 bars, and the feeling was that the colors mixed appropriately without being messy.

In particular, Oh Minji benefited the most.

In fact, Oh Minji was the member with the least developed rap skills within the crew. However, with Kim Hwan supporting her with his steady beat and relaxed rap, Oh Minji’s rap sounded much more sophisticated than usual.

We, Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew!

We, Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew!

-We Eight!

Even if we chill (hang out) every day, we’re still on top.

If you want to compare to us, your nine is impossible [referring to being a level above a 9/10 score].

The chorus elicited an increasingly great response, just as Sanghyun had imagined. However, it didn’t quite reach the ‘completely crazy’ atmosphere he had secretly hoped for. There was disappointment, but he wasn’t discouraged.

That’s just how the trap genre is. Trap music, which includes the meaning of ‘trap’ [a place where you can get stuck or caught], is a genre that you fall into the more you listen to it.

In fact, Sanghyun didn’t like trap at first. No, he was one of those who disliked it. This was because of its characteristic of prioritizing the turn-up vibe rather than the expressiveness and solid skills of rap.

However, at some point, he found himself humming trap music in the shower without even realizing it.

‘Today isn’t the only day.’

Eight, Eight, Eight was a song made with the long term in mind.

In a small sense, it was 888 Crew’s first group song, and in a larger sense, they wanted to leave a mark as the pioneers of trap music in Korean hip-hop history.

So,

‘I have to kill the ending.’

Finally, Hayeon’s melodic eight bars ended, and it was Sanghyun’s turn.

Sanghyun wrapped the towel with the 888 logo around his neck and put it on his head. Just in time, the quick-witted Junhyung unfurled the banner. Sanghyun shrugged his shoulders and arrived in front of the banner.

The banner with the logo embroidered in white on a black background.

The T-shirt with the logo printed in black on a white background.

The moment the two symbols intersected, creating a swaggering spectacle!

Finally, Sanghyun’s rap began to strike the audience.

I clock in to the beat on time again today.

I kill time with freestyle.

When I go home, my wife nags me again.

I make excuses for working overtime.

My company is filled with Rhyme work.

I take out all the copied tracks.

Today, I’m on a business trip to Dirty South [a subgenre of hip-hop originating from the Southern United States].

What should I do with Rhyme? Recognize Me.

Sanghyun was now living the life he had dreamed of. A life of clocking in to the beat instead of the company. A life where he didn’t care even if the ‘wife,’ the universal rule of society, nagged him.

There was no other work in the company, only rhyme work. And today was the day he was going on a business trip to the Dirty South genre called trap, which he had never done before.

‘So, what do I get paid for this business trip?’

There was no need to answer. Because the audience was giving him a huge cheer as payment. A thrill that could not be compared to any material thing.

I’m Back. 난 Another. Next Level

My only interest is estrogen

I’ll make you hot with just my rap

If you don’t believe me, want to test it out here?

Graduated from college and wear a tie,

Instead of white collar, the method is black

Skin is yellow, but as you know

If you mix it with black, it all turns black

If he had lived a life represented by white collar in his previous life, now his life was not white collar or blue collar, but black collar.

When Sanghyun’s explosive rap was unleashed, people cheered wildly.

Trap music’s unique 808 drum [a drum machine known for its deep bass sounds] splitting the beat into small pieces. How could any hip-hop fan resist the solid rap that followed?

Kwaang-!

It sounded like something was exploding.

And that sound was the sound of ‘silence.’

Ironically, when the sound that had been constantly pounding the eardrums suddenly went out, a shock of silence fell on the audience’s buzzing ears.

Then Junhyung threw off his T-shirt and grabbed the microphone.

“It’s Sunday tomorrow, why are you holding back?”

Sanghyun, Junhyung, Inhyuk, Hwan, Minho, Hayeon, Sangmi, Minji.

All the members of the 888 Crew shouted in unison.

“MAKE SOME NOISE_____!”

The last chorus unfolded against the backdrop of the audience’s huge cheers.

We, Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew-!

We, Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew-!

Verse 12. Gwangju UP

……As such, Bae-ga’s hidden efforts were the foundation for the successful hosting of Hommie Vol.1. The author believes that Bae-ga’s name will never be erased from the history of Korean hip-hop that will follow.

This is because I am convinced that the Hommie Vol.1 performance, which took place on August 27, 2005, will be recorded as the best performance in Korean hip-hop history.

Therefore, hip-hop fans who watched today’s performance can be proud. Today’s performance, created by your cheers and shouts, left a great mark on Korean hip-hop history, and your faces will be engraved on the back of that mark.

I’m still excited. To calm down, I would like to talk about today’s lineup first…….

(Omission)

I am sorry and grateful to the readers who have patiently read the review so far. It took a really long time. It was to mention 888 Crew, the hero of Hommie Vol.1.

(I’m sorry to Stars Records and Bae-ga, who I have a personal relationship with.)

The reason why I put off mentioning 888 Crew until the end was because I thought that once I started talking about them, I would only talk about 888 Crew’s performance throughout the review. Ignoring Bae-ga’s efforts and the hard work of numerous performers.

That’s right. I declare today that I am a fan of 888 Crew. Looking back, it’s funny that I wrote a review criticizing 888 Crew just a month ago.

The hip-hop vibe they showed today was revolutionary, and their movement was progressive. I would like to dare to say that they kicked away the chronic problems of Korean hip-hop.

This is not simply a matter of 888 Crew being good at rapping and performing. It’s about the spectrum they showed to the world through today’s stage.

Do readers know how many hip-hop genres 888 Crew showcased today?

In fact, I’m not sure that my classification is accurate. But what is clear is that among the six songs they showed today, no two songs overlapped in genre. Except for the very large framework called hip-hop.

Gwangju UP exudes the scent of ‘New School East Coast Hip Hop.’

It was a song that brought in the drum source unique to East Coast hip-hop, but the way it was used was the recent trendy New School method. I would like to evaluate that it was a very appropriate song to announce 888 Crew in front of Korean hip-hop, where old school boombap [a style of hip-hop music] is the mainstream.

On the other hand, the next song, So Tight, borrowed the sound of ‘New School West Coast Hip Hop.’

In other words, they created a clear contrast between East Coast hip-hop and West Coast hip-hop within the category of New School…….

(Omission)

While mentioning Eight, Eight, Eight, the explanation of trap became lengthy. This was because I thought that the trap genre would be unfamiliar to readers.

I’m planning to write another review about 888 Crew in a few days. At that time, I’m going to do an in-depth analysis of the 888 Crew’s performance songs that I’ve briefly mentioned so far.

That’s right. All that’s left is ‘F*** the Show Business.’

I was quite embarrassed when 888 Crew left the stage after Eight, Eight, Eight. Like all hip-hop fans, I really wanted to hear the live performance of F*** the Show Business.

So, I’m sorry to Bae-ga again, but I also shouted F*** the Show Business. But I never expected such a dramatic development. No, who could have expected it?

It’s not something a critic should say, but even the delusion that the god of hip-hop is artificially creating a situation to create Korea’s first ‘Rapstar’…….

-Hip-hop critic Ryu Je-hyun

***

Hommie Vol.1 ended successfully. No, the word ‘successful’ was too small. Rather, the expression ‘explosively’ was more appropriate.

In terms of admission revenue alone, it was not a huge amount of money. However, it was said to be the largest amount of revenue in the history of Korean hip-hop, which began in 1999.

‘The timing was good.’

Sanghyun thought as he picked up and ate well-cooked pork belly.

As he thought, the timing of this performance was very good.

The Hommie Vol.1 performance was on Saturday, August 27th. It was the perfect time for college students, who were starting classes on September 1st, to burn their last souls. A performance that stimulates the desire to play like crazy right before the start of the semester.

It was also appropriate to target the absence of the LOC Group’s Worldwide Indie Music Festival, which was held in the metropolitan area every mid-August.

I had heard that many indie fans in the metropolitan area, who had enjoyed World D. Fest every year, were left hanging in the air because this year’s World D. Fest was held in Jeonju.

In this situation, Hommie Vol.1 volunteered to be an alternative to World D. Fest, with the similarity of performance content, although the genre was different.

I don’t know if it was an idea from Bae-ga hyung’s head, but it was a very clever timing.

‘Looking at him now, I don’t think he’s that smart.’

Sanghyun shook his head and stuffed lettuce wraps into his mouth. When Sanghyun turned his head to the left, Bae-ga followed to the left. When he turned to the right with a flick, this time he followed to the right.

“Ah, hyung! I told you I’m not drinking?”

“Ah, why! Inhyuk said you’re a good drinker?”

“I’m still not drinking. Isn’t this Hanyang [a district in Seoul known for its nightlife], where you can get your nose cut off even with your eyes open [meaning it’s easy to get scammed or taken advantage of]? I have crew members and my younger sibling, so I have to take care of them. I can’t get drunk.”

“Do your crew members think the same way?”

“Of course!”

“The leader is already out of it?”

At Bae-ga’s words, Sanghyun looked behind him and saw Junhyung smiling dazedly. Ah, that damn bastard.

“Your crew’s oldest brothers are already drunk.”

When he turned his head again, Park Inhyuk, Woo Minho, and Kim Hwan’s eyes were already glazed over.

“And your younger sibling is wasted.”

“Yes?!”

Sanghyun was surprised, but Sangmi was fine. Instead, she was sipping beer with Oh Minji. She put a cider bottle next to her to pretend it was cider, but the color of the drink was yellowish.

Sanghyun jumped up from his seat and slapped Sangmi on the back. Sangmi, who was suddenly caught off guard, glared at him.