The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 75

The music video for “Gwangju UP” wrapped up much faster than anticipated.

The original schedule spanned three days, from Friday afternoon to Sunday, but once they got rolling, they captured most of the footage by Saturday evening.

All that remained was the street performance slated for Sunday evening.

The 888 Crew members journeyed around Gwangju, mirroring the lyrics of “Gwangju UP.”

They hit spots like the Express Bus Terminal, Gwangju Station, the Biennale [an art exhibition], Geumnam-ro [a major street in Gwangju], Sejong Music Store, Gungjeon Confectionery, and the Gwangju Tigers Home Stadium (Mudeung Stadium), among others.

The members embraced the lyrics wholeheartedly. They indulged in *sundae* [Korean blood sausage] dipped in *chojang* [vinegar-gochujang sauce] and savored *kongguksu* [cold soybean noodle soup] sprinkled with sugar, just as the song described. Park In-hyuk even filmed himself downing a bottle of *Ipsaeju* [a local soju brand] in one go.

At Deputy Manager Go Won-guk’s insistence, they filmed numerous takes at Mudeung Stadium, but they truly covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

But they weren’t tired at all.

“Ah, Hwan *hyung* [older brother or male friend]! NG! NG! [NG is a Korean abbreviation for ‘No Good’, used when a take is ruined]”

“What? What’s wrong? Didn’t you see the soul I poured into that gesture?”

“Your face is just too ugly. We need to shoot that again, I think.”

“…Should we just film it in our next lives, then?”

If anything, they were having a blast.

While filming, the 888 Crew members promoted their upcoming street performance at Gwangju’s Gusi-cheong intersection on Sunday to the onlookers.

The plan was to incorporate the Jeonju World DJ Festival performance video that Woo Min-ho had saved and the “Gwangju UP” performance video from Club Homie into the music video.

However, they also needed performance scenes filmed within Gwangju itself. This was because the “Gwangju UP” music video was primarily intended for the Gwangju Tigers fans.

“Deputy Manager Go is sacrificing his weekend for us. What should we do?”

“Anyway, when I go home, all that greets me is the cockroach in my studio. It’s nothing.”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Deputy Manager Go Won-guk’s dedication, even giving up his weekend.

Woo Min-ho’s inspired directing.

With these two combined, the crew members’ expectations for the music video soared even higher.

When the amplifier, rented from Sejong Music Store, was set up at the Gusi-cheong intersection, it immediately drew attention. As the camera was positioned, people enjoying their weekend on the street began to gather, one by one.

With posters and banners displaying the ‘888 X 888’ logo in place, all preparations were complete.

Everyone was sporting eye-catching crew tees, making the performers easily identifiable.

“Hello! We are the 888 Crew, making hip-hop music in Gwangju!”

Jun-hyung’s shout received a modest response. The main contributors were some familiar faces who enjoyed the 888 Crew and had come after seeing the announcement on their Cyworld club [a popular Korean social networking site in the 2000s].

However, most people didn’t pay much attention. Gusi-cheong intersection was usually just a place to meet up with friends.

Seeing the camera and speakers, they simply watched with mild curiosity.

In this atmosphere, Kim Hwan, Park In-hyuk, and Oh Min-ji launched the street performance with “Coffee Machine.”

Instant coffee,

My pencil that conveys Korean sensibility

My watch is not a luxury brand, but a Dolphin

My tongue is pumping every time I rap

When Park In-hyuk, with “Sugar 3, Cream 3,” started rapping, more people than expected began to take notice. It seemed to be due to Park In-hyuk’s energy and the infectious beat.

Busking.

The act of performing music on the street to earn money from passers-by.

As the 2010s progressed, quite a few buskers (busking musicians) emerged in Korea, but it was still a relatively new phenomenon.

Grinding in each way!

Blue Mountain, this is Climbing!

“Thank you. That was ‘Coffee Machine’!”

The performance continued, starting with “Coffee Machine.” Perhaps due to the novelty and unfamiliarity, more and more people gathered, and before they knew it, a crowd had formed around the 888 Crew.

“Uh, watch out for the cable there!”

“Camera! Hey, I told you not to bump the camera, handsome guy!”

The biggest appeal of street performances was the lack of barriers.

Traditional performances create a sense of distance between musicians and listeners because of the stage. Of course, that distance differentiates musicians and can create a sense of longing and curiosity in listeners, but that’s not always a positive thing.

On the other hand, street performances put musicians within easy reach. They can even chat with the audience during breaks.

Also, because the audience isn’t expecting the performance, it can feel like a surprise event. In some ways, impromptu performances can be more enjoyable than formal concerts.

“Ah, this song wasn’t planned, but the vibe is great! Can we play our crew’s group song?”

Sounds of ‘Okay!’ rippled through the crowd.

“Eight, Eight, Eight” began. Starting with the ear-splitting cheers of some audience members who had attended Club Homie’s performance, the atmosphere heated up.

Not all cell phones had cameras yet, but those who did were constantly filming.

The amp and microphone weren’t top-of-the-line, but the performance was electrifying.

The 888 Crew members consistently shouted out the 888 Crew, Gwangju, Bitgoeul [another name for Gwangju], and other local references, further energizing the crowd. They even gave a shout-out to the *kimbap* [Korean seaweed rice roll] store that had readily provided them with a power cord, and Park In-hyuk was playfully embarrassed by his impromptu freestyle rap.

A man approached and asked if they could do something special for his girlfriend’s birthday, so everyone sang “Happy Birthday” together.

“Do you know why there’s a camera over there?”

Sang-hyun stepped forward and continued.

“Our 888 Crew will be singing the cheer song for the Gwangju Tigers this time. Do you guys know player Han Gwang-soo?”

As expected in a city with such a strong passion for baseball, many people nodded. Han Gwang-soo had even made appearances on entertainment programs, so he was quite well-known.

“This song will be used as Han Gwang-soo’s cheer song. And the music video will be uploaded to the Gwangju Tigers website. If anyone doesn’t want their face to be in the music video, please step aside for a moment.”

No one moved.

“Hey, *sis* [term of endearment for a younger female], are you going to be in the music video like that? Your bag is open!”

“Huh?”

Starting with Sang-hyun’s joke, “Gwangju UP” began.

The crew members, huddled behind Sang-hyun, bent their knees and stretched out as they shouted “Up!”, riding the rhythm. And the audience quickly caught on.

“Gwangju!”

“Up-!”

“Gwangju Up” was a song that was always exciting to sing. The feeling of sharing the same city and era quickly fostered a sense of connection with the audience.

“Gwangju Up!”

The street performance concluded with “Gwangju Up.”

The audience was disappointed, but they had run out of prepared beats, and they couldn’t prolong it any further due to complaints from nearby stores about the noise disrupting their business.

“Mid-October! The 888 Crew Show is scheduled at the Gentle Straight in front of Jeondae [Chonnam National University], so if you’re interested, please come check out our club!”

With the promotion of the planned ‘888 Crew Show’ complete, people slowly began to disperse.

Deputy Manager Go Won-guk, who was manning the fixed camera, and Woo Min-ho, who was running around with the other camera, both gave a thumbs up.

All the ingredients were there; now, only editing remained.

If the Tigers’ PR department didn’t find fault with the quality, it would likely be uploaded to the website within three or four days.

‘How much of a promotional effect will it have?’

Sang-hyun had vague expectations, but he didn’t have a specific goal. However, like Jun-hyung’s interview with the former show business figure, he wanted to solidify the image of ‘Gwangju Hip-hop = 888 Crew’.

‘I hope Han Gwang-soo does well.’

Wouldn’t the song be played every time he got a hit?

Sang-hyun started rooting for a baseball player for the first time in his life.

***

“*Oppa* [term used by females to address older brothers or male friends]! It’s starting!”

“Yeah!”

Sang-hyun hurriedly rushed to the TV, abandoning the ramen he was cooking. The sports news he had been eagerly awaiting since the afternoon was finally beginning.

Sang-hyun cheered as the female announcer began her report.

“Oh yeah!”

Because the story about Han Gwang-soo was the lead story.

-This is professional baseball news.

Gwangju Tigers’ Han Gwang-soo finally played his debut game wearing the Tigers uniform. Watched by many fans, Han Gwang-soo showcased his impressive hitting ability with 3 hits and 1 home run in 5 at-bats.

Here is reporter Joo Young-min.

-On July 31, just before the trade deadline, Han Gwang-soo was dramatically traded from the Ulsan Pirates to their rival, the Gwangju Tigers.

As it was a major trade between rival teams, it garnered significant attention from fans. However, Han Gwang-soo was placed on the injured list for four weeks due to a thigh injury he sustained shortly after the trade.

Han Gwang-soo, who had recently returned to team training and raised expectations for his debut game, played his first game as a Tiger, wearing the Gwangju Tigers uniform, on September 8 today.

Sang-hyun watched the news with a pounding heart. He didn’t yet know if the story about the cheer song would be included. He had no advance knowledge of the news content.

Originally, Sang-hyun had planned to go to the baseball stadium with the crew members on September 7, when Han Gwang-soo was initially scheduled to debut. However, the trip fell through, and he was disappointed.

Instead, thanks to Deputy Manager Go Won-guk, with whom he had become quite friendly, he was able to speak with Han Gwang-soo in the locker room.

‘Please get a hit.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘You have to get a hit for the cheer song to be played.’

‘Oh? You mean “Gwangju Up”?’

He learned that Han Gwang-soo’s girlfriend had been a huge hip-hop fan since living in the United States. Thanks to her, he had heard “Gwangju Up.”

The news now showed Han Gwang-soo’s highlights.

Single, double, and home run.

Finally, a clip of him being narrowly tagged out at third base was shown.

-If he hadn’t been out in his fourth at-bat, Han Gwang-soo would have almost achieved the 13th cycle (hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in any order) in professional baseball history.

Gwangju Tigers fans enthusiastically supported Han Gwang-soo, who had gone from being a hero of the rival team to a hero of their own.

-Gwangsoo Up! Gwangsoo Up!

-Light Gwang Hit Soo Gwangsoo Up! [a play on words using Han Gwang-soo’s name]

Sang-hyun and Sang-mi, who were watching the news, exchanged glances. Then, they shouted, “Wow!” and high-fived.

“It’s on!”

The cheer song was being broadcast.

The news ended with Han Gwang-soo’s MVP interview.

Sang-mi was even more excited than Sang-hyun and ran around the room. Meanwhile, the “Gwangju UP” video uploaded to the Gwangju Tigers website hadn’t gained much traction. This was because Han Gwang-soo hadn’t debuted yet, which Sang-mi kept lamenting.

“I have to brag to my friends!”

Sang-mi quickly went to her room and grabbed her charging cell phone. Sang-hyun also quickly unlocked his phone.

-Did you see it?

-Sang-hyun! Did you see the news?

-It’s on KBS [Korean Broadcasting System]. Did it air on MBC [Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation]?

Messages from the quick-thinking crew members were already flooding in.

‘Damn it, when is KakaoTalk [a popular messaging app] coming out?’

It was annoying to reply to each person individually. But Sang-hyun had a smile on his face. Actually, he wasn’t annoyed at all.

The two siblings tapped away on their cell phones for more than thirty minutes without saying a word. The faint smell of burning ramen lingered in the air.

< Verse 12. Gwangju UP! (End) >

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