The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 77

< Verse 13. Circle >

After that, a surprising amount of time was spent on Sangmi’s webtoon.

In late August, Naver Webtoon officially launched, and Sangmi was among the first amateur creators to serialize her work. Thanks to Sanghyun’s constant encouragement and nagging about the webtoon market’s potential, Sangmi had a decent backlog of completed chapters.

Sangmi started in the ‘Challenge Cartoonist’ section [a section for amateur webtoon creators on Naver].

The title was *888 Crew*.

Originally, she began serializing under the title *888 X 888,* but it was deemed too confusing and a potential barrier for new readers. So, at Sanghyun’s suggestion, she changed it.

Other title candidates included *The Rapstar* and *Make Some Noise*. However, *Make Some Noise* felt too generic, and Sangmi actively opposed Sanghyun’s “masterpiece,” *The Rapstar*.

‘Ugh, what’s *The Rapstar*? So childish.’

‘Why? It’s totally cool!’

‘Is that cool? Doesn’t it sound like a seafood restaurant?’

Sanghyun clicked his tongue at Sangmi’s reaction.

To Sanghyun, the word ‘Rapstar’ evoked a thrilling, ultimate ideal, but he had to concede since Sangmi disliked it.

Anyway, Sanghyun took on a role akin to a ‘story consultant’ for Sangmi’s webtoon.

It was a natural fit in many ways.

Sangmi’s webtoon chronicled the story of the 888 Crew. It was difficult for Sangmi, who wasn’t deeply involved in the music scene, to accurately portray all the situations simply by observing. Plus, there were events she didn’t witness firsthand.

The Sejong Instruments store performance. The scramble for gigs.

The first meeting of the 888 Crew. The *Show Business* interview.

Sanghyun’s inner thoughts. The bonds within the crew.

The crew’s hostility towards *Show Business* or Lee Kyungmin of Golden Finger, and so on.

With Sanghyun’s help, Sangmi created a webtoon that was about 80% based on real events and 20% fiction. The readers’ reactions were quite positive.

The webtoon audience wasn’t huge yet, but with increased readership, there seemed to be a good chance of success.

‘When will Jo Seok’s *The Sound of Heart* come out? I think that’s when people really started flocking to webtoons. And… it exploded with the popularization of smartphones, probably?’

Sanghyun remembered that after smartphones became ubiquitous, nearly every university student would be reading webtoons during lectures.

Currently, Daum Webtoon was a major player, but Sanghyun stubbornly insisted that Sangmi publish on Naver. He hoped the Naver webtoon market would grow quickly because of it.

‘Sangmi, only upload a new chapter every two weeks until you sign a contract with Naver and start serializing officially.’

‘Why? Don’t people like it when you upload frequently?’

‘The established writers Naver hires will draw in the crowds. If you work hard to build the market but don’t get to enjoy the benefits, it’s not worth it, right?’

Sangmi didn’t fully grasp Sanghyun’s reasoning, but she obediently followed his advice.

She still teased and treated her brother playfully, but their bond was stronger than that of most families.

Lastly, Sanghyun dedicated most of his time to working on songs with the crew. It was a natural and ongoing process, but there was a key difference from the past.

There was now a clear ‘sense of purpose.’

The 888 Crew members had previously tried to create good songs primarily for performances at Club Homie.

Sanghyun’s approach hadn’t been much different.

However, the lessons learned from performing at Club Homie added direction to their musical endeavors. It was the difference between creating music for ‘performance’ versus creating a ‘sound recording.’

The distinction between performance songs and sound recordings wasn’t simply about energetic versus less energetic tracks. It was about the overall vibe the song conveyed.

For example, among the songs performed at Club Homie, tracks like “Background” or “Do Dream” were considered less successful choices.

Of course, the performance itself was well-received, largely due to the energy of songs like “Gwangju Up” and the enthusiastic atmosphere created by the hip-hop fans.

However, the vibe that “Background” and “Do Dream” projected on stage had several disappointing aspects, at least by their standards.

-The fact that the lyrics are clearly delivered and the performance is executed without mistakes doesn’t guarantee that the song is perfectly expressed.

It was a valuable lesson learned from that performance.

Sanghyun personally felt something was lacking when singing “So Tight.” However, he couldn’t immediately pinpoint the issue or suggest a solution. After all, Sanghyun’s musical experience was still relatively limited.

But it was clear that the 888 Crew members had grasped the essence of the problem.

‘Why did “Do Dream” or “Background” underperform?’

‘Isn’t the word “failed” a bit harsh? The performance itself was good.’

‘But we weren’t satisfied.’

‘Hmm…’

Junhyung was lost in thought.

‘Isn’t it because the emotions are too subtle? When you try to project the lyrics on stage, the voice gets louder, and it’s easy to lose the nuances.’

‘But that’s the musician’s skill, not the song’s inherent problem, right? Honestly, I don’t think we’ll be able to inject a lot of energy into the performance even if we sing “Do Dream” after we get much better.’

‘I agree with that.’

As Park Inhyuk and Junhyung began to debate, the other members who were writing lyrics or listening to music joined the conversation. Junhyung, Minji, and Hayeon, the creators of “Do Dream,” were particularly engaged.

‘I think we made the wrong MR [music recorded] for “Do Dream” for the performance. Wouldn’t it have been much better if we had layered a doubling effect with reverb on the melody?’

‘Really? But isn’t that separate from the vibe you’re trying to convey?’

‘No. It’s a kind of live performance technique.’

‘No, I think that’s a cop-out. Doubling doesn’t really help, and I don’t think you can blame it for the song’s shortcomings.’

Sanghyun, listening to their discussion, smiled inwardly.

The biggest reason why the 888 Crew’s music was developing at such an incredible pace was their mutual trust.

A strong belief that no matter what they said, no one would take it personally and would recognize it as simply an opinion. Trust.

Because of this, they expressed their opinions without hesitation.

‘I think the verse order is wrong in “Do Dream.” The fact that Hayeon and Minji are 빠지고 [left out] in the 1st and 3rd verses because they are female voices, and Junhyung went into the 2nd verse to hold the center is proof that the verses were composed without much thought.’

‘I know what you mean, *oppa* [older brother or male friend], but we were thinking about the order of the lyrics. I knock, Junhyung opens the door, and Minji *unnie* [older sister or female friend] enters, that’s the kind of development we envisioned.’

‘No, that’s a development that only the musicians who wrote the lyrics can understand. Honestly, it looks to me like everyone is knocking on the door to achieve success?’

‘It may seem like that, but anyway, the composition of the song is up to the musicians.’

‘But it’s the public’s reaction that completes the song. You know how stupid it is for an underground musician to ignore popularity, right?’

Hayeon and Kim Hwan exchanged opinions and clashed fiercely.

It was so intense that someone unfamiliar with the 888 Crew might mistake it for an internal conflict. This fighting spirit might be characteristic of those passionate about hip-hop music.

However, Shin Hayeon and Kim Hwan harbored no resentment towards each other. There was no time to dwell on that. Their target was the other person’s opinion, not their personality or existence.

‘Sanghyun, what do you think?’

Hayeon finally asked Sanghyun. Sanghyun’s role at this point was simple.

-Click.

Just play the song.

“Do Dream” flowed through the studio speakers. Everyone stopped arguing and focused on the music.

“Do Dream’s” instrumental was the first hip-hop beat composed by Hyung Minsik. Perhaps because of this, the orchestral elements were more prominent than the drum samples.

The opportunity I’m trying to catch,

It’s probably proportional to the number of times I knocked on the door

If someone doesn’t open it from the inside

I’ll knock harder and break down the door

‘Kuh, kills it.’

Kim Hwan, who was listening intently, nodded in admiration.

In Hayeon’s lyrics, the phrase ‘I’ll knock harder and break down the door’ was a favorite among the crew members.

The crew members, who had been nodding along to the rhythm, resumed their heated debate as soon as the music stopped.

Sanghyun was convinced that this process would greatly benefit them and that something profound would be etched in their hearts, even if they couldn’t articulate it.

Now Sanghyun joined the fray.

‘In my opinion, I think the disappointment felt in “Do Dream” is entirely Junhyung’s fault. Junhyung, your rap is seriously lacking.’

‘What is it?’

‘Presence.’

He joined the war seriously, but Sanghyun was quickly defeated, unable to withstand Junhyung’s chokehold and Oh Minji’s pinch attack.

The songs that the 888 Crew was preparing weren’t limited to performance tracks. There were other projects in the works.

First, the 888 Crew’s first mixtape.

Mix Tape.

A mixtape was a non-commercial album featuring original raps over existing beats. It’s also called a mix CD, but the term mixtape became common because cassette tapes were the primary medium when the format first emerged.

In the United States, mixtapes were a crucial part of the culture and a stepping stone to success. Over 90% of famous rappers rose to prominence through mixtapes. By consistently releasing mixtapes while unknown, they were able to sign with record labels and break into the mainstream.

This approach contrasted with the Korean system, where agency-created singers were the dominant force.

Of course, over time, rappers like Dok2, Swings, and Zico emerged in Korea and achieved success with mixtapes.

The second project was collaborations.

After the Homie performance, several musicians offered to collaborate. Most were from the Club Homie lineup, but there were also unexpected offers.

First, ‘Indie Kid,’ who was strangely involved in the *Show Business* situation. It was unclear if Indie Kid had attended the performance, but drummer Kim Woonggak called directly.

Next was a ballad singer named Ahn Seonghyuk. He wasn’t a top-tier artist, but he had a hit song, which Sanghyun found absurd.

‘Ahn Seonghyuk?’

After careful consideration, Sanghyun accepted Indie Kid’s collaboration offer but rejected Ahn Seonghyuk’s.

He had spoken with the planning department at Ahn Seonghyuk’s agency, and they were planning a song similar to ‘I love you, Oh thank you,’ performed by MC Mong and Kim Taewoo [a popular song featuring a rapper and a singer].

It wasn’t a question of whether ballad rap was good or bad.

Sanghyun simply felt that it was time to focus entirely on the underground scene.

And finally, the thing that kept him busy was…

‘Lee Sanghyun! Didn’t you do your homework again?!’

‘……’

He was busy neglecting his homework and taking exams without studying, so he was getting scolded by his teachers.

‘Ah, I want to graduate.’

***

The 25th of every month was a day that hip-hop fans eagerly anticipated.

This was because ‘Hip Hop LE,’ the largest hip-hop community in Korea, released its monthly interview.

Hip Hop LE’s interview series, ‘Rapper of the Month,’ had featured Bae Ga and Stars Records in August, recognizing their large-scale hip-hop performance that had filled the void left by Club Masterplan [a famous hip-hop club that closed down].

And September 25th was approaching.

Hip-hop fans knew who the September rapper would be without needing to be told. It had to be them. If it wasn’t, it would be a complete joke.

Hip Hop LE September Musician Interview.

888 Crew.

< Verse 13. Circle > End

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