The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 83

Verse 14. Be the Underground

The Gwangju Tigers secured 4th place, earning a spot in the 준플레이오프 [Semi-Playoffs].

They swept the last 3 games and could have aimed for 3rd place, but the Incheon Skies, who were in 3rd place, won 2 games, ultimately ending the season in 4th.

From Sanghyun’s perspective, it was actually a stroke of luck.

If the Gwangju Tigers had risen to 3rd place, the schedule would have been disrupted, and they might not have been able to hold the Gwangju UP performance at the Mudeung Stadium. Because of this, Sanghyun even cheered for the Gwangju Tigers to lose while watching the broadcast of their 3rd game.

The final schedule for the autumn baseball season was set from October 6th to October 25th.

Originally, it was scheduled to start on October 1st, but some games were postponed due to rain cancellations, ultimately delaying the autumn baseball season by 5 days.

The day after the Gwangju Tigers secured 4th place, the 888 Crew members headed to Mudeung Stadium, the home of the Gwangju Tigers, with Miju and Bang Minshik from L&S.

“Are we performing on this cheering platform? It’s too small for that… There won’t be any space for the band’s instruments, will there?”

“We plan to install an additional stage next to the platform. Think of it as about 2.5 times the size of the cheering platform you see now.”

“You’re widening the side and back lines, right?”

“Yes. The band L&S will be placed in the back in a ‘Crane Formation,’ and the 888 Crew members can perform freely in front of them. And the Gwangju UP music video will be shown on the electronic display board.”

At Deputy Director Gowon-guk’s words, Sanghyun paused, considering, and then spoke.

“Looking at the stage location, the visiting team’s fans won’t be able to see the performance well, will they?”

“That’s true, but it’s unavoidable. After all, the home team fans are the priority.”

“Then how about showing the performance scenes on the electronic display board? Is that technically impossible?”

“Well… it’s not impossible. But that would require renting cameras and setting up new lines, which would be a bit complicated. It hasn’t been finalized yet, and it’ll be difficult to change due to cost issues…”

Sanghyun frowned at Go’s words. They couldn’t resolve the cost issues themselves.

Then, Woominho, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“The broadcast van is coming that day, right?”

“It’s the opening game of the autumn baseball season, of course, it’s coming.”

“Then can’t we connect the camera line of that broadcast van to the electronic display board? Or, instead of renting cameras from a company, can’t we just rent them from the broadcasting station for a short time?”

“Oh! That’s a good idea! If things go well with the broadcasting station, we won’t have to pay anything other than the line connection fee. Hmm, I’ll look into it.”

“Please do.”

While Sanghyun and Woominho were actively discussing the performance, Bang Minshik examined the spaces where the equipment would be set up.

“Excuse me, Deputy Director. Where will the main speakers be installed?”

“There aren’t really any main speakers. We’ll use the existing 1st and 3rd base speakers, but we plan to install additional speakers on the cheering platform and the home base side. The output will be similar for all speakers.”

“What about the monitoring speakers?”

“I believe the stage production team is installing them on the cheering platform.”

Thinking about something, Minshik called the 888 Crew members together.

“Have you guys ever performed with in-ear monitors?”

“I wore them at Jeonju World DJ Festival. But they were uncomfortable, so I turned the volume down extremely low. Just enough to hear the drums.”

“I wore them at World DJ Festival too.”

“We haven’t worn them. No one in our group has worn them, right?”

No one in the 888 Crew members except Miju and Sanghyun had worn in-ear monitors. Bang Minshik said.

“If we perform here, there will probably be latency.”

“Latency? We have monitoring speakers, don’t we?”

“I don’t think the monitoring will be good enough.”

Monitoring speakers refer to speakers installed so that performers can hear their own sound. In-ear monitors are earphone-type monitoring speakers.

The reason why singers are sensitive to monitoring is because of the balance of sound. If monitoring is not good, there is no reference point, so the voice gradually becomes louder, and eventually, they end up screaming. People who have performed at school festivals have probably experienced it at least once.

If the monitoring speakers do not work properly, singers have to listen to their own voices through the main speakers. However, if the size of the performance hall is large, an additional difficult problem arises.

Latency occurs.

“Oppa [Older brother/term of endearment for a male], what is latency?”

Sangmi, who had been listening quietly, asked. Sangmi had been asking questions immediately whenever she was curious since she started drawing hip-hop webtoons.

“Well, when you speak on stage, you should hear it right away, right? But my voice is heard a little later than when I speak. It’s the same as when there’s a slight delay when video chatting with Hadoori or something.”

Latency is a problem that occurs when the distance between the stage and the speakers is far, there is a problem with the microphone input line, or the reverberation of the sound (bouncing off the wall and returning) is too great.

Woominho, who had been listening quietly, asked.

“But Minshik hyung [Older brother/term of endearment for a male]. Latency may occur, but wouldn’t it be okay if we listen through the monitoring speakers?”

“No. Based on the stage, the distances of the three main speakers are different. In my experience, in this case, sound wave interference is likely to occur. You probably won’t hear the monitoring well.”

Junhyung and Park Inhyuk nodded at Minshik’s explanation.

“Haha, I see. Sound wave interference. This is quite worrying.”

“Hehe, that mischievous sound wave interference. It’s making things quite difficult for people. It needs to be taught a lesson.”

“…Did you guys understand what I said?”

“Ah, anyway, so what are we going to do? If latency occurs, it’s a problem for the rappers, but it’s also a problem for us.”

At Miju’s question, Bang Minshik shrugged his shoulders.

“We just have to practice like crazy.”

“No, that’s obvious, but why are you explaining it so complicatedly!”

“I wanted to show off my knowledge! Why!”

As Miju and Minshik bickered, Deputy Director Gowon-guk clapped his hands and turned their attention.

“Okay, okay, fight somewhere else! Anyway, there will be a rehearsal on the day of the performance, so let’s check it then. There are only 6 days left until the performance. Please prepare well.”

“We have to work hard. Deputy Director Gowon-guk, please check about sending the video to the electronic display board and contact us.”

“Okay. Oh, the payment will be made after the performance is over.”

Deputy Director Gowon-guk returned to the office first, and Sanghyun looked around the Mudeung Stadium with his group. The stadium was wide. And probably on the day of the performance, it would be filled to its maximum capacity of 12,500 people.

“Wow, it’s really wide.”

“How many audience members were there at Homi?”

“I heard it was about 1,200?”

“Wow, more than ten times.”

“Oh, what if we make a mistake?”

“We’ll be nationally disgraced.”

They were making a fuss with their mouths, but everyone’s eyes were shining. No one was scared.

They were already full-fledged musicians.

***

The day after visiting Mudeung Stadium, Sanghyun was able to hear good news from Attorney Lim. The design patent for 888 X 888 was finally filed.

The final domestic brand name is Triple Eight.

Sanghyun immediately placed an order with a clothing manufacturer. They were planning to sell New Era caps, T-shirts, and towels with 062 X RAP engraved on them first.

‘Someday, we’ll be able to collaborate with famous brands like Adidas, right?’

The swagger that Adidas and RUN DMC’s collaboration products with ‘RUN DMC’ engraved on them give to hip-hoppers is enormous.

The national number of Korea is 82. Sanghyun’s ultimate goal was to engrave the message 82 X RAP on Triple Eight’s clothing.

When Sanghyun returned home after school, Park Inhyuk and Kim Hwan, who were either on a break or skipping class, were in the studio. Sangmi was drawing webtoons in her room, and Junhyung and Hayeon said they would come after dinner after 6 o’clock.

“Where are Minho hyung [Older brother/term of endearment for a male] and Minji noona [Older sister/term of endearment for a female]?”

“They both have work to do, so they can’t come today. They said let’s meet at the L&S practice room tomorrow.”

“Then shall we practice first among ourselves?”

“Why just hang out! Let’s practice!”

So Sanghyun, Park Inhyuk, and Kim Hwan started practicing.

Sanghyun was in the position of the main rapper, and the 888 Crew members distributed roles to handle the backing sounds and doubling.

In fact, Sanghyun’s Gwangju UP live performance was almost perfect. Therefore, the purpose of the practice was to match the backup sound and breathing.

“Ah, this is really difficult.”

“I know. Surely latency won’t be this bad, right?”

“Who knows.”

Park Inhyuk grumbled and played the ‘Two’ beat again.

They were practicing in a unique way that Bang Minshik had taught them. It was a method of playing two beats, playing the beat through the speaker, and then playing the beat through the earphones again.

The beats were all Gwangju UP beats. But the difference was that the two beats were played at different times. The beat coming through the earphones is about 1 second faster.

The worst of latency is latency on the beat. If the output time of the beat that the rapper hears and the beat that the audience hears is different, the performance can be a mess.

So they were practicing assuming extreme situations.

“Gwangju Up! Gwangju Up!”

The practice continued until Junhyung and Hayeon arrived at the studio. As soon as Junhyung arrived at the studio, he crossed his arms and watched the practice before stopping the beat.

“Inhyuk hyung [Older brother/term of endearment for a male]. Your doubling is subtly slow right now. It’s the middle tempo between the speaker and the earphones.”

“Ah, really? Wow, it’s difficult. I’ll listen more carefully.”

“Let’s drink some water and do it.”

Kim Hwan opened his mouth while drinking the water that Hayeon brought.

“But when we sing the chorus, how much will the audience sing along?”

“Well? It’s hard to expect a sing-along like at Homi, right?”

“If they sing along loudly, that can be an unexpected trap. Because the audience’s voices can’t be said to be exactly on the beat.”

“Hmm, that’s true too.”

“But Sanghyun, aren’t you hungry? Shall we order some Chinese food?”

As soon as he heard Park Inhyuk’s words, he suddenly felt hungry. Looking at the clock, it was already pointing to 7 o’clock. Sanghyun put down his earphones.

“Junhyung and Hayeon have already eaten, right? Hyungs [Older brother/term of endearment for a male], jjajang [black bean noodles], jjambong [spicy seafood noodle soup]. Choose.”

“I’ll have jjajang. What about you?”

“I’ll have jjambong. What about you, Inhyuk hyung [Older brother/term of endearment for a male]?”

“Wow… jjajang or jjambong, the greatest dilemma of mankind.”

Park Inhyuk pondered carefully and eventually started ‘Which one shall I choose’. Kim Hwan was jjajang, and Sanghyun was jjambong.

“Which one shall I choose… Yo!”

Park Inhyuk’s finger, which had been going back and forth between Kim Hwan’s jjajang and Sanghyun’s jjambong, pointed to Sanghyun.

“Then two jjambongs, right?”

“No, I’ll have fried rice!”

“…This hyung [Older brother/term of endearment for a male] is really something.”

The moment Sanghyun found the Chinese restaurant number and picked up his phone, a call came in under Deputy Director Gowon-guk’s name.

“Yes, Deputy Director Gowon-guk.”

The studio became quiet as Sanghyun received an official call.

“Yes? Ah, no. I was just taking a break to eat. Have you had dinner?”

Unable to stand the silence for a moment, Park Inhyuk poked Junhyung’s side and joked around. Then Junhyung knocked Park Inhyuk over and put him in an armbar.

“Ah, then that’s… Eh? What do you mean?”

However, as Sanghyun’s voice tone rose, the joke was quickly stopped.

“Yes, yes. Uh… then who’s coming out on that side?”

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Shh. Ah, no. Please speak.”

Sanghyun had a fairly long conversation with Deputy Director Gowon-guk. In the middle, there were also stories such as, ‘You should talk to Hwan hyung [Older brother/term of endearment for a male] about that,’ etc.

As all the members’ attention was focused on Sanghyun, the call finally ended.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on? Did the performance fall through?”

“Isn’t it about the electronic display board? They’re not going to do the electronic display board?”

Junhyung and Hayeon asked as soon as the call ended.

“No, it’s not that… Anyway, the performance will proceed as planned, and they’ll do the electronic display board too. They decided to get cooperation from the broadcasting station to get the video.”

“What? But why did you talk for so long?”

At Junhyung’s question, Sanghyun answered with an ambiguous expression.

“That’s… we need to prepare two more songs?”

***

End

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