The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 120

The long explanation from Sangmi made Junhyung and Inhyuk blink, looking like servants who’d never heard of such a thing. Seeing their expressions, Sangmi spoke to Sanghyun in a firm tone.

“Oppa, just fire these two oppas [older brothers/male figures].”

“Should I?”

“Yeah, I’d rather learn to rap myself.”

“Then let’s just keep them around while you learn to rap and then dump them.”

“Deal.”

Junhyung and Inhyuk, who were about to start yelling about forming a labor union to stand against the evil boss after overhearing the siblings’ conversation, had to shut their mouths when Minji elbowed them, telling them not to be so loud.

“Sanghyun, continue what you were saying.”

“Um, so everyone thinks the topic of money is difficult?”

“Like I said, it’s not that rapping itself is hard, but it’s hard to make it appealing. Honestly, if I were to write obvious lyrics, I could do it right now. Money doesn’t matter to me. Only the soul of my music. That’s all I need. I won’t sell my soul to capital. Something like that?”

Sanghyun spoke in response to Junhyung, who was complaining about being in pain while offering his opinion.

“Do you all know how much money we made from album and merchandise sales?”

“You told us last time. Even after deducting this and that, it’s over fifty million won [approximately $40,000 USD].”

Inhyuk added.

“Honestly, we made quite a bit. And we haven’t even been doing *sueik hwaldong* [profit-generating activities] for that long.”

“That’s right. There are even hip-hop fans who call us money-grubbers.”

“Hmm…….”

There were quite a few people who acknowledged 888 Crew’s music but nitpicked their sales of everything from T-shirts to domestic brands. The 888 Crew members couldn’t help but be conscious of the voices of some hip-hop fans who said they had become obsessed with money.

The playful crew members fell into deep thought.

Seeing their *moseup* [appearance/state], Sanghyun chuckled inwardly.

Not a single member said, ‘Who cares? As long as we make money.’ That’s how much more value they all placed on music than money.

“Then what do you all want to do with that money?”

“There’s nothing I particularly want to do with it? I think money is like a blank bullet behind a live round. There’s not much use for it, but having it makes you feel secure?”

Several people nodded at the words of Kim Hwan, who had served in the military.

“What about you, Minji noona [older sister/female figure]?”

“I think you have to clearly separate money when you’re making music. But I think it’s natural to make money from music. Should I see it as a kind of value measurement? It’s not like soccer players are evaluated for their beautiful dribbling. The real value is their weekly wage.”

That was the answer from Minji, a fan of overseas soccer.

Then Junhyung, who had been thinking about something, opened his mouth.

“Come to think of it, how about we buy recording equipment with the money we made this time? There were a lot of complaints about the Official Bootleg sound quality, *soljiki* [honestly]. I thought it was good sound quality when we were recording, but the sound damage was severe after mixing down and changing it to mp3 format.”

“Oh, that’s right? Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Now that I hear it, that’s true. With fifty million won, can’t we do a full setup that’s as good as a professional studio?”

“Let’s ask the owner of Sejong Music Store.”

The crew members’ *bunwigi* [atmosphere/mood] changed to a lively one at Junhyung’s suggestion.

Sanghyun had worried not long ago, ‘How will the 888 Crew change now that they know capital and popularity?’ But looking at the crew members’ expressions, his worries seemed to be unfounded.

Sanghyun said.

“That’s settled then.”

“What’s settled? The recording equipment?”

“Let’s write these stories in the song.”

“Huh?”

“The song we’re making about money.”

“What are you talking about? You’re telling us to write about buying equipment?”

“Yes.”

Inhyuk asked again with a puzzled expression.

“You’re telling us to write the words ‘We’re buying equipment with the money we made from Official Bootleg’ in the lyrics?”

“Yes.”

“What is that? That’s not organized lyrics. You have to write an organized story about how you’re going to handle the money.”

“Do we necessarily have to write organized lyrics? 888 Crew is still growing, and it’s not a team with established values. I think we should just express how we feel about money, a social agreement, at this moment. If it’s confusion, then confusion, if it’s aversion, then aversion, if it’s joy, then joy.”

Sanghyun continued.

“We have to make a total of three songs. First, we all talk enough about our thoughts on money and divide into teams. Then we can have a verbal battle with songs among ourselves. For example, Junhyung and I can write lyrics that money is important in music, and Inhyuk hyung [older brother/male figure] or Hwan hyung can write lyrics that music is more important than money and have a battle.”

“Wow, you’re really bad. Then Codename is getting completely ignored?”

“When was our enemy ever another team? It was 888 Crew in the mirror.”

“*Keu*…… that’s true.”

Then Hayeon asked.

“Sanghyun, you haven’t said your opinion yet. What do you think money is?”

“Me? I’m…….”

Sanghyun felt countless thoughts flashing through his mind during the short time he was drawing out his words.

“Well…… money is…….”

Sanghyun’s previous life had been a life buried in money.

Studying with his life on the line due to the pressure of becoming the head of the family after his parents passed away. Actions taken for his own academic environment without thinking about Sangmi’s environment. Days of staggering under a ruthlessly cruel system after entering a large company. Continuing startups, and success.

He made money, but Sangmi left. Times when he no longer felt value in money. Nevertheless, he mechanically made money as he had done in the past.

Finally, time endlessly falling to the bottom like Icarus, who approached the sun and fell with his wings melted.

Sanghyun continued his thoughts and stroked Sangmi’s hair. The Sangmi who shouted that he was no longer a family member and left was no longer here. Instead, his only family, who didn’t think much of him as an older brother and was always picky, but was so kind, was sitting next to him.

‘No, not the only family.’

Seven family members. 888 Crew.

So Sanghyun could define money in a single word. An existence that protects the well-being of his family and makes their dreams come true.

“A tool. Money is a tool.”

Sanghyun suddenly recalled Jay-Z’s lyrics that had captivated the hearts of hip-hop fans around the world in 2009.

But I can’t teach you my swag
You can pay for School but you can’t buy class

But I can’t teach you my swag.
You can pay for school but you can’t buy class.

T.I, M.I.A, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne.

Swagger Like Us, which was sung by the best musicians of the time at the 2009 Grammy Awards, caused a huge sensation. Among them, Jay-Z’s lyrics proved that Jay-Z was not given the title of King of East Coast Hip Hop, Ruler of New York for nothing.

Skinny jeans don’t fit, because all the money doesn’t fit.

Jay-Z, who showed off that he had earned enough money that it wouldn’t fit in skinny jeans with narrow pockets, immediately threw another punchline.

You can pay for school but you can’t buy class.

Here, Class has the meaning of ‘*sueop* [lesson]’ and the meaning of ‘*sujun* [level/standard]’ at the same time.

Jay-Z was asserting that no matter how much money others poured in, they would not have his level of swag. It was the moment when all hip-hop fans fell in love with Jay-Z once again.

But Sanghyun believed that he could one day go to Jay-Z’s class. It was a sound that would surely make others laugh and tell him not to joke around, but he sincerely believed it.

“Get that money, Go to School.”

Make money, go to school.

Get that money, go to school. A sentence containing Sanghyun’s ambition to use money only as a tool and to gain class using that tool.

This was a message to listeners who *yokhaneun* [were criticizing/cursing] 888 Crew’s commerciality, and at the same time, a declaration to live a different life from the past when he was buried in money.

“What are you talking about? Make money and go to school?”

Sanghyun couldn’t answer Woo Minho’s question. Instead, he frantically *pyeolchyeoseo* [unfolded/opened] a notebook and began to write down the lyrics and lines that came to mind.

Words, metaphors, symbols, rhymes, etc. were *jeongshineopsi* [mindlessly/frantically] scattered onto the notebook.

‘He’s possessed.’

The *bigbang* [explosion] of inspiration that musicians often express as being possessed. The 888 Crew members remained silent for a long time so as not to disturb Sanghyun.

Sanghyun, who had been writing lyrics for over 20 minutes, came to his senses and let out a sigh of regret.

If it were 2009 now, these lyrics could have been a reply to Jay-Z of Swagger Like Us. A musician from a small country like Korea could have *buril* [displayed/exhibited] the audacity to reference Jay-Z.

But now it was 2005. His lyrics were aimed at the future, and no one in the world knew the future.

‘That’s right, no one.’

At that moment, Sanghyun felt a strong urge to steal Jay-Z’s lyrics.

Two lines that are *pyeonggabatneun* [evaluated/judged] as particularly outstanding lyrics in Jay-Z’s long career.

Skinny jeans don’t fit, because all the money doesn’t fit.

You can pay for school but you can’t buy class.

If he stole the two lines, could he *gajyeool su* [bring/obtain] the praise?

As he had felt in the past, stealing music was close to impossible. He didn’t memorize all the lyrics, and he couldn’t create beats.

But the lyrics were different. He could pick and choose only the parts he had memorized.

This was an irresistible temptation for Sanghyun.

But Sanghyun had no choice but to endure it.

Even if he temporarily *tapseonghanda* [boarded/rode] to Jay-Z’s class by stealing Jay-Z’s lyrics, he knew that it would not be eternal.

What Sanghyun wanted was to face his heroes with his own music *tteotteothan* [confidently/honorably]. Starz Records was Sanghyun’s idol in his childhood. But now he was standing in an equal position with them.

So what wouldn’t be possible with Jay-Z or other rappers?

Sanghyun suddenly felt that the Korean hip-hop scene was too narrow. In the United States, hip-hop musicians sell millions and millions of albums, but in Korea, they sell at most hundreds of thousands.

‘I want to go to America.’

Korea, which was *gaecheokhaegananeun* [pioneering/developing] the system, was also good. But what Sanghyun fundamentally wanted was closer to the infinite competition that takes place in a system that is already in place.

Of course, there was a possibility that he would lose in the infinite competition once he went to the United States, and become a third-rate rapper who was *dotaedoen* [eliminated/weeded out] by losing again.

Nevertheless, the United States was a market he definitely wanted to *dojeonhaebogo* [challenge/try out].

But Sanghyun shook his head. There were many practical restrictions.

He still had to graduate from high school, and he had to take care of Sangmi, who was in middle school. Also, as long as 888 Crew existed, leaving for America alone was an irresponsible action.

Sanghyun was *puk jamgyeo* [deeply immersed] in all sorts of *hwimorachineun* [swirling/raging] thoughts and belatedly returned to reality. When he looked around, the studio was quiet.

Inhyuk asked Sanghyun.

“Are you done being possessed?”

Sanghyun answered the question with a question.

“Can I do a solo song? There’s a song I really want to do.”

“Get the money…… what did you say?”

“Get the money, go to school.”

“It’s a bit *chonseureounde* [unsophisticated/rustic]?”

“You won’t think so when you hear the rap.”

“Yes, yes. How could you not be?”

Unlike what they were saying, the crew members *yangbohaejueotda* [yielded/conceded] Sanghyun a solo song as if it were natural. Sanghyun was *jeongmallo* [really/truly] grateful for the crew members’ consideration.

After that, the crew members gathered in the studio every day to talk about money and began long discussions about each other’s lyrics.

The 888 Crew’s unique discussion method, aggressive criticism, was *jinhaengdwaetgo geotimeopsi* [proceeding/progressing relentlessly] every night, and even in the meantime, Sanghyun was *chagokchagok* [steadily/methodically] completing the song.

In the middle, the Hip Hop the Vibe team came down and filmed their work process and method with a camera. On the following Saturday, the entire crew went up to Seoul to shoot a pictorial.

It was a *chwalyoung hongbohaneun* [filming/promoting] brand products that sponsored Hip Hop the Vibe, so it wasn’t a professional advertisement. There wasn’t anything particularly difficult.

Finally, when the outlines of the three songs were *hwaksilhi japhigo* [clearly captured/defined] and they were *moldukhago* [immersed/absorbed] in the work like crazy, Sanghyun received a call from indie kid drummer Kim Woonggak.

It was an offer to appear together on a *gongjungpa* [major broadcasting network] music show.

It was the night ‘오늘이 지나면 [If Today Passes]’ hit number one on the single chart.

< Verse 17. 오늘이 지나면 > End