The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 134

The 888 Crew began their rehearsal at 6 PM for 30 minutes. Despite the hastily installed sound equipment, the output and sound delivery were surprisingly satisfactory, befitting a broadcasting station.

The only downside was the lack of reverberation due to the sound-absorbing materials throughout the building.

With less reverb, even when the sound was turned up, it didn’t feel like it filled the space. However, the lack of reverb meant there was no latency or microphone feedback. It was a place with both advantages and disadvantages.

“Are the other teams done with their rehearsals?”

“Seems like it?”

Perhaps because they were spaced out on the 2nd, 4th, and 6th floors, the venue was more soundproof than expected. The sounds from other teams were completely inaudible.

“888 Crew, please move to the 5th floor once you’re done with rehearsal. Also, our writers will be monitoring anyway, but please don’t open the window blinds. You know that would defeat the purpose of a guerrilla concert, right?”

Park In-hyuk and Woo Min-ho, who had been trying to see how many people were in front of the building, awkwardly smiled and turned back towards the entrance.

When they went up to the 5th floor, Stars Records and Bounce Rhyme, who were eating lunch boxes, greeted them.

“You’re here? All done with rehearsal?”

“Yes. Are you guys eating now?”

“You should eat too.”

“We’ve been picking up too much to eat on the street…”

“Wow, you guys are living the good life? Where did you go?”

“We started in Myeongdong [a bustling shopping district in Seoul], walked to Insadong [known for its traditional crafts and tea houses], and then took a car to Dongdaemun [famous for its 24-hour shopping and fashion].”

“What? You just went around nearby? But you spent four hours promoting there? Is that a focused single-target strategy?”

At that moment, Writer Ahn, who was in charge of Stars Records and had become quite close to them, revealed the 888 Crew’s secret. They had been having fun instead of promoting.

Bae Ga asked, puzzled.

“What is it, an expression of confidence?”

“Not really, it just felt difficult and burdensome. Having to bet our lives on things other than music for a musical competition… Anyway, what we’re good at is music. No, but we did promote hard, didn’t we?”

Sang-hyun answered with an awkward smile. Bae Ga was inwardly surprised to hear Sang-hyun’s words.

Of course, he wasn’t surprised because Sang-hyun’s actions were right.

In fact, Stars Records’ diligent promotion was much more natural. Bae Ga was the kind of person who thought that passion for things other than music was also musical.

However, what surprised him was the freedom of the 888 Crew.

Stars Records, including Bae Ga, were doing their best music within the format of the broadcast during the filming of *Hip Hop the Vibe*.

However, the 888 Crew prioritized their own music and values even during the filming of *Hip Hop the Vibe*. It meant that they placed more value on the ‘888 World’ than the broadcast format.

‘Should I call these guys free spirits, or just reckless?’

Bae Ga pondered for a moment and decided to just think of them as 888-esque.

Because neither was wrong. Because they were just different.

While the 888 Crew and Stars Records were talking, PD [Production Director] Heo Tae-jin came in and said that the performance time had been delayed by about 30 minutes.

“The audience counting is taking longer than expected, so the time has been delayed. Please wait a little longer.”

“Really? Are there a lot of people?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“But isn’t it easier to count the audience after the performance when they leave?”

“We can’t because we’re checking cross-selections. We can figure out the fans’ loyalty by looking at the cross-selection ratio.”

For example, if 1000 people came after seeing Bounce Rhyme’s promotion, but only 600 people actually entered the venue, then the loyalty would be recorded as 60%. This took a long time because they had to figure out which team’s promotion they saw and which team’s performance they would choose.

“But there are more people than expected, so you can look forward to it.”

PD Heo Tae-jin said that and left the waiting room. The cast members had to spend a lot of time writhing in curiosity.

And finally, it was 7:30 PM.

“Okay, let’s go. Please put on your blindfolds, and the leaders should come to the front and hold the writers’ hands. Team members, please hold each other’s hands.”

“Do we have to wear blindfolds?”

“Of course. What kind of broadcast image would we get if you just went and looked?”

“Ah, I feel kind of embarrassed.”

“Ugh, what kind of expression should I make when I take off the blindfold?”

“Just make the expression you feel. You don’t need to try to set something up or decorate it. Okay, no time! Let’s move quickly!”

With Jun-hyung at the lead, the 888 Crew members put on blindfolds. Since there was only one elevator, Stars Records on the 2nd floor left first, followed by the 888 Crew.

Soon after, the 888 Crew members arrived at the 4th-floor venue.

Everything was silent.

Of course, the audience had been told to be quiet, but it was so quiet that it was impossible to guess how many people had come.

Then the writer asked In-hyuk.

“Park In-hyuk, how many audience members do you think came?”

“Hey, don’t ask such obvious questions, just let us take off the blindfolds.”

“So, how many people do you think came?”

“If you copy the lines too much, MBC will sue you. Program formats are copyrighted, you know? I’m telling you this for your own good.”

At In-hyuk’s words, small laughter was heard from some of the audience.

After a few more interviews, the 888 Crew members finally took off their blindfolds.

With a “Wow-” sound, quite a few audience members came into view. However, it was impossible to tell how many people had come at a glance.

The 888 Crew members went up onto the stage that had been set up right next to the door. The hastily made stage wasn’t wide, but it was quite high.

After going up to a high place, they could see the audience filling up the back.

“How many people do you think came now?”

Jun-hyung answered the question from Writer Sun Min-ah, who was in charge of the 888 Crew.

“Three hundred, no, I think there are over four hundred…”

“There are exactly 435 people.”

435 people.

That was the number of people who came to see the 888 Crew’s performance with only 4 hours of promotion. Considering that the promotion area wasn’t extensive, it was an even more impressive record.

Moreover, the 888 Crew had the highest ‘audience loyalty’ and ‘audience inflow’ among the three teams.

A total of 268 people came to the venue after seeing the 888 Crew’s promotion. And out of these 268 people, 265 chose to see the 888 Crew’s performance. They only lost 3 people.

Since the total number of audience members was 435, it also meant that the 888 Crew lost 3 people and stole 170 people from other teams.

At that time, Writer Sun Min-ah showed the 888 Crew members a record sheet.

It was the audience counting result sheet.

The recording method was ‘Final Audience Number = (Number of Audience Who Saw Promotion / Number of Audience Who Chose Performance) + Number of Audience Stolen’.

1st place. Stars Records

476 people = (490 / 423) + 53

2nd place. 888 Crew

435 people = (268 / 265) + 170

3rd place. Bounce Rhyme

369 people = (522 / 365) + 4

Bounce Rhyme in 3rd place brought in 522 audience members through promotion, which was almost double the number of the 888 Crew, but the number of people they actually kept was only 365.

And the majority of the 157 audience members who betrayed Bounce Rhyme were absorbed by the 888 Crew.

At the very bottom of the record sheet, there was a phrase that Writer Sun Min-ah had hastily written by hand.

-Do not tell the audience any numbers other than the total number of audience members.

Writer Sun Min-ah pointed to the part she had written as if to emphasize it once more.

The reason was that Bounce Rhyme’s agency, upon receiving the final results, was requesting a modification of the results to be broadcast.

It wasn’t a request to change the ranking, but a request to raise the numbers appropriately. They believed that if it was broadcast as is, it would damage Bounce Rhyme’s image.

However, the complex ecosystem of the broadcasting world had nothing to do with the 888 Crew. They finished checking the record sheet and turned all their attention to the audience.

“I saw the results, and the Stars *hyung*s [older brothers/male seniors] are holding us back again.”

“They’re really annoying *hyung*s. I want to get revenge.”

At Jun-hyung’s words, the audience erupted in cheers once more.

The 888 Crew members looked down at their venue from the narrow stage. The sight of the audience in the office building was quite unfamiliar. But it was also a sight that made their hearts swell.

“What should we do to get revenge?”

Someone answered Sang-hyun’s question with ‘Hit them in the back of the head!’

Laughter erupted.

The audience members were gathered close enough to strongly recognize each other’s presence, so they felt like they knew each other.

“That’s an attractive suggestion, but then our next broadcast will be the 9 o’clock news.”

435 audience members who gathered because they liked the 888 Crew, liked the 888 Crew’s music, or were curious about the 888 Crew.

“The best revenge we can take is to make the audience members who went to the Stars Records performance unable to sleep because they regret not seeing our performance, right?”

Not a single word was discussed, but the distribution of lines fit perfectly.

Finally, Sang-hyun stepped forward.

“We always shout a phrase when we start our performance. It’s like a magic spell that forms a sense of unity, we’re the 888 Crew, and we’re going to perform, and we want to do it really dirty. That’s what it means.”

With the audience’s attention focused, Sang-hyun smiled and continued.

“Today, we’re going to entrust that phrase to you.”

At Sang-hyun’s gesture, Woo Min-ho, who had moved to the DJ booth, started scratching.

We- Eight. E, E, E, Eight that!

A thunderous roar erupted at the DJ shot, which consisted of a fairly familiar phrase.

The audience members who knew this song all shouted together.

-We Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew!

Jun-hyung put his hand to his ear and shouted.

“What?”

-We Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew!

“I can’t hear you?”

The 888 Crew’s feigned ignorance as they looked around caused an even louder roar to erupt.

We. Us.

The audience members felt a sense of intimacy, as if they had become closely related to the 888 Crew, and that was soon reproduced as an enthusiastic response.

The original beat of Eight, Eight, Eight signaled the start of the full-fledged performance.

We, Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew!

We Eight! Even if we chill (play) every day, we’re still above you

If you want to compare yourself to us, you’re nine (nowhere) close

In-hyuk, who was excitedly singing the chorus, felt that the stage was too narrow to dance on and jumped down from the stage.

“Ah, don’t touch me! We Eight! Butt! Eight!”

The 888 Crew members shook their heads at In-hyuk’s ability to show off his hook while talking.

Then they all went down from the stage together.

As the 7 members, excluding Min-ho at the DJ booth, plunged into the audience and started running, the 435 audience members also welcomed them with wave-like gestures.

In just one minute after the start of the performance, the venue began to fill with insane high tension.

No stage director in their right mind would ever create a performance like this. If the start of a 1 hour and 30-minute performance is like this, what should the next song be filled with?

However, the 888 Crew were not in their right minds.

The world they live in on stage is not the real world, but their own world called 888 World.

A world that makes even the usually quiet Ha-yeon go crazy, like Alice falling into Wonderland.

We, Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew!

Jun-hyung’s rap, which signaled the start of a 1 hour and 30-minute express train, began to echo throughout the venue. It was truly a rap that seemed to resonate with the space.

Sang-hyun’s thought that the sound-absorbing material would absorb the sound was wrong.

The padding that the audience members wore because of the cold weather was creating reverberation of the sound.

The tension of the performance was further ignited.

-Kyaaaaaa!

-888! 888!

The 888 Crew members could see the unbelievable response from the audience and were able to confirm the change that had come to them.

From the moment *Hip Hop the Vibe* ended, or perhaps even at this moment, the 888 Crew was becoming famous, and *was* famous.

The brand value of 888 Crew.

Continuing to increase that value.

This was what they had to do, and what they wanted to do.

We, Eight that Eight that Eight that Crew!

The 888 Crew was raising their value with music alone.