The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 168

< Verse 25. Star >

Subtle changes occurred after AIMMF [Asia International Music Market Festival].

Until then, 888 Crew was a team that appealed primarily to teenagers, those in their twenties, and a small segment of people in their thirties who loved hip-hop culture. Even among those younger demographics, many enjoyed 888 Crew’s music without knowing much about the team itself.

Of course, ‘Hip-hop the Vibe’ was a significant hit, but cable channels in 2005 didn’t wield the same influence as they did after 2010. In the broadcasting industry, it was generally agreed that cable channels achieved a cultural impact comparable to terrestrial broadcasting after ‘Superstar K’ [a popular South Korean singing competition show] in 2009.

Moreover, more people were resistant to the hip-hop culture that 888 Crew embodied than expected. Their perception of hip-hop culture was often shaped by the stereotypical gangster rapper image popularized in Hollywood movies. Even though 888 Crew was gaining traction, it wasn’t until after 2014 that hip-hop culture truly entered the mainstream.

In that sense, the media outlets of ‘news’ and ‘newspapers’ allowed 888 Crew to gain recognition in areas they hadn’t previously reached.

This was largely due to Choi Hak-rim’s positive editorials in major newspapers and CBC [a fictional broadcasting company] broadcasting station’s news coverage, which highlighted 888 Crew.

For a while, there were heated debates on the Hip-hop LE [a fictional online community] bulletin board about ‘how famous’ 888 Crew actually was.

-The people here are such hip-hop enthusiasts that they actively participate in this community, so 888 Crew might seem incredibly famous. But in reality, that’s not the case. Even my mom doesn’t know who 888 Crew is.

-Everyone around me knows 888 Crew?

-How old are you?

-I’m a high school freshman.

-They’re only famous among high school students. Even in Daehak-ro [a district in Seoul known for its youthful atmosphere], 888 Crew’s songs have never been played in bars.

-What are you talking about? Of course, they’re not played because 888 Crew didn’t register their music for streaming.

-Didn’t they release a few songs? I think I saw them on a music site.

-Those aren’t party tracks. Do you want to listen to ‘Gotta Move’ in a bar? When I listen to that song, I feel like I have to study.

-That’s right. When I listen to those songs, I feel like I have to get moving. I feel like I shouldn’t be slacking off.

-That song plays when we’re eating at school. The crazy broadcasting club keeps playing it. The college entrance exam is only a year away, and it’s driving me crazy.

-And your college entrance exam success will be Daydream [referencing one of 888 Crew’s songs].

-lololololol

-Wyoming is sometimes played in Gangnam [a wealthy district in Seoul] clubs. But DJs always mix Wyoming with Linkin Park songs. Strictly speaking, the two music genres are different.

-What’s different? Aren’t they the same?

-The main genre is different. Wyoming is rap metal, and Linkin Park should be considered metal with rap elements.

-But what’s certain is that 888 Crew is not a typical underground team. First of all, many people in Gwangju [a major city in South Korea] and baseball fans know 888 Crew very well, even older people. While general hip-hop teams primarily cater to hip-hop fans, 888 Crew has a much broader appeal. Thanks to ‘Hip-hop the Vibe,’ that market has expanded even further.

-But aren’t you guys being ridiculous? Has 888 Crew been making music for 5 years? Or 10 years? It’s only been a year. Does it make sense to argue about how famous they are? Isn’t ‘becoming more and more famous’ the obvious answer?

-That’s right. They’re gaining recognition. To be exact, they’re making themselves known to non-hip-hop fans. My father was watching the news the other day and asked if 888 Crew were Chinese singers. He said there are many singers with the number 8 in China.

-Originally, 8 is a lucky number in China. The pronunciation of the number 8 is similar to the pronunciation of making money. So, if you set the price at 88 or 888 yuan [Chinese currency], even the stingiest housewives won’t haggle over the price.

-But I hope 888 Crew doesn’t become too famous. I feel like I’m losing something.

-One thing for sure is that 888 Crew is a team that has a strong appeal, regardless of their fame. Should I say that their fans have a high level of loyalty?

-If you saw 888 Crew’s busking [street performance] at AIMMF, you would have no choice but to think that way. That day’s performance was legendary. I’m already excited to brag to my friends after the semester starts.

-Did you see the busking? I heard it was so much fun.

-Everyone was going wild that day. It wasn’t like a singer and fans, but like friends hanging out. Later, 888 Crew even removed the cart that had the guidelines, but the AIMMF safety personnel were annoyed because it was dangerous.

-There were quite a few people who hit it off while hanging out there. People felt attracted and exchanged numbers while mingling.

-Did you come too? It was so much fun.

-It was fun, but I spent too much money.

-What money? The performance was free.

-Usher came out on Inkigayo [a South Korean music show] in 2004…

The changes brought about by 888 Crew’s AIMMF performance weren’t limited to external recognition. 888 Crew was also invited to a performance called ‘Poetry and Rap’ hosted by poet Choi Hak-rim, thanks to their AIMMF performance.

‘Poetry and Rap’ was held in a large exhibition hall in Jongno-gu [a district in Seoul], and more people attended than expected.

The process of adding substance to the poem written by Choi Hak-rim for the performance and turning it into a rap, and Choi Hak-rim transforming 888 Crew’s rap into a poem, was quite enjoyable. It also served as a stepping stone for musical growth beyond simple entertainment.

“Shin Ha-yeon wrote the lyrics ‘Start Line is never the same’ here, right?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you write ‘Start Line’ in English? Why not write ‘departure line’?”

Ha-yeon paused for a moment at Choi Hak-rim’s question and answered.

“That’s because ‘Start Line’ has 5 syllables, and ‘departure line’ has 3 syllables. To match the rap to the beat, 3 syllables are too short.”

“I don’t know much about music, but when I hold poetry recitations, I also consider how long I should read each word. But I don’t change the word itself. Can’t I just pause for 2 syllables and write ‘departure line’ in Korean? After all, isn’t 2 syllables a short time, less than 0.5 seconds?”

“From an overall perspective, what you said is correct, but ‘start line’ itself is a word with rap techniques added. Star-t-line is never the same. It’s about emphasizing the ‘ㅏ’ vowel [similar to ‘ah’ sound].”

Choi Hak-rim persistently questioned 888 Crew’s lyrics. His questions revealed that some parts lacked musicality because he viewed rap lyrics as mere words rather than sounds. However, there were also quite a few insightful questions that they had never considered.

888 Crew gained a lot from their conversations with poet Choi Hak-rim, and Choi Hak-rim deeply realized that the genre of rap was by no means simple.

Poetry is an art that places more emphasis on what is seen than what is read, but rap is an art where what is read is more important than what is seen. Understanding these differences between the two genres greatly benefited both parties.

While 888 Crew was preparing for and performing in the ‘Poetry and Rap’ event, the entertainment industry was experiencing a period of turmoil.

-Excessive noise marketing by the media.

-The conscience of journalists being compromised by circulation figures.

-Media companies being acquired by large corporations.

The attack on Show Biz [a fictional entertainment company] began with Kindle Korea [a fictional company], a competitor in the same industry.

In fact, many reporters had heard about the story of 888 Crew and Show Biz at the AIMMF event, but they were hesitant to publish articles rashly. This was because the reporters were wary of the power of Ohkyung Group [a fictional conglomerate], the parent company of Show Biz.

However, as Kindle Korea intensified its attack, reporters began to denounce Show Biz without exception.

-Media companies turning into tabloids.

-Sales competition among major magazines.

In addition to 888 Crew, there were many victims, and interviews with these victims were belatedly released. The reason why their grievances hadn’t surfaced until now was because the victims lacked the power to respond.

However, 888 Crew had actively voiced their opinion through ‘F*** the Show Biz’ even when they were relatively unknown, and this expression of opinion inevitably gained attention as 888 Crew became more famous.

-Wow, they’re really trash. 888 Crew survived because they were so talented, but they almost disappeared because of Show Biz.

-Honestly, what’s the difference between the media and tabloids these days?

-Exactly what part of 888 Crew is upset about? There’s no such story?

-Listen to F*** the Show Biz.

-It’s no coincidence that Tupac and Biggie’s diss battle turned into a shootout between the East and West Coasts. Show Biz didn’t know that you shouldn’t mess with hip-hop artists.

Korean netizens [internet users] are known for their passionate reactions. A huge number of comments were posted on the article, and the number of people supporting 888 Crew increased.

The number of plays of ‘F*** Tha Show Biz’ increased exponentially, surpassing 4 million. Media Amp [a fictional company], which provides widgets, was surprised and sent an email to Sang-hyun asking what was going on.

Show Biz’s bulletin board was paralyzed.

‘Something’s weird?’

The 888 Crew members were happy that Show Biz was being punished as they watched the situation unfold, but Sang-hyun felt that something was amiss.

Honestly, if Ohkyung Group had decided to put pressure on Kindle Korea at the time of the attack, it wouldn’t have become an issue. Kindle Korea was insignificant compared to Ohkyung Group. From the beginning, it seemed strange that Kindle Korea had initiated the attack.

As expected, an article was published a few days later. The article stated that some of the executives of Show Biz who had caused the problem were dismissed, and those involved were disciplined. At the same time, Show Biz would be completely absorbed into Ohkyung Entertainment.

And the media content division, which was the largest in Ohkyung Entertainment, was spun off into Ohkyung Media.

‘That’s right. Kindle Korea was used in Ohkyung Group’s internal power struggle.’

Ohkyung Entertainment officially announced that it would implement strict internal regulations to protect the conscience of journalists so that this would never happen again.

Show Biz, which had caused a huge uproar, was absorbed into Ohkyung Entertainment, and the backlash from the scandal led to an increase in Ohkyung Entertainment’s stock price.

But Sang-hyun didn’t care about what was happening in that world. He was simply happy. Editor Hwang Joo-cheol received such a severe disciplinary action that he was considering resigning, and the president who confirmed the interview was dismissed.

What Sang-hyun couldn’t have imagined when Editor Hwang manipulated the interview had finally come to pass.

What if Sang-hyun had used all his business acumen and the ability of future memories to attack Show Biz? Perhaps he could have achieved a similar outcome to what he had now. But if he had done that, he would have been forced to live a life similar to his past.

So Sang-hyun made music, increased his influence, and achieved revenge solely through music. It’s true that Ohkyung Group’s political infighting played a role, but if 888 Crew hadn’t continued to attack Show Biz, Editor Hwang and the president of Show Biz wouldn’t have paid the price for their actions.

‘A result achieved solely through music.’

888 Crew, feeling much lighter, enthusiastically continued preparing for the 888 Show with a light heart. Now, the Gwangju performance on February 17, which marked the start of the 888 tour, was less than ten days away.

In the meantime, Ha-yeon’s college acceptance was announced, and Sang-mi’s middle school graduation day was approaching.

-Kyaaaaak!

-It’s 888 Crew!!

The 7 members naturally bought bouquets of flowers and attended Sang-mi’s graduation ceremony, causing chaos in the graduation hall. A large number of reporters, somehow finding out, were also present.

“Why are there so many reporters?”

“I don’t know? There are quite a few.”

“Ugh, I’m tired.”

However, the 8 members of 888 Crew were simply exhausted. This was because they had been working on the performance almost all night yesterday.

Several reporters approached 888 Crew. And at the reporters’ questions that followed, the sleepiness of the members, including Sang-hyun, completely vanished.

“Ohkyung Media made an official announcement this morning that they have signed a contract with Lee Sang-hyun. Please share your thoughts on this.”

The internet portal that he hadn’t had time to check because he was preparing for the performance all night and attending Sang-mi’s graduation ceremony.

The portal was filled with one article.

-Lee Sang-hyun of 888 Crew! Joining Ohkyung Media.

< Verse 25. Star > End

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