The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 171

< Verse 25. Star (End) – [12.03 Modified] >

Team Leader Hong Kyung-soo was startled, but quickly regained his composure. However, Sang-hyun didn’t miss the change. His hunch was right.

“The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed. If Oh Kyung Media was so confident, they would have contacted me directly, not just poked around my surroundings. My conclusion is that the current situation is Plan B, being carried out under Manager Hong Kyung-soo’s responsibility.”

In fact, no matter how high a musician’s value, it was odd for a large agency to use every means possible to propose a recruitment. It was true that Oh Kyung Media was treating Sang-hyun like a one-person label, but still, something felt off.

Once he clearly defined what he needed to protect, the situation began to come into focus.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Manager Hong.”

“It’s Manager now.”

“Manager Hong, haven’t you considered this? What if the entire 888 Crew went to LOC Entertainment? If I chose the lesser of two evils, could you handle that gaping hole in your plan?”

“……Don’t you think it’s naive to believe that LOC Entertainment would file a lawsuit for Lee Sang-hyun?”

“I can cover the litigation costs. LOC just needs to stand behind me. I might not be able to do it alone, but if I present the 888 Crew, they’ll do it. Aren’t the two groups natural enemies?”

“……!”

“So, the conclusion is this: Oh Kyung Media can’t catch me, and their first move will be riddled with lies. Also, the truth about the traffic accident that Oh Kyung Group tried to bury with compensation will naturally come to light. Because of whom? Manager Hong Kyung-soo.”

Hong Kyung-soo’s complexion changed.

“Are you willing to talk now? I’ll give you my image, Manager Hong. Will you protect the 888 Crew?”

What brought down the show business wasn’t capital or power, but consistently appealing music.

The same goes for Oh Kyung Media. If the music of the 888 Crew is maintained, this too shall pass.

For three and a half years, the 888 Crew could continue their activities, and Oh Kyung Media could take only what they needed.

‘Besides, Oh Kyung Media has Chae Dae-han, right? Does Chae Dae-han know me? It would be really great to build a friendship with him.’

While Sang-hyun maintained a blank expression, Hong Kyung-soo looked very uneasy.

Lim, the lawyer who had become a mere figurehead, watched Sang-hyun with a mix of disbelief and amusement.

When Hong Kyung-soo played an ignorant card, Lee Sang-hyun played an even more audacious one. However, Sang-hyun’s card was both audacious and terrifying.

‘If LOC Entertainment gets involved, things are likely to go as Lee Sang-hyun says.’

He wasn’t sure if all the 888 Crew members were willing to go to LOC Entertainment, but considering their bond, it didn’t seem impossible.

Of course, the 888 Crew wouldn’t necessarily want that.

But the important thing was that they could do it if things really went south.

A chicken race.

A game where Hong Kyung-soo had no choice but to turn the wheel first.

“But, but there can’t be absolutely no restrictions on profit-making activities.”

“I know. So, everything I’ve said so far is a threat. But it’s a threat that could actually happen. I believe you’re ready to sit at the negotiating table now.”

“Negotiation……”

“Did you bring the contract?”

Thus began the long negotiation between Sang-hyun and Hong Kyung-soo.

Sang-hyun didn’t just push recklessly. At first glance, it seemed like he had the upper hand, but this advantage was only over Hong Kyung-soo personally.

Going under the umbrella of LOC, the next best option, wasn’t a welcome prospect either.

Sang-hyun clenched his fist.

‘I need to become more famous and make more allies. If I were a big shot like Tupac or Jay-Z, would this have happened?’

Rapstar.

Not just a common modifier for a famous person who raps, but a rap star, a rap superstar, who can be compared to true legends.

The negotiation with Manager Hong Kyung-soo lasted for a full three hours.

“One last thing. What about the sanctions for breach of contract?”

“Let’s make sure neither side even considers breaching the contract.”

“How about compensating the full amount of activity revenue during the contract period?”

“Wouldn’t that be an unfavorable condition for my side only? Oh Kyung Media should also set an amount that is difficult to compensate to ensure fairness.”

As a result, the form of the contract became very favorable to Sang-hyun. It became a condition similar to the contract form of an outsourced composer rather than a trainee contract.

First, 35% of Sang-hyun’s pre-tax income earned through music would be attributed to Oh Kyung Media. However, it was agreed not to touch the income earned so far.

Sang-hyun’s external income was determined to be one-ninth of the total income of the 888 Crew, but the income from goods such as Triple Eight was recognized as income other than music.

When it came to music activities, Sang-hyun had to release seven digital singles or an album consisting of seven or more songs during the contract period, and he was obligated to follow the promotion schedule for 40 days a year. However, he was able to obtain the condition that he would not appear on broadcasts other than music shows and radio.

There were other minor conditions as well. Four concerts hosted by Oh Kyung Media, six photo shoots, three advertisement shoots, and participation in 15 events during the contract period, and so on.

Of course, the income generated from Oh Kyung Media’s activities was settled to Sang-hyun. It was also scheduled to be settled at a much higher rate than the average of the affiliated singers. This was because there was almost no investment cost for Sang-hyun.

Finally, the contract fee was scheduled to be newly paid. Considering that all were conditional contracts, a considerable amount of money was set.

Looking at the contract only from a capitalist point of view, it was a fairly profitable contract for Sang-hyun. It was a contract that did not interfere with the activities of the 888 Crew.

Conversely, it was a very good contract for Oh Kyung Media to instantly imprint the company’s direction and color on the public.

The fact that Lee Sang-hyun, who had consistently rejected love calls from major agencies, chose the newly launched Oh Kyung Media could be a fairly meaningful promotion.

Manager Hong Kyung-soo, who seemed to think it was a win-win strategy, smiled and opened his mouth after finishing the negotiation.

“This method is usually adopted in major American label contracts or Hollywood film circles… I don’t know if the legal team and A&R [Artists and Repertoire] team will accept it.”

“There’s no need to prove your incompetence to me, Manager Hong Kyung-soo. I believe you can do this much. Otherwise, wouldn’t I be too pathetic for being caught by someone who isn’t even that capable?”

However, Sang-hyun’s answer did not contain even a shred of goodwill. Hong Kyung-soo suddenly became angry at Sang-hyun’s sharp answer, which dripped with hatred, and opened his mouth.

The convenience provided to Lee Sang-hyun was an enormous privilege. He thought that if the contract was proceeding with this much bending over, he should be able to smile a little.

“Why do you hate Oh Kyung Media so much? Aren’t you someone who makes a living from music? Oh Kyung Media is an entertainment company famous for turning affiliated singers into stars and treating them well.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Lee Sang-hyun! That’s too harsh…!”

“Star? Treatment? Did I want that? Have you forgotten that Oh Kyung Media held a knife to my throat and urged me to sign the contract? Was this negotiation conducted voluntarily? Or did it proceed because I drew a knife?”

“……”

“Did Oh Kyung Media present me with a joint vision of the 888 Crew and Oh Kyung Media and propose a recruitment? Did they even make a sincere effort?”

Each of Sang-hyun’s words became meaningful and dug into Hong Kyung-soo’s ears. Hong Kyung-soo felt a sense of suffocation for a moment. It was a feeling he had never felt before.

Sang-hyun’s last words echoed in Hong Kyung-soo’s ears.

“What Oh Kyung Media poured on me was violence, and I have no intention of ever forgetting it. Listen carefully. Hong Kyung-soo will definitely regret what happened today.”

Sang-hyun threw the contract.

“If even one clause is missing, I will choose the lesser of two evils instead of the worst. Discuss the future progress with Attorney Lim.”

Sang-hyun left the Japanese restaurant.

A cold winter wind swept across his face.

He had protected the highest value he had to protect and wanted to protect, but that didn’t mean he could be happy. But Hong Kyung-soo would feel this way too.

It wasn’t easy, but he was confident.

Hong Kyung-soo underestimated him. While he was intoxicated with the sweetness of victory, Sang-hyun secretly planted landmines.

‘Come to think of it, Cha In-hyun was also from Oh Kyung Entertainment.’

Sang-hyun thought in the winter wind about whether Cha In-hyun or Oh Kyung Media would detonate the landmines first.

The conclusion was the same. It didn’t matter who detonated it first, and the best-case scenario was to detonate them simultaneously.

That’s how Sang-hyun became affiliated with Oh Kyung Media.

A musician dreaming of becoming a rap star jumped into the show business full of fake stars, and the repercussions it would bring were by no means small.

***

Sang-hyun becoming affiliated with Oh Kyung Media brought great changes to the 888 Crew. It was finally an opportunity for them to leave their home in Gwangju and move to Seoul.

Sang-mi and Ha-yeon were originally scheduled to move to Seoul in March for their studies, and Woo Min-ho, Kim Hwan, and Oh Min-ji were people who were not bound by location.

Now that Sang-hyun was also moving to Seoul, it became much easier for the 888 Crew to move their base to Seoul. The disappearance of the Gwangju studio also had great significance.

Sang-hyun’s transfer procedure to Seoul Arts High School, the same school as Sang-mi, was in progress. In fact, it was not common for a senior in high school to transfer to an arts high school, and most of those uncommon cases were transfers from one arts high school to another.

It was almost impossible for Sang-hyun to transfer from a general high school to a prestigious private arts high school in his senior year.

However, what made it possible was the fact that the transfer student was ‘Lee Sang-hyun,’ a big fish that the arts high school couldn’t help but covet, and that most of Seoul Arts High School’s subsidies came from Oh Kyung Group. The chairman of Seoul Arts High School was someone who was influenced by Oh Kyung Group.

Surprisingly, Jun-hyung’s parents listened to Sang-hyun’s story and suggested Jun-hyung’s transfer to Seoul first. They suggested that if it wasn’t difficult to adapt to transferring in his senior year, it would be better to go to Seoul and make music with the crew. Jun-hyung naturally welcomed it with open arms.

Sang-hyun made a strong request to Oh Kyung Media, and eventually, Jun-hyung’s transfer to the arts high school was also decided. In an instant, three members of the 888 Crew appeared at Seoul Arts High School.

Sang-mi gave up moving into the dormitory, and Jun-hyung, Sang-hyun, and Sang-mi lived in the same house. They were still considering whether to create a studio inside the house or to obtain a separate space for the studio.

While the seven members of the 888 Crew were preparing to move to Seoul, In-hyuk remained silent. The members persuaded In-hyuk several times, but he did not give a definite answer.

However, the members had faith that In-hyuk would eventually choose them.

The 888 Crew had to be together as eight to be the 888 Crew. The biggest reason Sang-hyun willingly joined Oh Kyung Media was because he wanted to maintain the flow of the 888 Crew as a group.

But In-hyuk’s decision was to postpone.

“Guys, can you give me just one year?”

“One year……?”

“It suddenly occurred to me. When we make music, we really put our lives on the line. Staying up all night is nothing, and our heads are so full of music all day long that it’s hard to think about anything else. Like completely crazy guys.”

In-hyuk calmly unfolded his thoughts.

“But I’ve never done that when I study. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed up all night, let alone done my best.”

“Hyung [older brother/male friend]. People call the field in which they can put in their best effort their aptitude, and they consider it their calling. If Hyung can devote all the energy that he hasn’t been able to put into studying to music, then that means music is Hyung’s calling.”

“Wow, Sang-hyun’s words are really good.”

“I also think what Sang-hyun said is right.”

In-hyuk nodded at Min-ho and Kim Hwan’s words.

“I know that too. But people each have their own situations and their own thoughts. I’m going to study hard for a year, and if it still doesn’t work out, I’m going to give myself a clean slate.”

He didn’t want to reveal his parents’ faults in front of the crew members, so he refrained from saying more, but In-hyuk knew what would happen if he chose music now. The precarious relationship with his parents would become irreversible.

The year was a time to gain certainty and a time to persuade his parents.

“Then promise me just one thing, Hyung. Don’t lie to yourself a year from now. If you can’t find the answer while studying, come to Seoul. I’ll get a big house.”

“No, but I’m even doing the Seoul tour, so why are you already treating me like I’m leaving?”

“Ah, I don’t know.”

In-hyuk laughed when Sang-hyun became unusually annoyed. No matter what anyone said, Sang-hyun and Jun-hyung were truly grateful friends. If they hadn’t created the 888 Crew, what would he be doing now?

If Sang-hyun and Jun-hyung were brightly shining suns, he might be a star orbiting the sun. But he was confident.

From a distance, only the sun might be bright, but the place where people actually live is the third star away from the sun.

‘No, but in terms of skill, aren’t I Mercury? I think I’m going to be at the top next after these guys?’

In-hyuk smiled inwardly, thinking like a rapper.

Time passed, and finally, the day of the 888 Show Gwangju performance on February 17th dawned.

< Verse 25. Star (End) – [12.03 Modified] > End

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