The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 110

PD Heo Tae-jin’s office wasn’t far from the 888 Crew’s waiting room. He arrived with his staff at the largest conference room on the 3rd floor, where PD Heo Tae-jin was waiting for Sang-hyun.

As Sang-hyun entered, Heo Tae-jin stood up to greet him.

“How have you been? I hope I didn’t call you while you were busy?”

“No, I was just hanging out, waiting.”

“It seems like you’re already done preparing for the performance. Oh, I really enjoyed the album you sent me.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Heo Tae-jin got straight to the point. He wanted to discuss the live clip of “Crouching Writer.”

“Do you have a performance accompaniment prepared for ‘Crouching Writer’?”

PD Heo Tae-jin elaborated on his question for a while. In short, he wanted to film a live video of “Crouching Writer.”

Sang-hyun paused, considering the offer, before replying, “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to do it.”

“What? Why? Isn’t this a good opportunity?”

“I don’t want to take away performance time from my crew members. If I perform ‘Crouching Writer,’ their time will be reduced.”

Heo Tae-jin looked surprised. ‘Does Lee Sang-hyun really have no desire for success or fame? Usually, when an opportunity like this arises, wouldn’t they ask their crew members to understand, saying the PD requested it?’

It was a mindset that Heo Tae-jin, who had been in show business for over a decade since graduating college, struggled to grasp. But fortunately, it wasn’t a problem.

Heo Tae-jin smiled and continued, “Oh, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. The performance time for ‘Crouching Writer’ won’t affect the 888 Crew’s allotted time. Think of it as a ‘self-introduction rap’ that isn’t factored into the performance.”

“Didn’t you already film videos and interviews to introduce the 888 Crew? Why ‘Crouching Writer’ all of a sudden…?”

“It’s all because Triple Eight is doing so well.”

Heo Tae-jin explained the image he initially intended to create with the 888 Crew, and how that image had to be adjusted due to their rising popularity.

To avoid any negative perceptions about image-making, he also clarified that this was a positive way to highlight the lesser-known 888 Crew.

Sang-hyun, who had been listening intently, finally spoke. “So, you’re saying your original plan changed because we became famous?”

“That’s right.”

“Do you think we’re as famous as Code Name, Bounce Rhyme, or Stars Record? Even though the ‘Official Bootleg’ response is good, it hasn’t even been a month since its release, has it?”

“Well, of course, the 888 Crew isn’t as famous as ‘celebrities’ like Code Name or Bounce Rhyme. The same goes for comparing you to Stars Record, who debuted over six years ago. But if you consider the target audience for ‘Hip Hop the Vibe 2,’ it might be a different story.”

“Target audience?”

“Yes, ‘Hip Hop the Vibe 2’ is aimed at hip-hop fans and the 10-30 age group who enjoy music content. Nationally, the 888 Crew has far less recognition than Code Name. But within hip-hop fans and young music enthusiasts, I believe the 888 Crew’s recognition has risen to a similar level as those other teams.”

After a moment of thought, Sang-hyun nodded. Considering the recent buzz around the 888 Crew, it seemed plausible.

“So, I just have to perform ‘Crouching Writer’?”

“No. ‘Crouching Writer’ will be filmed separately after the other participants’ filming is complete. As a solo stage.”

“Didn’t you say today’s filming would end around midnight [12:00 AM]? I don’t know what kind of filming takes eight hours.”

Heo Tae-jin smiled at Sang-hyun’s question. “Midnight is when it ends *early*. I expect it will be delayed by an hour or two.”

“Then there’s no time for the ‘Crouching Writer’ filming you mentioned, is there?”

“I’m really sorry for the sudden request, but could you film tomorrow? Since it’s Sunday, if we start filming in the morning, we can finish before 3 PM.”

Sang-hyun was dumbfounded by Heo Tae-jin’s suggestion. He felt a vague understanding of how drama actors must feel, filming without knowing what’s ahead while receiving scripts on the spot.

Filming on Sunday? Without any concept or preparation?

“Does PD Heo Tae-jin decide on the concept and stage composition?”

“Well, do you have any ideas? I was thinking of just arranging a drummer and a piano player. It’s more about the rap performance than the instruments.”

At PD Heo Tae-jin’s words, Sang-hyun pondered. In fact, it was a good opportunity to promote “Crouching Writer” more widely.

The explosive response to “Crouching Writer” was due to its novelty as Korea’s first 100-bar rap, and the ability to enjoy the lyrics even without being a rap fan, thanks to the maximized wordplay.

This was evident in the feedback from people who generally disliked rap after listening to “Official Bootleg.” They only enjoyed “Eight, Eight, Eight Remix” because it sounded like a club song, but they gave positive evaluations of “Crouching Writer.” This was because most of the lyrics were made up of Korean puns, making it fun to listen to.

Sang-hyun reframed his thoughts positively.

If executed well, this was unconditionally a good opportunity. Moreover, PD Heo Tae-jin’s liking for “Crouching Writer” made the decision easier.

However, he felt a little uneasy, so he couldn’t readily agree. Commonly, the public perceived rap as ‘easy music.’ This was due to the perception that the way of making sounds was not much different from speaking, unlike singing. Sang-hyun, as a rap musician, naturally disliked this perception.

PD Heo Tae-jin’s suggestion to prepare for a performance in just one day seemed to stem from a dismissive view of rap, which he didn’t appreciate.

But thinking about it again, it was common to prepare competition songs in just one day on singing competition shows like “Superstar K.” Maybe it wasn’t a big deal in the broadcasting world.

“I’ll do it. But can I use Jun-hyung as a Hype Man?”

“What? What’s a Hype Man?”

“Um… you can think of it as a backup rapper who helps with the sound.”

A Hype Man is a backup rapper who provides backup vocals and ad-libs, enhancing the atmosphere of the performance. Their main role is to ensure a smooth flow and fill any gaps in the performance, such as doubling parts that require breath control and accents, and encouraging audience participation by adding interjections between bars.

“Hype Man” was an unfamiliar term in Korea, but it was a very important position in the United States. Many successful rappers started their careers as Hype Men.

Jay-Z, the king of New York, started as a Hype Man for Jaz-O and Big Daddy Kane, and Schoolboy Q entered the scene as a Hype Man for Kendrick Lamar, who became famous with “Control Beat.”

In Korea, Dok2 started his career as Jo PD’s Hype Man, and B-Free started his career as Leo Kekoa’s Hype Man.

And the person Sang-hyun trusted most on stage was Jun-hyung.

Sometimes, during performances, he would strangely run out of breath, even though he was fine during practice. Jun-hyung would notice Sang-hyun’s breathing problems like a ghost and provide unprepared, but very appropriate, doubling.

PD Heo Tae-jin, after hearing the explanation about Hype Man, said, “The picture I had in mind was Lee Sang-hyun rapping alone, but I guess it can’t be helped. The preparation period is too short.”

“Thank you for understanding. Oh, can I use the video of ‘Crouching Writer’?”

“Are you going to make a music video?”

“Not a music video, but I’m going to make a live clip.”

“No problem. But you have to indicate that it’s the ‘Hip Hop the Vibe’ version.”

“Of course.”

Having accepted the live filming of “Crouching Writer,” Sang-hyun discussed the stage composition with PD Heo Tae-jin for a while.

“Then, is there anything else you want?”

“No. This is enough.”

“Thank you for your hard work. Oh, it’s already this late.”

“I should go back to the waiting room. See you at the filming.”

Sang-hyun, after greeting PD Heo Tae-jin, left the conference room. His steps back to the waiting room were light.

‘I’m getting a free ultra-high-definition video clip?’

YouTube, which he had been eagerly anticipating, had finally launched its service just yesterday. Sang-hyun thought he should upload the “Crouching Writer” live clip to YouTube.

***

The first filming of “Hip Hop the Vibe 2” finally began.

“888 Crew, please sit on the left over there! Next to them, we’ll have Stars, Bounce, and Code Name in that order!”

The staff ran around checking the stage layout, and the lighting team was busy manipulating equipment. Simultaneously, six cameras began filming the cast’s every move.

The 888 Crew members observed the hectic broadcasting station scenery with curious eyes.

“888 Crew, the main camera is camera number 3! When answering the PD’s questions, please look at camera number 3. Camera number 3 director, please raise your hand!”

Unlike Stars Record, who had appeared on documentaries and music shows, or Bounce Rhyme and Code Name, who were used to being in front of the camera, everything was new to the 888 Crew members.

Seeing this, Rookie and Woo-sung of Code Name sneered. However, since the microphone settings were already finished, they didn’t say anything out loud.

The full-scale filming began with watching each team’s performance videos and interview videos.

Watching interviews that each person had given in a comfortable setting, together with 20 musicians, was enough to create a subtle battle of nerves.

-Um… I think the 888 Crew is a team with potential. But I think it will take some time for that potential to explode. It has a fresh taste, but I think the sound and the harmony of the team members in the tracks are a bit lacking because they haven’t been active for very long.

An interview in which Edition, the female rapper of Bounce Rhyme, evaluated the 888 Crew appeared on the large screen. It was a negative evaluation, but In-hyuk and Jun-hyung unknowingly shouted ‘Oooooh!’

This was because Edition, who was being interviewed in the dance studio, was wearing tight workout clothes.

“Ah, I’m embarrassed! Just stay still!”

Oh Min-ji growled softly and pinched Park In-hyuk’s side. Seeing that, Jun-hyung quickly covered his sides with both arms.

‘What?’

Edition felt a little annoyed while watching the 888 Crew’s reaction. It was because she felt like they didn’t care about her remarks at all.

She felt the camera zooming in on her, so she quickly composed herself, but her gaze glanced at the 888 Crew.

Bounce Rhyme’s performance video, Stars Record’s interview, Code Name’s music broadcast video, etc. continued, and finally the 888 Crew’s interview began to play.

‘What did these rude bastards say?’

Rookie of Code Name focused on the screen. Not only Rookie, but also the eyes of the 12 musicians who weren’t part of the 888 Crew were glued to the screen.

In fact, Code Name, Bounce Rhyme, and Stars Record knew each other to some extent. Stars Record had even taught rap at the agency for pay, and had been exposed to quite a few established musicians because they had been active for so long.

However, there wasn’t much information about the 888 Crew.

Of course, there was information that could be found, such as “Fuck the Show Business,” Club Homie performance, Mudeung Stadium performance, “Bootleg 0.5,” “Official Bootleg Triple Eight,” etc., but it was impossible to know everything about them because their career hadn’t even lasted a year.

And this was the same for the Stars Record members who were friendly with them. The successful performance at Club Homie, the two consecutive hits of “Bootleg,” and a few personal conversations didn’t make them think they knew everything about the 888 Crew.

Sang-hyun’s face appeared on the big screen.