The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 111

Staring somewhat awkwardly at the camera, Sanghyun began to answer the writer’s questions, his voice the only sound audible.

-What do you think about Code Name?

-I think they are people who are working hard in their own way. They’re fulfilling their respective roles in their positions.

-So, you acknowledge Code Name as musicians?

-Yes. There’s no reason not to.

As Sanghyun’s interview aired, Rooky and Woosung sneered. They saw him as arrogant and spineless, trying to manage his image now that he was on TV.

No matter how much they talk about the underground and shout about the hip-hop spirit, it’s all useless. Once they get into mass media, everyone changes. They want to gain popularity, make money, and be praised.

The members of Bounce Rhyme felt the same way. They thought the interview was contrived, especially considering they had dissed [disrespected] Show Biz in magazines and Code Name during performances.

“What’s this? Isn’t this different from your usual character?”

Bae Ga, sitting nearby, tapped Junhyung on the shoulder and asked. Junhyung smiled awkwardly and replied.

“Sanghyun is more of an ass than you can imagine.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Um… it’s like he’s not satisfied with just pushing people down. He lifts them up first and then pushes them off…”

“What are you talking about?”

Bae Ga tilted his head, not understanding Junhyung’s words. Meanwhile, Sanghyun’s interview continued.

-So, while filming Hip Hop the Vibe, do you acknowledge Code Name as rivals of the 888 Crew?

-No.

-Is it because the 888 Crew is superior in skill, so you don’t see them as rivals?

-No.

-Then why aren’t they rivals?

-Because we don’t compete with Code Name. So, there’s no reason to compare skills.

-What? Hip Hop the Vibe is a program where you compete with rap, and Code Name and the 888 Crew are appearing together?

Dread quietly watched Sanghyun’s interview. He had already seen it, but thinking about what came next made his blood boil. What was even more infuriating was that he couldn’t really refute the 888 Crew’s words.

Not yet. Yes, not yet.

“What is that jerk… what’s Sanghyun saying?”

Rooky whispered to Dread.

Rooky’s question echoed in the minds of Stars Records and Bounce Rhyme. No reason to compete?

On the screen, where everyone’s attention was focused, Sanghyun, who had been organizing his thoughts, began to speak.

-I’ll put it this way so you can understand. A boxer cannot compete with a gymnast. Except for the broad category of sports, boxing and gymnastics are completely different worlds. The training methods, goals, and mindsets are different. Of course, a boxer might dislike a gymnast, just as I personally dislike Code Name.

‘Boxer? Gymnast?’

The members of Code Name’s eyebrows twitched.

-But a boxer doesn’t think about having a match with a gymnast. That’s a foolish idea. We are boxers, and Code Name is gymnasts. Hip Hop the Vibe? Let’s think of it as the National Sports Festival. Even if we participate in the same event, there’s no reason to compete with Code Name.

As Sanghyun’s interview ended, silence filled the set.

Staff and cameramen who hadn’t had the chance to see the interview, or hadn’t been interested, widened their eyes at Sanghyun’s words. Could there be a greater provocation than this? Moreover, Lee Sanghyun seemed to genuinely believe it.

“This son of a…!”

The faces of the Code Name members were contorted. They barely managed to hold back the curses that rose to their throats, but they couldn’t control their expressions.

The members of Bounce Rhyme, who were in a similar position to Code Name, also had unpleasant expressions.

Among them, the angriest was the female rapper, Edition.

Edition knew that the 888 Crew hadn’t shown much reaction during her interview. In a way, it seemed like they were ignoring her. Until she saw Lee Sanghyun’s interview, she was just feeling uncomfortable, but now she was definitely angry.

‘A boxer can’t compete with a gymnast? Are they that good?’

The 888 Crew clearly saw not only Code Name but also Bounce Rhyme as gymnasts.

Sanghyun watched the reactions to the interviews from the surrounding musicians and then looked at ‘Poor Dolphin’ Dolphin. Unlike Shin Kak and Edition, who were very angry, Dolphin didn’t show much reaction. It even seemed like she was smiling faintly.

As expected, Dolphin seemed to be doing music she didn’t want to do because she was tied to her agency.

“Junhyung, I understand what you meant now. Sanghyun is even more creatively of an ass than I imagined.”

“Right?”

“You can tell by the fact that I begged him so much to appear on Homi Volume Two, but he didn’t.”

“Hey, hyung, that’s a bit different.”

Stars Records, including Bae Ga, were boxers like the 888 Crew, so they watched the interview from a bystander’s perspective.

As expected, Lee Sanghyun is Lee Sanghyun, and the 888 Crew is the 888 Crew. How can they put others down so creatively and innovatively?

-Shin Junhyung, as the leader of the team, what do you think is the ultimate goal of the 888 Crew?

-Well, as we always say in our music, we….

After Sanghyun’s interview ended, interviews with the crew members, including Junhyung, began to air. But unlike the previous interviews, there weren’t many reactions from the other teams.

Both the overground [mainstream] and underground teams were thinking about something, and their words decreased.

“Hmm….”

PD [Production Director] Heo Taejin, who was watching the atmosphere, gestured to the staff. It seemed necessary to capture the changes in each team’s feelings at this point and organize a clear emotional line.

At Heo Taejin’s gesture, the writers in charge of each team began to prepare for an intermediate interview with the cameramen.

“We’ll have some time for team interviews. You know your team’s writers, right? Musicians, please follow what the writers say.”

The chaotic atmosphere quickly settled down as the interviews began. Even the overground teams, who had been cautious about managing their image, began to actively participate in the interviews.

‘Lee Sanghyun’s interview is definitely too strong.’

Heo Taejin was also initially taken aback when he saw the 888 Crew’s interview, especially Lee Sanghyun’s. He could air it on the show, but he was worried that the 888 Crew would look too arrogant.

However, fortunately, Official Bootleg received a successful evaluation, and the relationship between the 888 Crew and Code Name became widely known. A stage was set to use Lee Sanghyun’s interview.

Heo Taejin looked at the 888 Crew doing the interview and chuckled slightly.

They had changed the entire atmosphere of the set with their incredible comments, but they themselves were having a very bright and fun interview.

They were joking with the writer and giggling, enjoying themselves to the fullest. Then the female members scolded the male members for not being serious because it was a broadcast.

The scene looked very pleasant and close-knit.

‘They’re definitely a team with a good balance of members.’

Heo Taejin began to feel confident that Hip Hop the Vibe 2 would be a success.

The filming continued late into the night.

The scenario was simple enough to make you wonder, ‘How can they film for eight hours with just this?’ but once the filming started, time flew by.

The most time-consuming task was definitely the interviews. It was an endless repetition of interview after doing something, and then another interview after doing something else.

“Ugh, I’m tired.”

The 888 Crew members, who had a late dinner with lunch boxes, enjoyed a short break.

“We haven’t done much, but it’s already 8:30.”

“I know. I wish we could just do the performance quickly.”

“Wouldn’t their attitude change after the performance because the tension is released? I think that’s why they do it last.”

“Is that so? The writer didn’t tell us to get a lot of sleep for no reason.”

“But I heard that Code Name and Bounce Rhyme only got to sleep for less than four hours?”

Inhyuk shook his head at Hayeon’s words.

“Really? They’re not celebrities for nothing. I wouldn’t be able to do it even if they told me to.”

“Hyung, you don’t have to worry about that at all.”

“But why are there so many interviews? I think we’ve done it eight times?”

“Hey, eight times is a bit of an exaggeration. I think we’ve done it about five times? Ah, PD Heo told me when noona [older sister or female friend] went to the bathroom that there would be a lot of interviews today because it’s the first day of filming. He said they won’t do this next time because the positions and characters of the teams will be set.”

“Does that mean there are still interviews left today?”

While Oh Minji grabbed her long hair and expressed Munch’s Scream [a famous painting depicting a figure in anguish], the short break ended, and filming resumed.

The long filming, which seemed like it would never end, began to show its end as time passed. At 11 p.m., the filming scenario had only the last part left.

The last part was the performance.

12 minutes and 30 seconds per team, a total of 50 minutes. Even considering the final interview and voting after the performance, it didn’t seem like it would take more than 2 hours to finish.

Today’s performance was one where no one would be eliminated. However, since it was the first performance where musicians gathered and evaluated each other, no team seemed to take it lightly. Therefore, the tension that filled the set before the performance and the glances that checked each other were often caught on camera.

“The final performance is a performance, so there will be no re-shooting. There will be no breaks in between, and it will proceed directly. If anyone needs to go to the bathroom, go now.”

PD Heo Taejin, who had been supervising the set all day, also looked quite tired.

“The performance order was randomly drawn. Stars Records, Bounce Rhyme, 888 Crew, Code Name in that order. As you know, the team that wins first place today will be given the authority to decide the matchups and order of the next round. Ah, and if you go over 12 minutes and 30 seconds, the microphone and beat will be turned off, so please be mindful of the time.”

“How will the voting proceed?”

“Our 15 staff members will each cast 1 vote, and 5 specially invited people from the music industry will each cast 2 votes, for a total of 25 votes. As you know from the announcement, 100 general audience members will vote from the second round.”

As PD Heo Taejin finished speaking, some headed to the bathroom, and some began to warm up their voices. It was 11 p.m., close to midnight, so many people’s voices were hoarse.

After a while, the 20 musicians finished all their preparations, and Stars Records, the first in order, stepped onto the stage.

“This is very embarrassing. I’ve never performed in this kind of atmosphere before. And it’s been a long time since I’ve rapped in front of such a small number of people.”

The 888 Crew members shouted to encourage Bae Ga, and Code Name and Bounce Rhyme also applauded.

Stars Records, consisting of Bae Sangwook, Woo Yeonwoo, Yeom Hyunpil, Oh Myungjin, and Kim Yoohwa, showed a sense of ease in their movements on stage, even though they said they were awkward.

Indeed, the experience of holding their position at the forefront of the underground for over 6 years was not obtained for nothing.

‘Stars Records.’

Sanghyun quietly repeated their name. In a way, it’s really amazing. In the past, Stars Records was an existence above the clouds that Sanghyun could only meet through albums, but now they are standing right in front of him.

Now, Stars Records is no longer an existence above the clouds. They are musicians who share the same era, and a mountain he wants to surpass someday.

The biggest reason the 888 Crew accepted the appearance on Hip Hop the Vibe 2 was the desire to compete with Stars Records. And it was no different for the Stars Records members.

‘Shouldn’t the hyungs [older brothers or respected male figures] be a little higher up for now?’

The performance began with the Stars Records members’ eyes seeming to ask that question.

End

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