The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 112

< Verse 16. Ripple Effect >

The stage for the first round, conducted with internal evaluations only and no audience, wasn’t large. However, the members of Stars Records used the stage expansively, as if they had performed on it countless times. Members without verses stepped back to create space or provided backup vocals.

Additionally, Kim Yu-hwa, in the vocal position, stimulated the listeners’ ears by adding a melodic line after the rap.

“Wow…….”

The musicians were captivated by Stars Records’ solid performance.

In terms of sheer performance experience, Stars Records had the most among the four teams. As a result, their performance was flawless, and everything was smooth, as if it had all been meticulously prepared.

This performance by Stars Records was very helpful to the relatively inexperienced 888 Crew. They could see what it meant to learn simply by observing.

Of course, this didn’t mean that the 888 Crew was lagging behind Stars Records in terms of rap skills, but experience was a valuable asset that could make skills even more impressive.

“As expected, the Stars *hyung*s [older male friends/brothers] are good at controlling themselves.”

“Right. We’re always hyped up, but these *hyung*s only raise the tension when necessary.”

“I think they’re doing that even more because there’s no audience today and the space is small? Actually, right now, the rapper’s tension and the overall atmosphere are separate issues.”

“Damn, I should try that today too.”

Stars Records’ performance, which began with their first album’s title track, ‘Underground,’ continued with ‘Flow Bible,’ which Sanghyun liked the most, and ‘Milky Way,’ a group song from their second album. For Sanghyun, these were songs he loved both before and after his regression. And that was the same for the other crew members as well.

When they sang ‘Milky Way,’ Junhyung and Kim Hwan sang along so loudly that PD [Production Director] Heo Taejin warned them to be quiet.

Stars are overflowing, this is the Milky Way

A crater about to explode

When Bega shouted “Say!” loudly after singing the chorus once, the 888 Crew members all followed along. Code Name and Bounce Rhyme either didn’t know the song or didn’t join in, only clapping.

Finally, Kim Yu-hwa raised her tone and sang the chorus as if singing a song, and Stars Records’ performance ended with applause.

‘How was it?’

The members of Stars Records, catching their breath, seemed to be asking with their eyes.

Sanghyun smiled and gave a thumbs up.

“Stars Records, thank you for your hard work. Next up is Bounce Rhyme. Please get ready!”

The five members of Stars Records went down, and the three members of Bounce Rhyme immediately came onto the stage.

Bounce Rhyme, consisting of Dolphin, Shingak, and Edition, were in their fifth year since their debut. Until two years ago, they had a member named ENote instead of Shingak. Bounce Rhyme was a team that was quite recognized by hip-hop fans when ENote was still with them.

However, in the process of changing agencies, Shingak came in instead of ENote, and the team’s style changed. They were criticized for being too mainstream and too bland.

One can’t judge the whole situation based on one person’s words, but Dolphin had once said that he had signed an unfair, exploitative contract because of the manager and Shingak.

‘If he was the head of a label for quite a long time, he wouldn’t be stupid…….’

Haters said that Dolphin was being exploited because he had the IQ of a stupid dolphin, but considering his actions in the underground scene later on, that didn’t seem to be the case.

In a way, the world of show business seemed to be a very cold world. A world where there are only winners and losers.

With Sanghyun’s various thoughts swirling, Bounce Rhyme’s performance began.

The biggest difference between Bounce Rhyme and Code Name was the members’ original backgrounds. Most of the members of Code Name were people who used to dance or sing. They were literally people who were forced into hip-hop by the agency’s planning.

In contrast, the members of Bounce Rhyme were originally doing rap music, regardless of their skills.

So, they weren’t completely lacking in the basics. But to be honest, it was really uncomfortable to listen to. It seemed like they liked ‘themselves rapping’ rather than liking rap itself.

Dolphin, who was the most skilled, seemed to lack enthusiasm.

He spat rhymes and rode the flow based on the basic rap method, but because he had no passion, he couldn’t move the audience’s hearts.

And Sanghyun’s guess was accurate.

The song that Bounce Rhyme was singing today was the title track that would be on their next album. So, from the company’s point of view, this place was not a place to showcase the musician’s capabilities, but a place to ‘promote’ their upcoming release.

For Dolphin, who was looking forward to showing off his rap in a place where hip-hop musicians gathered, it was a disappointing situation.

Bounce Rhyme had fewer members than Stars Records, so they shared the verses generously and sang a total of 4 songs.

“Those guys are originally rappers, but they’re so bad.”

Rookie whispered very quietly into Dread’s ear.

He seemed to be careful not to get his voice into the microphone, but Dread thought, ‘If that’s the case, why doesn’t he just not say anything at all?’

‘Will our performance be better than Bounce Rhyme’s?’

Dread, who had just started to open his eyes to rap music, felt strange that he was worrying about this. But it wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling.

He felt like he was crazy about dancing in high school, even to the point of almost being held back a grade for truancy. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Dread watched the 888 Crew go up on stage, taking over from Bounce Rhyme. He stared at Lee Sanghyun, who was particularly noticeable.

He really wanted to win.

To be honest, it was difficult for Code Name to beat the 888 Crew at ‘hip-hop’ in a team-versus-team battle. But Dread wanted to beat Lee Sanghyun in at least one song, or at least in his verse.

Without realizing it, Dread recalled the day he watched the 888 Crew’s interview and listened to the official bootleg [unofficial or self-released recording].

***

Dread couldn’t figure out exactly what he was thinking as he walked down the dark hallway of the company.

Mudeung Stadium performance, the fight with the 888 Crew, Lee Sanghyun’s interview, gymnast and boxer, Code Name, the dance he had been dancing since high school, himself who had become accustomed to the position of a singer at some point, fame.

And the 888 Crew’s official bootleg, Triple Eight.

Emotions that he couldn’t define exactly were bubbling and swirling in his head.

And when he finally arrived at the 7th floor of the company, his destination, Dread could vaguely understand his emotions.

Inferiority and admiration.

Anger and the desire to be recognized.

Jealousy and fighting spirit.

He didn’t want to admit it, but these emotions were filling his head.

‘I want to beat the 888 Crew. I want to beat Lee Sanghyun.’

As soon as he faced his emotions, his goal became very clear.

Dread knocked on the door with the nameplate ‘Master. Chae’ on the 7th floor with a firm heart.

“Come in.”

A voice that was half-locked because he hadn’t spoken for a long time was heard from inside the room. When he opened the door and went inside, he saw a man staring at the monitor with the air conditioner cranked up even though it was autumn.

Master Chae, Chae Daehan, turned his head and looked at Dread.

“Dread?”

“Hello.”

“Are you crazy?”

Dread avoided Chae Daehan’s eyes, who was glaring at him because he had committed a sin.

Chae Daehan was Korea’s best composer that any singer in Korea would want to work with.

The story of how Chae Daehan went to New York with only a guitar case when he was 22 years old and started his music life with no money was a very famous anecdote in the music industry.

Also, the story of how he went to New York wanting to become a guitarist like Jimi Hendrix, but unexpectedly fell into the black music of the mainland and mastered everything from R&B to blues, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop was even more famous.

But the most famous anecdote was the incident where he went to Harlem, longing for Compton where N.W.A was born, and was shot by a gang.

In short, Chae Daehan was a genius that could be seen in movies or novels. A genius full of crazy thoughts that criminals couldn’t understand.

That genius jumped up from his seat and approached Dread. And then, without saying a word, he slapped Dread on the cheek.

“I told you not to get in my sight, didn’t I? I’m really going to kill you.”

Dread had fought like crazy with Chae Daehan about 4 months ago. It was the day Chae Daehan was looking at the album direction of Code Name because of the request of the A&R [Artists and Repertoire] team leader, but Chae Daehan looked at the direction for only 5 minutes and said that Code Name was trash.

Dread, who was angry, had an argument with Chae Daehan, and in the end, Dread, who couldn’t stand it, kicked the guitar that Chae Daehan cherished the most. Dread didn’t know, but the guitar was said to be a very precious memento for Chae Daehan.

After that, the officials of Oh Kyung ENT said that if Chae Daehan’s mother hadn’t been very sick and the hospital bills hadn’t been so high, Chae Daehan might have sincerely killed Dread.

Dread had come to Chae Daehan’s studio of his own volition.

“I’m really sorry about the guitar.”

“If you’re really sorry, you should have come and apologized on the day. Now? Do you think this looks like a sincere apology? Hey, I’m curious now that it’s like this. What request does the world’s worst trash, Dread, have for me that he came at 3 a.m. and volunteered to get beaten up?”

Dread kept his head down even while being cursed at. When Chae Daehan’s rough breathing, who had been cursing for a long time, barely subsided, Dread handed over the CD he was holding.

It was the 888 Crew’s official bootleg that was in the manager’s car.

“This is the 888 Crew’s official bootleg.”

Chae Daehan’s voice felt calmer. Chae Daehan snatched the CD from Dread’s hand and opened the case.

“It’s a signed copy? But why this?”

“Do you know the 888 Crew?”

“Is that even a question? They’re a team that anyone who has even one gram of interest in the Korean hip-hop scene can’t help but know? Ah, well, you guys wouldn’t know, would you? Because they’re not rappers, but people who are pioneering a new genre called rap performance?”

Chae Daehan sneered, but Dread didn’t care. He had come to a place expecting even worse treatment. This was mild.

“Are they good at rapping?”

“What? The 888 Crew? Of course. They’re almost the only ones in Korea who can be compared to the locals [American rappers]. Well, if you’re asking if they’re the best at rapping, that’s not it, but if you’re asking if they’re the best at rap music…… I’d say yes.”

Dread had never heard Chae Daehan praise someone so highly. He was the kind of person who would say to a senior singer with 15 years of experience, ‘You wouldn’t have been able to become a singer if you weren’t born in Korea?’

“Hmm, this official bootleg was really amazing. I was surprised that they mixed dubstep in the last track. If you take out the fact that the recording equipment is bad and that it wasn’t mastered, it seems like almost a perfect album? But why?”

Certainly, Chae Daehan seemed to be much less angry when he was talking about music. Dread hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth.

< Verse 16. Ripple Effect > End

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