The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 114

< Verse 16. Ripple Effect >

All eyes were on Inhyuk, the lead man of 888 Crew. Inhyuk embraced the attention and started rapping as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

Yeah, I’m instant coffee,

My pencil captures Korean sentiment,

My watch isn’t a luxury, it’s a Dolphin [a common, inexpensive brand],

My tongue pumps every time I rap.

Park Inhyuk had always admired the cool, controlled performances of Starrs Records.

The perfect balance of excitement and delivery.

Stage presence, vocal tone, rapper’s emotion—even the thrill of it all—skillfully managed.

So, Inhyuk wanted to try a restrained rap, emulating the Starrs Records *hyung*s [older brothers/mentors] in this performance. But 888 Crew wasn’t Starrs Records, and Inhyuk was different from Bae Ga and Woo Yeonwoo.

From the moment he stepped onto the stage, his heart pounded, and the instant he heard the beat, the idea of restraint vanished from his mind. Before he knew it, Inhyuk was rapping as usual, perhaps even more intensely than before.

Inhyuk’s left hand, clutching the microphone, fluttered wildly.

Whatever I feel, it’s my way,

Instant coffee-smelling ingredients,

If not, *sujeonggwa* or *sikhye* [traditional Korean beverages],

My coffee bean origin is Gwangju City Ghetto.

As Inhyuk’s rap reverberated through the venue, the audience’s perception of him began to shift. The members of Bounce Rhyme, witnessing Inhyuk’s live performance for the first time, were particularly taken aback.

‘What? He’s actually good?’

Edition’s surprise, who had subtly looked down on Inhyuk, was even more pronounced.

Inhyuk had only presented a playful persona throughout the recording process, including the pre-interview. He constantly tried to elicit laughter with his signature exclamation, ‘Keu,’ and corny jokes, often drawing scolding from his colleagues.

As this pattern continued, those who didn’t know Inhyuk well labeled him as a ‘lightweight.’ And that image was subtly affecting the perception of Park Inhyuk as a musician.

‘I thought he’d do a funny rap. Isn’t he a gag character? Is he really this good?’

But the moment he started rapping, Inhyuk’s carefully constructed image shattered.

Grind the beans, not sweet enough yet,

Add sugar, more creamer,

Stir it up, still a bit bitter,

Write lyrics like making coffee.

When Inhyuk launched into the verse beginning with ‘Grind the beans,’ Kim Hwan and Oh Minji immediately doubled each line, as planned.

It created a playful effect, as if Inhyuk was rapping ‘Grind the beans, grind,’ ‘Not sweet enough yet, sweet,’ ‘Add sugar, add,’ ‘More creamer, more.’

Now, no one could dismiss Park Inhyuk as merely a funny guy. Not if they’d seen him on stage.

Inhyuk delivered the final four bars and concluded the verse.

The scent of coffee beans is only from me,

It’s my barometer,

Grinding in each way.

Blue Mountain, this is Climbing.

As the chorus hit, the members on stage, along with Minho and Sangmi below, spun their right hands wildly, mimicking the motion of grinding. It was as if they were actually operating a coffee grinder.

The camera director captured the energy of the 888 Crew members, filling the screen. Watching them, PD [Production Director] Heo Taejin was struck by the genuine excitement in their expressions. They laughed with the unbridled joy of children, reveling in the moment.

A stage showcasing the seasoned skill of Starrs Records was undeniably captivating, but a stage overflowing with uncontainable excitement, like that of 888 Crew, held its own unique appeal.

‘If this keeps up, aren’t Bounce Rhyme and Codename falling behind?’

As PD Heo Taejin worried, the energy of 888 Crew, once ignited, showed no signs of waning. Kim Hwan, taking the baton from Inhyuk, amplified the atmosphere with his distinctive, razor-sharp rhythm.

Park Inhyuk’s unrestrained, free-flowing rap style.

Kim Hwan, maintaining a precise, knife-like beat.

The juxtaposition of their raps often created a synergistic effect, highlighting each other’s strengths.

Inhyuk acted as Kim Hwan’s hype man, filling the gaps, while Minji and Hayeon added depth to the sound through their doubling.

In the exquisite harmony of the four, 888 Crew’s opening song, “Coffee Machine,” continued.

Bae Ga, watching the performance, couldn’t help but exclaim.

“They’re good.”

The Starrs Records members nodded in agreement.

“They’re really good. They seem even better than they were at the Hommie performance.”

“What are the 888 kids eating to improve so rapidly?”

“Noma F?”

“……?”

Bae Ga and the Starrs Records members exchanged playful banter, but their eyes remained glued to the stage.

‘Rival consciousness.’

It might sound harsh to Bounce Rhyme or Codename, but Starrs Records had never considered those two teams as true rivals, only 888 Crew. Bounce Rhyme and Codename were simply too different in terms of skill.

‘No, to be honest……’

To be honest, even at the Hommie performance, they believed that if ‘two people were missing’ from 888 Crew, they wouldn’t be comparable. Of course, those two were Sanghyun and Junhyung, and, to a lesser extent, Hayeon.

But Bae Ga’s feelings watching “Coffee Machine” now were completely different from what he felt at Club Hommie.

Junhyung and Sanghyun weren’t in the “Coffee Machine” lineup.

Kim Hwan, Oh Minji, Park Inhyuk, Shin Hayeon.

A performance created by members who were previously considered less skilled than Sanghyun or Junhyung. Yet, Bae Ga couldn’t deny that the “Coffee Machine” performance was on par with Starrs Records.

Under Sanghyun’s influence, constantly competing and striving to surpass 888 Crew, the members had grown significantly.

‘Especially……’

Park Inhyuk. His growth was dazzling.

In Bae Ga’s opinion, 888 Crew had an unparalleled role model in ‘Lee Sanghyun.’ Consequently, the crew members were unconsciously influenced by Sanghyun in many ways.

But Park Inhyuk was an exception.

Aside from his lyrical prowess, Inhyuk’s rap style was completely distinct from Sanghyun’s. Moreover, Inhyuk employed a parallel structure in his lyrics, unlike Sanghyun’s top-down approach.

Bae Ga coldly analyzed 888 Crew, and he now recognized them as genuine competitors. Just two months prior, when he invited them to perform at Club Hommie, he had approached it with the mindset of mentoring his juniors.

As Bae Ga pondered, the final chorus erupted, and the “Coffee Machine” performance concluded. It was a performance that left the audience feeling energized.

Bae Ga sensed that 888 Crew’s heavy hitters were about to take the stage as they stepped forward for the next song.

Lee Sanghyun, Shin Junhyung, Park Inhyuk singing “Dressing Room.”

It was a song with an intriguing title.

Sanghyun scanned the audience, meeting their gazes.

In the past, 888 Crew had performed before crowds ranging from a hundred to over ten thousand people. But now, there were only about 50 people present, including the staff.

However, the small audience didn’t make the stage any less challenging.

The eyes of those harboring animosity, the eyes of those showing support, the eyes of those filled with curiosity.

The emotions of the diverse audience washed over Sanghyun.

Sanghyun smiled at the crowd, as he always did before a performance. The desire to deliver a memorable show surged within him.

“Inhyuk *hyung*, are you ready?”

“Of course.”

Inhyuk, catching his breath after the “Coffee Machine” performance, gave an OK sign. Soon, the beat dropped.

Official Bootleg – Triple Eight

Track 4 “Dressing Room”

“Dressing Room” was a song that Inhyuk conceived, selecting the beat, crafting the chorus, and establishing the theme. Woo Minho directly produced the beat, a quintessential New School sound from the West Coast, characterized by its lavish instrumentation and airy textures.

Within the Swagger culture, a defining yet often criticized aspect of hip-hop, rappers typically portray themselves as ‘strong.’ Consequently, the rapper’s target becomes the ‘weak,’ and in this aggressive form of rap, ‘how effectively you can dismantle your opponent and elevate your own status’ becomes paramount.

Consider Jay-Z’s nickname, Hova, which likens himself to Jehovah, or Eminem’s self-proclaimed title, Rap God.

Inhyuk’s “Dressing Room” subtly subverted this perspective of swagger culture. He drew inspiration from foreign rappers’ rap battles and their frequent use of the word ‘Piss.’

As the West Coast-inspired beat, created with synthesizers, filled the air, Junhyung stepped forward and grabbed the microphone.

But Junhyung’s face was strangely flushed, as if he were embarrassed. Sanghyun felt grateful that he wasn’t assigned ‘that role’ when he saw Junhyung’s expression.

He felt inexplicably awkward.

“*Hyung*, Inhyuk *hyung*.”

“Uh, what is it?”

The audience exchanged puzzled glances as Junhyung and Inhyuk suddenly began speaking as the prelude played. It wasn’t just talking; it was a strangely stilted, theatrical tone.

Then, the seven members of 888 Crew, except for Inhyuk, averted their gazes, avoiding eye contact.

‘Are they really going to do this? On a broadcast that the whole nation might watch?’

‘Isn’t this the true spirit of hip-hop in some way?’

‘Please stop!’

Meanwhile, Junhyung’s lines continued.

“I can’t perform today.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m not in a condition to perform right now.”

“What are you talking about? Can’t you see the audience is waiting?”

“I’m telling you, I can’t do it!”

Inhyuk roughly grabbed Junhyung by the collar at his outburst. Junhyung turned his head away, avoiding Inhyuk’s gaze.

“Is that all you are? What’s the reason you’re not performing?”

“I can’t say it.”

“Say it!”

“I… I listened to *hyung*’s rap…”

Junhyung bit his lip and pointed to his pants.

“I peed my pants.”

Silence and shock permeated the set. Truly brave! What an absurd act! How could Shin Junhyung’s face, reddened with embarrassment, not be considered brave!

At that moment, the synthesizer sound of Bbam Bbam Bbam!, which had been playing faintly, exploded into a loud beat.

Inhyuk, standing alone and unfazed, grabbed the microphone and launched into the chorus.

This place is a dressing room, dressing room, dressing room, dressing room

This place is a dressing room, dressing room, dressing room, dressing room

This place is a dressing room, dressing room, dressing room, dressing room

This place is a dress – ing – room (dressing room)

It was a simple chorus, but the well-chosen beat prevented it from sounding monotonous. Moreover, it was structured in a way that made it easy for the audience to sing along after just one listen.

Inhyuk wore a proud expression as he delivered the chorus.

‘At this level, it won’t be inferior to Gwangju Up’s intro, right?’

The fiery acting in the “Dressing Room” intro was Inhyuk’s hidden weapon, born from his long-standing envy of Gwangju Up’s ‘pretending to be embarrassed’ performance.

Junhyung and Inhyuk’s masterful acting (?) wasn’t hastily conceived for the Hip Hop The Vibe stage. In fact, it was also included in the official sound source of Official Bootleg.

However, while recording the audio, it was fun to perform in the practice room with only 888 Crew present, but no one could have imagined doing this live in front of cameras and an audience.

< Verse 16. Ripple Effect > End

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