The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 123

Shortly after, Lee Sang-hyun entered the set of *Popular Music*. Without any hesitation, he approached PD [Production Director] Na Han-soo and said,

“Thanks to you, I found what I left behind. Now that it’s come to this, I’d like to go on stage. What do you think, PD?”

“Thank you.”

PD Na Han-soo felt deeply grateful to Sang-hyun, who had so refreshingly said the words he himself had found difficult to utter.

He had met all sorts of people—simply good people, simply bad people, bad people pretending to be good, clever and bad people. But ‘clever and good people’ were a first for him.

“I’ll let the assistant director know, so you can redo your makeup. The dress rehearsal will start in 30 minutes. Oh, and we completely removed the AR [All Recorded audio track, a pre-recorded vocal track]. Did you perhaps want to keep it in the background rather than remove it entirely?”

“No, I’ll proceed live without AR. Thank you for believing in me.”

“Don’t mention it. I look forward to working with you.”

PD Na Han-soo quietly watched Sang-hyun’s retreating figure as he headed to the makeup room.

He was determined to help Lee Sang-hyun in any way he could if the opportunity ever arose.

The PD wasn’t a frontline goal scorer, but he was at least a midfielder.

The dress rehearsal for Indie Kid, which took place 30 minutes later, was completed without any issues, except for a few additional camera rehearsals.

Indie Kid’s performance was good, Choi Tae-il’s singing was good, and Lee Sang-hyun’s rap was good.

‘They’re good.’

That was the common thought among the staff who were subtly watching the rehearsal.

By 5:30 PM, when the audience had entered and all rehearsals were finished, the set felt like it was buzzing with energy.

The MCs [Masters of Ceremony], burdened by their busy schedules, were reading through scripts they hadn’t fully memorized while applying makeup, and the singers scheduled for the beginning of the broadcast were diligently practicing their choreography to reinforce muscle memory.

However, Sang-hyun didn’t belong in any of those groups.

You could say he was leisurely looking around.

‘Doing a public broadcast isn’t something I can do twice.’

After the dry rehearsal, there’s the dress rehearsal, and after the dress rehearsal, there’s the camera rehearsal. Moreover, if the composition is even slightly off, it’s a repeat of the camera rehearsal.

And why are the movements so restricted?

Sang-hyun preferred performances where he could freely express his inspiration—like club gigs or performances at the Mudeung Stadium.

‘I can’t seem to find the time for a solo concert. At this rate, it’ll be pushed back to next year.’

Due to the filming of *Hip-Hop the Vibe*, 888 Crew’s solo concert was indefinitely postponed.

Honestly, he could do it now if he wanted to, but it didn’t feel like he would be giving his best.

‘Tomorrow is Ha-yeon’s college entrance exam, so I have to go cheer her on… and the day after that is the first broadcast of *Hip-Hop the Vibe*. The day after that is the second round of filming.’

Sang-hyun killed time while pondering these thoughts.

Today, Indie Kid’s stage was the comeback special right before the performances of the three first-place candidates.

Indie Kid was performing a total of three songs, and Sang-hyun was scheduled to join in on the second song. So, in terms of time, it would be almost 7 PM.

Sang-hyun, Indie Kid, and even Rush Entertainment, which promoted the *Indie Kidant* album, had not expected “If Today Passes” to reach number one.

In fact, early November, when the *College Scholastic Ability Test* [Korea’s standardized college entrance exam] takes place, is the time of year with the fewest new song releases, and Indie Kid essentially planted their flag in an unoccupied territory because they had no strong rivals.

Of course, that didn’t mean the title of number one disappeared. Whether the chart-topping position would lead to a music show win remained to be seen.

“Indie Kid! Backstage standby call!”

Sang-hyun shook himself up and got up at the staff’s voice.

***

“The next act is a team that’s leading the underground musician craze, right?”

“That’s right! They’re showing off the cool image of eternal band ‘oppas’ [an honorific term used by women to refer to older male friends or brothers] with their 5th album, *Indie Kidant*! It’s… Indie Kid!”

“Come to think of it, Mild and Indie Kid have recently joined the same agency. What’s your impression of Indie Kid, having seen them in person?”

“The Indie Kid seniors I’ve met are…”

A pretty girl idol and an actor in his mid-20s continued with a lengthy introduction to Indie Kid’s comeback special stage.

Sang-hyun’s story also came up.

“Many people are looking forward to ‘If Today Passes,’ where we can also see a special guest. FiveSix of 888 Crew, Lee Sang-hyun, who we haven’t been able to see on broadcast stages, is preparing a great rap.”

“We have high expectations. Let’s meet them now. Indie Kid comeback special!”

“*Popular Music* – Cue!”

As the two MCs finished their comments, the main camera turned on, and the stage lights brightened.

On stage, four musicians were playing their respective instruments in a free-spirited manner. The insincere posture and the disharmony of the instruments playing separately.

At that moment, the buzzing electric guitar began to produce a neat melody. At the same time, Kim Woong-gak’s drums emitted a dull sound, capturing the attention of the audience.

Finally, the title track of the 5th album, *Indie Kidant*, was being broadcast for the first time.

The title track, , was a song in which Indie Kid, who had prided themselves on Korean-style art rock and preferred complex and difficult compositions, had reduced the ‘complexity.’

The bass wriggled along with the rough electric guitar, and the refreshing drums made vocalist Choi Tae-il’s voice stand out even more.

Always – raise your voice –

Yeh-eh-ah-eh-Ye

As the unique refrain of ‘Yeh-eh-ah-eh-Ye’ echoed, sounds of the audience following along could be heard from the audience seats.

It was a heartwarming sight for the musicians to see audience members, most of whom were teenagers, singing along to the song of Indie Kid, whose members were all in their 30s.

Even audience members who didn’t know the song seemed to find the refrain fun and awkwardly followed along, laughing among themselves.

The connection of the traditional band sound, which continued from the intro-chorus-verse-bridge-verse-chorus, flowed smoothly. The atmosphere in the audience was also very good.

In fact, was also the song that the Rush Entertainment promotion team had promoted the most diligently.

Although the throne was taken by “If Today Passes.”

Always – raise your voice –

Yeh-eh-ah-eh-Ye

The last refrain was concluded by Choi Tae-il’s voice without accompaniment. As the beautiful tone filled the stage, the crowd erupted in cheers.

‘They’re better than L&S.’

Sang-hyun, who was watching Indie Kid’s performance from the side of the stage, thought to himself.

At that moment, a staff member frantically gestured to Sang-hyun. It seemed to be a signal not to think about anything else and to get ready.

The moment the *Indie Kidant* performance ended, the stage lights turned dark in an instant. At the same time, a slightly melancholic and lyrical acoustic guitar melody flowed through the speakers.

“Wow!”

“I know this song!”

A much louder cheer erupted from the audience than when they sang the title track.

A song that is praised for stealing the hearts of the public with the exquisite harmony of two underground musicians.

A song that is praised for the perfect contrast between the concise lyrics of Verse One by Choi Tae-il and the sophisticated lyrics of Verse Two by Lee Sang-hyun.

It was “If Today Passes.”

Choi Tae-il began to sing.

If today passes – the things in my room will disappear –

One toothbrush and one slipper, even the scent of you that filled the passenger seat –

A lover who can’t push away their partner because of pity and affection.

The deep emotion of wanting to let her go now began to be expressed through the lyrical lyrics.

What has taken your place in your heart –

The heaviness – of the name reality –

The lyrics, which vocalist Choi Tae-il wrote based on a true story, were deeply imbued with a bitter sense of resignation. Because the scab of the wound had been there for too long, the direct emotion of ‘sadness’ was not visible.

However, critics have said that if you peel back one layer of Choi Tae-il’s seemingly calm and bitter vocals, you can see the sadness that has been hidden away.

Verse One of “If Today Passes” ended, and the chorus began.

If today passes –

With the two words goodbye –

Leaving behind the castle of time we built together

We will leave –

As Choi Tae-il’s chorus began, the sound of the acoustic guitar turned ethereal. At the same time, the voices of the audience singing along grew louder and louder.

A number one song wasn’t a number one song for no reason.

Indie Kid wasn’t treated like the big brothers of the bands for no reason.

Even when the audience sang along to the song, the emotional lines of the Indie Kid members never wavered. As a result, the voices of the audience grew even louder.

At that moment, a small cheer erupted from the audience.

This was because Sang-hyun, who had been waiting behind the stage, slowly walked out and began to sing the chorus.

The chorus that Sang-hyun sang was not a song.

It was a rap that seemed to be recited in a low voice.

There were quite a few people who knew 888 Crew and Lee Sang-hyun, but didn’t really know what he looked like. It was natural not to know unless you were an underground hip-hop fan or had seen the trailer for *Hip-Hop the Vibe*.

However, the ‘rap’ accounted for more than half of the reason why “If Today Passes” reached number one, and the audience welcomed Sang-hyun’s appearance with great enthusiasm.

-Lee Sang-hyun!

-56!

Lee Sang-hyun and FiveSix were vaguely confused, but eventually the audience’s shouts were unified as Lee Sang-hyun.

If today passes –

With the two words goodbye –

Leaving behind the castle of time we built together

We will leave –

As Sang-hyun’s rap took center stage in the chorus, Choi Tae-il’s voice receded, and the guitar sound grew louder. In inverse proportion to that, the drum sound became smaller.

Exquisite volume control that allows you to focus on the rap.

Sang-hyun sat down heavily on a chair placed next to Indie Kid while singing the last chorus.

Next to the chair was a small round table, and on the table were stationery and a pen, and a mug.

At that moment, the lights that had been shining on the Indie Kid members went out all at once.

Now, only Sang-hyun’s figure could be seen on the stage.

A man organizing the words he will say to his lover tomorrow in a dark room.

This was the content of the rap, and the image the stage was trying to portray.

Between the lyrical guitar melodies, the sound of the pen scratching and the sound of a sigh could be heard.

At that moment, the guitar sound disappeared, and there was a moment of silence for 1 second. Sang-hyun put his arm on the table as if he was resting his chin, holding the microphone.

And the rap began.

Sorry, I was too hasty

The time has come to stop

Nineteen, still cold around February

I fell for you and that’s still valid

Sorry, stop, nineteen, I.

The initial rhyme, which Sang-hyun doesn’t use often, began to form a sense of rhythm.

The reason why Sang-hyun used initial rhyme in this part was simple.

It was because he wanted to convey emotions with complete sentences rather than forcing rhymes.

Choi Tae-il and she first met in February when they were nineteen, going up to their senior year of high school. The audience seemed to be able to picture their appearance.

A silence mixed with admiration flowed through the audience seats.

I wanted to trap you in my frame,

But I was quite wrong.

It was good, thinking of you

Now I give up, the conclusion of you and me that I came to with difficulty

Choi Tae-il had hastily wanted to trap her in his frame.

So he proposed.

However, the proposal was a huge mistake that revealed even more intensely the weight of the reality that blocked the two of them.

Of course, I say, it’s not your fault at all

There’s absolutely nothing wrong, but 1 times

0 and 100 times 0 are the same 0

No matter how much emotion I have, I am 0 in you

Sang-hyun’s voice changed dramatically.

If Choi Tae-il hid his emotions with lyrics that contained metaphors and analogies, Sang-hyun was spewing out very direct emotions, befitting the genre of rap.

If there was passion, he expressed passion, and if there was sadness, he expressed sadness. But the method was very sophisticated.

‘1 times 0’ and ‘100 times 0’ are the same 0.

No matter how much emotion I have, the result is 0 because I am 0 in you.

Could there be such sophisticated self-despair?

Could there be such a sophisticated way of expressing sadness?

A line that is praised for perfectly mixing the unique Korean sentiment of parting with the wordplay unique to rap.

The feeling of one-sided love that you have experienced at least once.

The audience and viewers listening to Sang-hyun’s rap might have been unknowingly recalling the scent of someone they couldn’t catch in the past.

It’s a disease, writing lyrics too,

For a while, I only wrote love stories because of you

I’m back to square one

But who will cure the heart disease that’s full inside?

It’s a disease, writing lyrics too.

A device that shifts from the popular emotion of parting to the emotion of parting of a musician.

The short 45-second rap came to an end.

But that time was by no means short. It was enough time to recall the shadow of someone who had passed by.

Cheers did not erupt.

The scent of someone that Sang-hyun’s rap had evoked was too strong for cheers to erupt.

At that moment, a chorus began as if representing the cheers of the listeners. The audience began to sing the chorus in unison.

If today passes –

With the two words goodbye –

Leaving behind the castle of time we built together

We will leave –

The voices of the audience singing along to the chorus began to change. They were not singing along because they knew the song or simply because they liked the song.

Their voices contained their respective emotions and their respective memories.

In that way, Sang-hyun’s first broadcast stage ended with a wonderful scene, so much so that the evaluation of it being successful was insufficient.

-Lee Sang-hyun! Lee Sang-hyun!

The cheers of the audience, who seemed to have forgotten that it was Indie Kid’s song, were being broadcast nationwide through the sub-camera.

One day, two days before the first broadcast of *Hip-Hop the Vibe*.

It was Lee Sang-hyun, the leading hitter of 888 Crew, who threw his hat into the mainstream scene.

< Verse 17. If Today Passes (End) > End

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