The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 167

< Verse 24. 2006 (End) >

Get That Money – Dressing Room – The parade of hit songs that followed ‘Gwangju Business’ had the audience in a frenzy. After catching his breath for a moment, Sanghyun addressed the audience.

“Did you know that we were originally on the lineup for the sub-stage performance?”

-Yes!!

-We know!

“You might be wondering why we’re busking here. Actually, we terminated our contract with AIMMF [Asia Independent Movie & Music Festival] this morning. But we planned this busking for the fans who came all the way to Yongin to see us.”

Sanghyun slowly began to tell the story of his dealings with show business.

It was never what he wanted, but ‘Fuck Tha Show Biz’ was the catalyst that brought the 888 Crew, who had been making music in Gwangju, to the surface. However, surprisingly many people didn’t know this. This was especially true for those who encountered the 888 Crew through ‘Hip Hop the Vibe’ but weren’t particularly interested in hip hop.

“So, I have no choice but to shout it out.”

Sanghyun shouted loudly.

“Fuck Tha Show Biz!”

The curse spewed out through the speakers.

This wasn’t just a simple slander to denigrate others, but a way to protect his wounded family.

Sanghyun shouted once more. The audience was drawn in by Sanghyun’s voice and followed along.

“Fuck Tha Show Biz-!”

Fuck Tha Show Biz!

“FUCK THA SHOW BIZ-!”

Fuck Tha Show Biz!

“FUCK! THA! SHOW! BIZ!”

With Sanghyun’s cry, emphasizing each syllable, the intro to N.W.A’s original song ‘Fuck Tha Police’ began to play.

MC Ren began to introduce the prosecutors and judges of the N.W.A court. But today’s court wasn’t the N.W.A court, but the 888 Crew’s court.

-M.C.Ren, Ice Cube, and……

“Fuck Tha muthaFuckin Biz-!”

After a brief moment of silence, the intense, pounding drums began to hit the speakers.

It was ‘Fuck Tha Show Biz,’ which had been given a much more hardcore texture than the original song through Minho’s touch.

Fuck Tha Show Biz, Fuck Tha Show Biz

What the show biz wanted was a bigger reader’s Needs

Selling the image of a young rapper who started his career

Dirty Skillz trying to sell and suck up attention

Sanghyun began to spew out his rap in a growling voice. His already sharp, high-pitched voice became even colder.

This song wasn’t about venting anger by singing it. It was a song that doubled the anger the more it was sung.

But I inherited N.W.A

The beginning of dichotomy. Now I judge the world with two categories

Shitty show biz versus 888

My hatred is very justified

Reporters who knew the 888 Crew but didn’t know about their dealings with show business began to rack their brains.

In fact, major media companies didn’t even see magazines as media outlets, and they didn’t see editors as journalists. But now, reporting the 888 Crew as victims of unethical journalists seemed like it would make for a good story. They needed to find out the exact facts, but the 888 Crew was such a clever team that it didn’t seem likely they would tell a lie that would be so obviously exposed in front of so many people.

I’m not a rap star. Similar to band disparagement

I’ve never said that. Show biz. Professionalism and

Abandoning honesty, G-spot stimulated with money

Hwang Joo-cheol, a bitch sister who had an imaginary pregnancy with money

More people than expected began to sing along. They sang along, veins popping out in their necks. In fact, most Korean underground hip hop fans knew this song by heart.

However, for those who had only encountered the 888 Crew through screens, ‘Fuck Tha Show Biz’ was quite a shock. This was because it was completely different from the existing rap that Sanghyun, with his gentle and pleasant image, had shown.

But the shock didn’t lead to rejection. Rather, it led to empathy for how angry he must have been.

This was because they had been sharing secret stories together for nearly 4 hours.

Sanghyun’s voice grew louder and louder, and people became immersed in his lyrics. But at that moment, a problem occurred.

The speakers, which had been set to maximum output instead of rated output, had run out of power. The left speaker, which had been spewing out the beat, went out first, followed by the right speaker a few seconds later.

The audience was also embarrassed, and the 888 Crew members were also embarrassed.

But Sanghyun wasn’t flustered.

Sanghyun’s sharp, unaccompanied rap began through the still-alive microphone speaker.

Okay, I can understand, show biz is a job for you

What you needed was performance and visible results

But making a scapegoat is not okay

Eat shit together, show biz CEO who confirmed the manipulation, you son of a bitch

In the quiet silence, Sanghyun’s rap walked step by step.

At the end of his footsteps stood Show Business and Editor-in-Chief Hwang Joo-cheol, who were flustered and didn’t know what to do.

The female student who was crying is my real sister

You really pissed me off. Hwang Joo-cheol. You son of a bitch. You’re fucked

Sanghyun, who was spewing out his rap, forgetting even to breathe, gasped for breath.

It was vulgar swearing, but no one thought it was vulgar. Even poet Choi Hak-rim did.

Because that’s what family is.

Sanghyun spat out the last four bars.

At that moment, seven voices were overlaid on Sanghyun’s voice. Eight voices were spewed out as one.

888, legitimately preparing to inherit the throne of Korean hip hop

If you want, we’ll even inherit the shitty noise marketing

“What are you doing, my son!”

Stabbing Show Biz in the belly, Succeeding you, father.

The lyric of the year, voted on by all members of Hip Hop LE every year.

‘Succeeding you, father,’ which was selected as the lyric of the year in 2005, spread out, signaling the end of ‘Fuck Tha Show Biz.’

The audience shuddered at the intense rap they were hearing for the first time, and they felt a great sense of empathy, thinking that they had learned the full story behind the song.

The biggest difference between hip hop and other arts was that it contained everything about the rapper without any damage. And ‘Fuck Tha Show Biz’ contained Sanghyun’s anger without a shred of distortion.

Even though the song was over, there were no spectators who readily opened their mouths. Only then did Sanghyun, who had woken up from his rap and regained his senses, open his mouth.

“Actually, I haven’t sung this song on stage since I sang it once at Homi. When I sing this song on stage, it feels like our team’s anger or emotions are being used for the show.”

Sanghyun smiled.

“But this isn’t a show with capital involved, is it?”

In response to Sanghyun’s words, a thunderous roar began to pour out belatedly. Amidst the roar, there were also sounds of applause and voices shouting ‘Fuck Tha Show Biz!’

“Wow, Sanghyun’s really got the killer lines.”

Inhyuk said, listening to the cheers of the crowd.

“Hyung and Sanghyun have different directions in their lines. That’s why I can’t do long ments [MC introductions], right?”

“You not doing it is helping.”

Junhyung sulked at Inhyuk’s taunt, but no one cared. Junhyung had no choice but to resolve his sulking alone.

As the long cheers gradually subsided, Sanghyun said with a regretful voice.

“It seems like we’ll have to end today’s performance here because the speakers are out. Actually, it was the last song anyway.”

Looking at his watch, it was already past 10 o’clock. The performance, which had started at 6 o’clock, was ending at 10 o’clock.

“Wow, has it already been 4 hours?”

“Ah, but it’s a shame.”

The audience wanted to shout for an encore, but they had watched the speakers go out with their own eyes, so there was nothing they could do.

Then, the sound of a car began to be heard from somewhere. It sounded like a car coming up 888 Street, but it couldn’t be seen because of the public restroom blocking the view.

After a while, the sound of a car stopping was heard, and after a long rustling, a welcome voice was heard.

“It’s not over yet, is it?”

The audience couldn’t recognize them right away because it was dark. But the moment they stepped into the coat area and the lights shone on them, a big response erupted.

“What? Isn’t that Indie Kid?”

“Oh? It’s really Indie Kid!”

“Indie Kid!”

It was Indie Kid, who had rushed over with all their equipment after finishing their main stage performance.

“What?”

“How many people is this?”

The Indie Kid members, who had rushed over in a daze, were surprised to see the audience surrounding the stands.

There were about 3,000 people in the main stage audience, but there were over a thousand people at the 888 Crew’s busking, even at a rough estimate.

‘These guys stole all the sub-stage audience.’

He had heard that there were less than 500 people gathered at the sub-stage. He knew it, but the 888 Crew was truly a team with amazing charm.

“Even though you guys joined a company, how can you not ask about a place like this?”

Indie Kid’s drummer, Kim Woong-gak, scolded Sanghyun and Junhyung as soon as he arrived.

“Hyungs, you’re on the main stage.”

“That place was just a place for boy groups and girl groups to come out and play, with old people 끼어있는 [ 끼어있다 (kkieo itda) means ‘to be wedged in’ or ‘to be out of place’]. Isn’t this where we should be playing?”

People who seemed to be staff or managers began to move the drums with difficulty.

“Do you only handle hip hop here? Can’t band old men join in?”

Someone answered Kim Woong-gak’s question with ‘No! You can’t join!’ Laughter soon erupted. Kim Woong-gak was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected answer, but he was experienced.

“Yo! Yo yo! Check it out! I’m Indie Kid! Hehe!”

-Wow! Awesome!

-Rap God! Rap God!

“No, how did you guys play? There’s no consideration for celebrities here at all?”

“Hyungnim, this is not a place where celebrities come.”

“Is there a discount for admission? Celebrity discount.”

While they were talking, the drum installation was completed. While Kim Woong-gak was checking the drum set, the impatient guitarist began to play the guitar. Soon after, the bass came in.

Choi Tae-il, the vocalist of Indie Kid, smiled and grabbed the microphone placed on the speaker and began to sing.

When today passes- the things in my room will disappear-

One toothbrush and one slipper, even your scent that filled the passenger seat-

The song that had topped the charts on the three major public broadcasting music shows for 2 weeks.

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

It was ‘When Today Passes.’

-Kyaaaaaaak!

-What do I do!

The female audience didn’t know what to do. The embers of the performance, which they thought was over, began to be rekindled.

The speaker to play the beat was dead, but the two microphone speakers were still alive.

As soon as Choi Tae-il’s song ended, the chorus followed.

A huge sing-along followed. Among the more than a thousand people, it seemed that no one didn’t know the chorus of this song.

When today passes

With the two words goodbye

Leaving behind the castle of time we built together

We will leave

As soon as the chorus ended, Sanghyun’s rap came in.

Sorry, I was too hasty

The time has come to stop

Real Hiphop 888st ‘Festival’ continued until 12 o’clock.

***

……The writer had a shameful prejudice against rap music. However, it didn’t take much to break this prejudice. Just listening to the ensemble created by 8 musicians was enough to open my mind.

So, what does that ensemble pursue?

It was victory.

If you ask what it is ultimately a victory over, it was difficult to define clearly, but what the music of the 888 Crew wanted was the victory of independent culture.

And I am convinced that the victory was more valuable than the World Wide Indie Music Festival of the LOC Group, which invested huge capital, or the AIMMF (Asia Independent Movie & Music Festival) of the Ohkyung Group.

The word Busk means ‘to play on the street’. Looking at the etymology of this word, it goes back to the Spanish word Buscar, which means ‘to wander or pursue’.

If we trace the etymology of Buscar a little further, we can see that it is derived from the Indo-European word Bhudh-sko, which means ‘to win or conquer’.

What an interesting etymology.

Therefore, I would like to give the performance that the 888 Crew held like a midsummer night’s dream the subtitle Bhudh-sko.

(Omission)

Therefore, readers who are interested in independent culture have no choice but to pay attention to the 888 Crew’s activities in 2006.

< Verse 24. 2006 (End) > End

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