The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 172

Verse 26. 888 Show

Lee Sang-hyun’s recruitment by Oh Kyung Media ignited a firestorm of debate. The public dissected whether corporate interests had swallowed an underground musician, or if the musician was leveraging the resources of a major company. Fierce arguments both condemned and defended Sang-hyun’s decision.

The general public largely reacted with a shrug, thinking, “So what? What’s the big deal? Isn’t this a good thing?” They recognized the unique quality of Lee Sang-hyun’s music but didn’t grasp the controversy surrounding his move to Oh Kyung Media.

To them, it seemed like a cause for celebration: a talented musician joining the top entertainment company in Korea. Lee Sang-hyun, in their eyes, had always been a readily accessible singer. He’d achieved success as an independent artist, appearing on TV, radio, online news, and music charts without apparent difficulty. Never having experienced the difference between being signed and unsigned, their perspective naturally differed from that of dedicated underground fans.

Underground fans, however, were sharply divided, leading to intense online clashes.

The arguments mirrored past controversies, such as when rapper San E joined JYP Entertainment in 2008, versus when Paloalto’s Hi-Lite Records was acquired by CJ E&M in 2015.

San E’s move to JYP initially garnered strong support from the underground scene. At the time, a major agency recognizing a rapper solely for their rapping ability was unprecedented. Furthermore, San E wasn’t yet a household name, so fans were eager to see him succeed.

The hope was that he would showcase “real hip-hop” to a mainstream audience saturated with watered-down imitations.

Conversely, the acquisition of Hi-Lite Records by CJ E&M was met with heavy criticism. The reasons were varied, but the primary issue was that Hi-Lite had cultivated a reputation for being independent and anti-establishment, often expressing disdain for mass media and corporate influence, particularly as embodied by the show “Show Me the Money.”

To many fans, Hi-Lite’s absorption into CJ E&M felt like a complete betrayal of their established identity.

The reaction to Sang-hyun’s decision was a complex blend of these two viewpoints.

-Why are you guys criticizing Lee Sang-hyun? Jay-Z, Eminem, Tupac, Biggie, and Dr. Dre – all the rappers you idolize – collaborated with major labels, right? When Biggie hesitated to record ‘Juicy’ with a pop-style hook, his manager told him, ‘Without this song, you’ll remain an underground rapper known for his skills. With this song, you’ll become a superstar.’

-But Lee Sang-hyun, and the entire 888 Crew, built their popularity on a staunchly underground ethos. Now, suddenly, they’re embracing Oh Kyung Media, the epitome of corporate entertainment? That’s bound to change the 888 Crew’s music.

-We’re talking about Lee Sang-hyun here, not the entire 888 Crew. The 888 Crew isn’t affiliated with Oh Kyung Media. It’s not a solo project led by Lee Sang-hyun, so why are you constantly conflating the two?

-Isn’t it obvious? A member who championed underground values is joining Oh Kyung Media because he wants a taste of the money.

-Am I misremembering things? The 888 Crew, or at least Lee Sang-hyun, has never been explicitly anti-capitalist. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have appeared on “Hip Hop the Vibe,” sold merchandise, been featured on other artists’ tracks, or performed on “Popular Music.”

-No, you’re missing the point. Before, all those activities were driven by an ‘Underground First’ mentality. Now, Oh Kyung Media will dictate the direction.

-Lee Sang-hyun is keeping his 888 Crew activities separate from his work with Oh Kyung Media, you know? It’s frustrating that people don’t get this. If the 888 Crew wanted to, they could have all signed with Oh Kyung Media as a sub-label, but they didn’t. Why? It’s not just about Lee Sang-hyun making money. It means the 888 Crew’s music will stay true to its roots.

-I predict that the same hip-hop fans criticizing Lee Sang-hyun now will be praising him later. All he has to do is perform a song like Nas’s ‘N.Y. State of Mind’ on a major TV music show and win first place. Game over. He’ll be hailed as the Korean Nas.

– ‘N.Y. State of Mind’ is too niche. Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ is a more realistic comparison. Or, he could collaborate with Oh Kyung Media’s session musicians and create a real rap-metal track like Run This Town.

-Realistically, the album’s title track will probably be a love song, with the remaining tracks showcasing a well-executed blend of real hip-hop and commercial appeal. Honestly, with Oh Kyung Media’s budget, he could hire an orchestra and create a live version of ‘Lonely Road’.

-Wow, a live version of ‘Lonely Road’ would be incredible.

-Lee Sang-hyun would probably laugh at this whole conversation. It must be great to abandon the underground, chase the money, and have fans applaud you for it.

-Chase the money? What if Lee Sang-hyun releases something on the level of Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint”? Would you trash a Korean rapper’s ‘Song Cry’ [a deeply personal and introspective track] just because it’s a love song? Right?

Despite the controversies, the ultimate verdict remained: fans would have to wait and see what Sang-hyun produced under the Oh Kyung Media banner.

While Sang-hyun’s move dominated hip-hop discussions, the 888 Crew focused on preparing for their solo concert, the 888 Show.

Finally, Saturday, February 17th arrived.

The morning of the Gwangju concert, the first stop on the 888 Show tour, dawned.

***

“Minho, hyung [older brother or male friend], is the beat too high? I think we need to adjust the EQ a little?”

“No, it’s just the monitoring speaker acting up. I asked them to replace it. Let’s rehearse again in a bit.”

The 888 Crew members were visibly energized during the rehearsal, and not just from pre-show jitters.

During the concert planning phase, the projected attendance for the 888 Show was around 1000 in Seoul, 600 in Busan, and 400 in Gwangju.

Given the 888 Crew’s unique position in the music scene, these figures were estimates based on the average attendance of established singers and indie bands.

However, once ticket sales began, Dream Entertainment’s projections were quickly surpassed by the number of pre-sale tickets alone.

The 888 Show’s pre-sale numbers, handled through Yes24 and Interpark [Korean ticketing websites], exceeded 2400.

Specifically, 1000 tickets were pre-sold for the Seoul concert, and 600 for the Busan concert. The remaining 800 were for the Gwangju show.

Dream Entertainment, focused solely on data analysis, had underestimated the strong local support for the 888 Crew in Gwangju.

It was a similar phenomenon to how the citizens of Los Angeles embraced Mötley Crüe, the iconic LA metal band, despite their constant scandals, affectionately calling them “those damn bastards.”

There’s a special connection with talented musicians who share the same time and place.

And when their music reflects relatable experiences, fans are easily drawn in.

While the 888 Crew hadn’t specifically targeted Gwangju as their primary audience, their genre of rap, known for its unfiltered expression of personal thoughts, resonated deeply with the city. As they prepared to expand their activities to Seoul, the experiences and emotions of Seoul would inevitably find their way into their music.

“Minho, I just had an idea. What if we do a four-bar a cappella section here?”

“Ah, you should have mentioned that during practice! Why bring it up now?”

“Listen, DJ. How can I suppress the creative spark that ignites within a man while rehearsing on a grand stage?”

Minho, visibly annoyed, questioned Inhyuk.

“But is a cappella even feasible? Can you accurately hit the offbeat entry and exit points without any music?”

“You can add a fuzz effect and listen to my rap to find the beat.”

“You crazy bastard! That puts all the pressure on me!”

“That’s the DJ’s destiny.”

Inhyuk and Minho began to bicker, with Inhyuk ultimately winning the argument.

He resorted to fake tears, lamenting, “I don’t have many performance opportunities left… Okay, I understand…” to pressure Minho.

While Inhyuk and Minho worked on the timing, Hayeon, who had gone to check the weather, returned to the concert hall.

Sanghyun, who had been playfully scolding Sangmi about her skirt being too short, greeted Hayeon.

“Has the snow let up at all?”

“No, it’s still snowing heavily. Why is it snowing so much in mid-February? The people waiting outside must be freezing.”

“Oh? There are people already?”

“People always arrive early to get a spot near the front. There were about fifty people… How many people do you think will come in total?”

“The indie kid hyungs said that the number of walk-up ticket buyers is usually about half the number of pre-sale tickets.”

“There were 800 pre-sale tickets, so… around 1200 in total?”

“But wouldn’t some people give up on coming because of the heavy snow?”

“Either way, I hope a lot of people show up.”

Hayeon said with anticipation.

The 888 Show presented an opportunity to connect with a different kind of fan than they were used to.

The audience at today’s concert would be distinct from those they had encountered at Hommie concerts, “Hip Hop the Vibe,” and other events.

While those fans enjoyed the 888 Crew alongside other artists, the attendees of the 888 Show were there solely to experience their music, willing to invest considerable time and money.

“It’s important that a lot of people come, but first and foremost, we have to put on a great show.”

“Of course. When have you ever seen us not deliver?”

“Oh, you’re so cocky now that you’re in art college?”

“How dare a high school student evaluate a college student? High schooler, quickly call me nuna [older sister].”

“……!”

Sanghyun, flustered by Hayeon’s unexpected teasing, pretended to remain calm and walked onto the stage. It was his turn to rehearse.

The rehearsal and stage check for the 888 Show, which began at 10 a.m., concluded at 3 p.m.

While the 888 Crew members grabbed a much-needed lunch, the audience began to enter the venue at 4:30 p.m., 90 minutes before the concert’s scheduled start.

As the doors opened, Dream Entertainment began counting the attendees, concluding the count at 5:30 p.m. when the entrance was closed.

1322 people.

That was the final count for “888 Show – Gwangju,” which kicked off at 6 p.m.

The main exhibition hall of the Kim Daejung Convention Center, the concert venue, was a large space with a standing capacity of 3500.

However, following Dream Entertainment’s advice that a sparsely populated venue could negatively impact the atmosphere, the maximum capacity was capped at 1500, creating a designated “View Line” to restrict access to certain areas.

As a result, the 888 Crew felt the concert hall was appropriately full with 1322 audience members, security personnel, and staff.

‘Amazing.’

Dream Entertainment’s Deputy Manager Moon Jiyeon was deeply impressed by two things, even before the concert had begun.

First, the attendance of 1322 people.

It wasn’t the absolute number itself that surprised her. She had managed large-scale concerts with over 6000 attendees. What impressed her was the relative number.

Dream Entertainment had projected 400 attendees in Gwangju, but the crowd before her exceeded that number by more than threefold.

‘Why did so many people gather? What is the appeal of the 888 Crew?’

The second surprise was the loud sing-alongs echoing throughout the concert hall.

Before the concert even started.

-I’m going to work on time with the beat today too!

It was standard practice to play music to build excitement before a concert. The music could be from the performing artist or popular songs from the scene.

At the 888 Show, the 888 Crew’s songs were playing, and most of the audience was rapping along. Not just the choruses, but the verses as well.

What astonished Moon Jiyeon was that she didn’t recognize the song the audience was currently singing. Despite her job requiring her to stay on top of popular culture trends, listening to the top 50 songs on the charts, she was completely unfamiliar with the track.

Even the most dedicated fans of idol singers don’t memorize every song on an album, let alone unreleased tracks.

But the people gathered here knew them all.

The dedication of the 888 Crew’s fanbase. The fact that they listened to every song, both popular and obscure. And the fact that there were over a thousand of them in Gwangju alone was what truly surprised Moon Jiyeon.

End

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