The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 221

Verse 34. Reminiscence

The contract between Ohkyung Media and Sanghyun was terminated.

To be precise, Ohkyung Media notified him of the termination. It was a natural consequence, as they couldn’t keep a singer who had damaged the group’s image.

In the process, Sanghyun met the president of Ohkyung Media for the first time.

Later, he heard from Oh Yeonju that the president’s ability to act had been weakened due to some incident. He held a high position but was subject to tremendous checks and balances if he tried to do anything.

Perhaps that’s why the president didn’t get angry at Sanghyun or threaten him with future consequences. Instead, he simply asked a few questions.

“I’m curious, how much of this did you orchestrate? Even the contact with Koch Records? Or even the lawsuit?”

“Consider it all.”

“Hmm, it’s hard to believe, but there’s no reason for you to lie in this situation. So, how do you think this will end?”

Sanghyun realized that the president wasn’t really asking a question, but rather inquiring about the ending he desired.

“Wouldn’t I have to return all the copyrights registered in Korea and give back the profits earned through the song?”

“You’ll split the profits with Koch Records, right? Koch Records gets the agent revenue, and you get the revenue as a singer? Is that the condition you presented to Koch Records?”

“That’s right.”

“So, you didn’t blow things up right away, but waited until the related profits came in, because Koch Records needs to get paid too.”

Sanghyun was impressed by the president’s insight. He wondered what had diminished such a smart person’s ability to act.

“Then, what kind of treatment do you want for Manager Hong Kyungsoo and your friend Cha Inhyun?”

“I’m satisfied with the treatment of Manager Hong.”

Sanghyun believed that Hong Kyungsoo had attacked him professionally, and it was reasonable for him to be compensated within the scope of his work. Hong Kyungsoo was trapped within the confines of Ohkyung, which felt like a lifelong punishment.

“What about your friend Cha Inhyun?”

“Cha Inhyun is…”

Sanghyun trailed off.

In fact, this plan wasn’t as simple as it seemed. There were much more complex details hidden inside than what was visible from the outside. Oh Yeonju’s help was also significant.

Oh Yeonju’s continuous pressure on Hong Kyungsoo for performance.

Sanghyun’s resistance to shake off the contractual obligations.

These two conditions were important factors that forced Hong Kyungsoo’s actions. But more important than these conditions was that Sanghyun’s song had to be a mega-hit.

‘Is this even possible? Honestly, isn’t this plan relying too much on luck?’

That’s why Chae Daehan expressed negative views after hearing Sanghyun’s plan. Because being good at music and music gaining popularity are different things.

Chae Daehan advised that the moment Sanghyun made music to gain ‘popularity,’ everything he had built up until then could collapse.

Sanghyun thought Chae Daehan’s advice was very important. That’s why <56 JFTR> was also his story.

Of course, from Chae Daehan’s perspective, it seemed like he was telling a fictional story, but in fact, it was a story about the love that had supported his past.

But in the end, the reason Sanghyun’s plan gained momentum and proceeded easily was because of Cha Inhyun’s incomprehensible hatred. Cha Inhyun had simply instigated Hong Kyungsoo’s actions.

Originally, throwing bait to Cha Inhyun was an impromptu plan that was good if it worked, and if not, oh well. Dread was the one who came up with the plan.

‘You don’t know what inferiority complexes can do. Trust me and give it a try.’

‘Is that a self-introduction?’

‘Do you really want to die?’

And Dread’s plan worked perfectly.

Except for cleverly avoiding CCTV [closed-circuit television], the progress was without a single error.

Sanghyun really couldn’t understand the news.

Why did Cha Inhyun hate him so much?

“Haven’t you decided on the treatment for Cha Inhyun?”

It was the president of Ohkyung Media urging him, breaking Sanghyun’s reverie.

“No. I’ve decided.”

What Sanghyun was worried about until the end was the situation of Cha Inhyun’s parents. It was a pretty big obstacle for him, who had to send his parents away first in his childhood.

‘But I have to finish it. Cleanly.’

The 888 Crew was planning to donate some of the profits earned from 888 Show Vol.2. And some of that money would go to Cha Inhyun’s father’s hospital bills.

“Do as you wish.”

“As I wish?”

“Whether you claim damages or use him as a session composer for life.”

Session composers can’t put their names on copyrights. At best, they only receive about 300,000 to 500,000 won a month in ‘creative support funds.’

Whether Ohkyung Media chose the former or the latter, the future Cha Inhyun had dreamed of was over.

Sanghyun finished all his work with Ohkyung Media like that.

***

The L&S members, except for Miju, were the most embarrassed by what happened between Sanghyun and Cha Inhyun.

In the case of the 888 Crew or Miju, they weren’t incredibly close to Cha Inhyun.

On the other hand, Sanghyun was precious to Bang Minsik, Yongjun, and Hwang Insoo, but Cha Inhyun was also a precious person. Because they were colleagues who had been grinding in the Gwangju underground scene since before the name L&S was even created.

Of course, they were sad that he had suddenly left for Seoul alone and didn’t contact them often, but their relationship wasn’t so weak that it would be shaken by such things.

What these L&S members found strange was that Cha Inhyun’s “One” was registered with the NMPA [National Music Publishers Association] under Sanghyun’s name.

“One” was a song that L&S sang at the Jeonju Worldwide Indie Music Festival. And in the memories of the L&S members, “One” was a song that Inhyun made in Daegu, and Inhyun and Sanghyun’s first meeting was after Inhyun returned from Daegu.

“Sanghyun, even if the other songs are like that, what happened to ‘One’?”

At Bang Minsik’s question, the eyes of the people gathered in the living room of the studio focused.

However, none of them suspected that Sanghyun had stolen the song. They were really just curious.

“That’s…”

Sanghyun slowly opened his mouth, meeting the gazes of the others.

In fact, “One,” no, “Once in a Lifetime,” was a song with loopholes in the copyright registration period.

Sanghyun recorded “Once in a Lifetime” after the Jeonju World Music Festival, and Standard registered the sound source with Maryfoxie Agency after Sanghyun’s request.

That’s why there were three sound sources of the 888 Crew registered with Maryfoxie Agency.

In order, “Once in a Lifetime” was the first, and then “Gwangju Up” and “Eight, Eight, Eight Remix” were registered at the same time.

This was Sanghyun’s calculation that it would take time for Cha Inhyun’s “One” to be registered through Ohkyung Media. Because it takes time to record with Juyohan’s version.

It was clear that it was a coercive act.

But Sanghyun had to do something at the time. Because he couldn’t bear the fact that Caliph had his success stolen because of him.

“Once in a Lifetime,” which had been entrusted to Maryfoxie Agency, was transferred to Koch Records before the incident broke out.

After the incident broke out, the perception that ‘Lee Sanghyun’s song registered with Koch Records = song stolen by Ohkyung Media’ was imprinted on the public. Cha Inhyun’s “One” couldn’t avoid that perception either.

Except for the members of L&S and 888 Crew gathered here.

“I sang a song called ‘Once in a Lifetime.’ My brothers came, and Hayeon came to the hospital.”

Sanghyun told the story so far. All the stories were true, but the story that “Once in a Lifetime” was originally Caliph’s was excluded.

It was inevitable, but his face was burning.

Not only did he carelessly sing Caliph’s song, but as things progressed, the song became his own. Of course, Sanghyun would never sing this song again.

He also felt very sorry for Caliph.

As a result, Caliph tasted faster success, but the disappearance of a song containing his life was something that could not be apologized for in any way.

Also, the lighthouse for people like himself in the past, who gained strength from listening to Caliph’s song, had disappeared.

So he had to work harder.

The only way to repay the vague sense of debt that he couldn’t repay to anyone was to become a Rapstar, as he had already resolved.

He had to grow the pie of the Korean hip-hop scene even more and share that pie with Caliph and many other rappers.

He was no longer a businessman, so he had to achieve all of this with music, not business.

Just like he destroyed the show business with music and took revenge on Ohkyung Media.

“…and that’s how things progressed.”

The L&S members who heard all of Sanghyun’s stories related to “Once in a Lifetime” were greatly shocked.

Now everything made sense.

The fact that Inhyun hated Sanghyun and was reluctant to participate in the Jeonju World Music Festival. The fact that Sanghyun was reluctant to Inhyun and even did not attend the farewell party to Seoul.

“Such a thing…”

Bang Minsik, who was particularly shocked, was at a loss for words.

No matter how precious Cha Inhyun was as a colleague, this was something that should not have happened. How could a person who makes music try to succeed by stealing other people’s music?

“So in the end, Cha Inhyun left L&S because he stole that song?”

Miju’s voice, which followed, was filled with cynicism that was unlike her. Miju always blurts out words without thinking and regrets them, but this was the first time she showed such emotions.

That’s because he didn’t leave L&S, who had been with him in the hungry days, because his music was doing well, but because he wanted to do well with stolen music.

It was fortunate that Miju came in and did well, but what if L&S had failed because they couldn’t find a suitable vocalist after Cha Inhyun left?

The lives of Bang Minsik, Yongjun, and Hwang Insoo, who had put everything on music, were almost shaken to the core because of Cha Inhyun’s greed.

No one here did not understand the meaning contained in Miju’s cynicism.

A heavy silence lingered in the studio for a long time.

It was Bang Minsik’s cell phone that suddenly rang that broke the silence.

“Wait a minute. I got an important call from a friend.”

Minsik, who checked the screen, got up from his seat and went up to the second floor.

However, Minsik, who came up to the second floor, did not answer the phone for a long time. In the meantime, the phone rang once and then rang again.

Minsik, who was deeply contemplating while looking at his cell phone, finally answered the phone.

“Oh, Inhyun.”

The caller was Cha Inhyun.

-Minsik hyung [older brother]! Are you with Lee Sanghyun?

“Uh… why.”

-Please tell Sanghyun what I said. I really did wrong, so please tell Koch Records! I’m going to die like this!

“If you’re sorry…”

-Please tell him that I really know what I did wrong, I’m really sorry, hyung, we were a team.

“If you were going to be sorry, you shouldn’t have done that. If you were going to throw away the team and try to succeed, you should have succeeded with your own strength. It shouldn’t have been by stealing someone else’s song.”

-Hyung! That’s not it!

“You know too that I think of the L&S members and 888 Crew members as family. Don’t contact me again.”

Minsik barely ignored Inhyun’s desperate cries and hung up the phone. And then he immediately set Inhyun’s number to reject calls.

He felt depressed.

He was depressed that the leader didn’t know about such a big thing at all, and he was also depressed that he had to cut ties with his younger brother who had spent hungry days together.

But if he had to choose between Sanghyun and Inhyun, Minsik had no choice but to choose Sanghyun.

It wasn’t because Sanghyun was more famous and more capable.

Of course, it wasn’t because he had a lot of money.

It was because he felt Sanghyun’s consideration. He could see why Sanghyun had hidden Inhyun’s actions from him.

Sanghyun didn’t want to give them, who were also close to Inhyun, wounds or worries in advance. So he had been taking on everything alone until the very end.

‘You fool. If you hadn’t stolen a song like that and just stayed in that place… then you would have tasted the success of now together…’

If half of L&S’s success is their strength, the other half can be seen as the strength of the 888 Crew.

I heard later that L&S was mentioned in the Royal Band because of their friendship with the 888 Crew. Of course, the final appearance confirmation was their skill.

So the best thing Inhyuk could have done was to make music in the circle that L&S and 888 Crew were drawing together without stealing a song like that.

End

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