The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 236

< Verse 37. Next Stage >

It’s widely acknowledged that hip-hop originated with DJ Kool Herc.

In 1969, Kool Herc, an immigrant from Jamaica to New York, initially played reggae music at parties. However, it didn’t resonate with the Black community in New York.

After much deliberation (고민하던), Kool Herc began having musicians shout street slang over the music. This evolved into mixing and playing short instrumental breaks—guitar, bass, and drum beats—eventually becoming the ‘rap music’ we recognize today.

However, the birth of rap music and its subsequent role as a cornerstone of Black culture are two distinct narratives.

At the time, American society was in a state of upheaval due to the assassination of the president, the Vietnam War, and the government’s unsuccessful attempts to manage inflation.

Amidst this societal turmoil, Black veterans returning from the war faced mistreatment. Despite risking their lives alongside white soldiers on the battlefield, post-war compensation policies disproportionately favored white individuals.

Consequently, Black men experienced social disenfranchisement and the lingering effects of the war. Drug use surged within Black communities, leading to the breakdown of families and pushing children into the streets of the ghetto, where they encountered gangsters and drug dealers.

During this era, hip-hop, which inevitably dominated ghetto parties, profoundly influenced the character development of these children.

Around this time, hip-hop, initially used to energize the atmosphere with street slang, began to voice grievances about racial discrimination, embrace the hippie ethos, depict gang culture, and express swagger and materialism.

Kool Herc, the originator of hip-hop, once stated in an interview, ‘I simply envisioned a party where all races could come together and enjoy themselves, but that’s not what hip-hop has become today.’

Therefore, it’s fair to say that hip-hop, particularly rap, is a genre that intensely reflects the zeitgeist.

Unlike songs that often employ indirect lyrics, rap openly reveals the rapper’s perspective, inevitably mirroring the prevailing trends and sentiments of the time, whether consciously intended or not.

In this context, Sang-hyun faced an inherent disadvantage from the outset.

Imagine a highly skilled foreign singer coming to Korea and performing pansori [a Korean genre of musical storytelling].

In all likelihood, it would be criticized for lacking the essential element of ‘Han (恨)’ [a Korean concept of sorrow, resentment, and deep-seated grief] inherent in pansori.

If you substitute ‘rap’ for ‘pansori’ and ‘the experiences of Black people’ for ‘Han,’ you can accurately understand Sang-hyun’s predicament.

Hardel Raines, possessing a deep understanding of the American popular music landscape, was acutely aware of Sang-hyun’s vulnerabilities.

Therefore, Sang-hyun needed three crucial elements.

First, a ‘hometown’ equivalent—a base of support.

Regardless of how wild, rebellious, and outrageous Mötley Crüe was, the citizens of Los Angeles supported them. They might grumble, ‘Ugh, those hopeless guys,’ but they still attended their concerts.

Sang-hyun also required a city to rally behind him, fostering a sense of solidarity.

‘This was something I couldn’t manufacture…’

The solidarity of a community cannot be artificially created.

You could attempt to fabricate it, but manufactured solidarity is as fragile as thin ice.

However, Sang-hyun had independently established this base.

Starting with Compton Black Block, he cultivated the perception that ‘FiveSix is an LA underground rapper.’ Subsequently, he actively engaged with Psychedelic Records and LA musicians to solidify this image.

‘Five is a born star.’

Some artists naturally gravitate toward the mainstream, regardless of whether they cater to popular tastes, while others remain confined to the margins, even when pursuing mainstream appeal.

Sang-hyun, in Hardel Raines’s assessment, unequivocally belonged to the former category.

Now, having entered the mainstream, he could garner support by emphasizing, ‘FiveSix is from the LA underground,’ effectively countering the ridicule of ‘Why is a Korean rapping in America?’

If the first condition was public support, symbolized by a ‘base camp,’ the second condition was the backing of industry leaders.

The established powers are inherently conservative and seek to maintain the status quo. This principle holds true universally.

Even if individual industry figures held favorable views of ‘Asian rappers,’ it was impossible to predict the collective opinion of the industry as a whole.

The ‘No Color Project,’ designed to fulfill the second condition, was a strategic plan to secure the support of industry insiders. It served as a preliminary step toward entering the mainstream.

The third and final element was, quite literally, the ‘American Dream.’

The method of breaking into the mainstream itself.

For a superstar to emerge, ‘omission’ is essential. Superstars never ascend in a gradual, step-by-step fashion.

They don’t gain popularity in local clubs, gradually become known throughout the city, spread their city-wide fame on a weekly basis, and then expand that weekly popularity nationwide to become ‘superstars.’

That’s not how it works.

Those who rise through such a process might be called celebrities, but they would never be considered superstars.

Superstars require a moment of explosive breakthrough, which often depends on luck.

Hardel Raines intended to create the luck that would be bestowed upon Lee Sang-hyun, and that was the purpose of the third plan: the American Dream Project.

However, for the third plan to succeed, the second plan had to come first, and the second plan hinged entirely on Sang-hyun’s rap.

Long Beach, California, is where the second plan begins.

Sang-hyun was there.

***

The public is rationally aware that the image of a star and the true nature of that star are distinct.

They understand that an actor who consistently portrays villains isn’t inherently evil, and an actor who always plays virtuous roles isn’t necessarily unconditionally good.

Nevertheless, the public, often unknowingly and unconsciously, influenced by mass media, tends to conflate the image and the reality of a star.

This tendency intensifies as the star’s image becomes more positive. If a star projects an exceptionally virtuous image, people want to believe that their true nature is equally virtuous.

This was precisely the case with the rapper known as ‘Plan Paper,’ more commonly referred to by the nicknames PP or Double P.

Plan Paper cultivated a highly positive image, projected personal maturity, and maintained a clean private life. Furthermore, he possessed an ‘exceptionally’ handsome appearance.

PP was of mixed race, born to a Black mother and a white father, and his appearance seemed to have inherited only the most attractive features of both races.

In reality, in the United States, where countless rappers claim to be exceptional, Plan Paper’s skills alone weren’t sufficient to propel him to stardom.

However, while active in Oakland, California, he risked his life to save a child who was about to be struck by a large truck on the street.

This act garnered Plan Paper significant media attention, and he ascended to stardom, leveraging his striking appearance and respectable rap skills.

Despite controversies surrounding ghostwriters [individuals who write rap lyrics on his behalf], he gained some recognition for his musical abilities through his well-produced first and second albums.

While not yet a national rap superstar, he enjoyed considerable popularity in California, excluding the Los Angeles area, where Compton’s influence was dominant.

That was the reality of Plan Paper, PP.

But the problem was that Plan Paper’s true nature was the antithesis of his public image.

He lacked personal maturity, wasn’t inherently good, and struggled with self-control, resulting in a less-than-clean private life. Moreover, it was true that he relied on ghostwriters for his rap, leading to an inflated assessment of his skills.

Even the act of saving the child in Oakland was orchestrated by his manager, who recognized the potential of PP’s striking appearance.

Except for his handsome looks, his entire image and stardom were built on falsehoods.

Plan Paper understood the power of the image that had been crafted for him.

He knew that his popularity was entirely dependent on his image and that everything would crumble the moment that image was tarnished.

This realization created immense pressure and constraints, leading Plan Paper to undergo a transformation.

Instead of striving to align his life with his positive image, he began to relieve the stress of maintaining that image by preying on the vulnerable.

The problem was that Plan Paper, while not highly educated, was quite cunning.

He only targeted individuals he could exploit without repercussions.

PP was known to be verbally abusive toward his staff while intoxicated, and it was an open secret in the industry that he only targeted those who were physically weaker or in precarious financial situations.

Of course, he occasionally harassed individuals who were already facing difficulties.

However, Plan Paper was signed to ‘Sony Music,’ one of the world’s four largest record companies, alongside ‘EMI Music, Warner Music, and Universal Music.’

Sony Music wielded considerable power, and Plan Paper’s transgressions were invariably covered up.

Consequently, many individuals in the industry harbored resentment toward Plan Paper.

‘The moment your contract with Sony Music is terminated, I’ll ruin your life.’

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that over 100 people felt this way. Their dissatisfaction also extended to Sony Music for protecting a thug like PP.

These accounts of Plan Paper’s atrocities circulated through tabloid magazines and online forums, but because his initial debut image was so strong, many dismissed them as mere rumors.

Plan Paper’s malicious behavior didn’t diminish; instead, it became more petty and insidious.

Then, a particularly irritating individual caught Plan Paper’s attention: an Asian man named Five, who was assigned to be his backup performer during his California tour.

***

“Chinky! Do it right! You don’t eat enough bananas, do you?”

Plan Paper yelled at the Asian man who was drinking water. However, the Asian man simply acknowledged the remark without displaying any signs of intimidation.

Plan Paper was further infuriated by this reaction.

It requires passion and effort to inflict pain on others, and proper feedback is essential. This is especially true when the intent to cause harm is strong.

In that regard, Five, in Plan Paper’s eyes, was an exceptionally unpleasant individual.

Regardless of how much he embarrassed or ignored him, he never seemed discouraged.

If he was merely feigning composure, it would be amusing to dismantle his facade, but the Asian man genuinely appeared calm.

‘Why? What accounts for his composure?’

However, after rehearsing with Five for about a week, Plan Paper realized that the Asian man’s calmness stemmed from his ‘skill.’

Of course, since Five was participating as a hype man [a performer who energizes the audience and provides vocal support for the main rapper], Plan Paper had never heard Five’s actual rap.

But Plan Paper was also a rapper.

Even if his skills were somewhat exaggerated, he wouldn’t have been signed to Sony Music if he lacked talent entirely.

Therefore, Plan Paper could sense that Five possessed considerable rap skills.

‘Damn it.’

Plan Paper, who harbored feelings of shame and inferiority in the musical realm, couldn’t tolerate Five.

And deep down, he was convinced that regardless of his rapping ability, an Asian man could never succeed as a rapper in America.

“Yellow Monkey! Hurry up!”

Tomorrow marked the start of the tour, and all the performance preparations were already complete. Nevertheless, Plan Paper instigated a conflict and unleashed a torrent of abusive language at Sang-hyun.

And there were those who frowned upon Plan Paper’s actions: the staff from EMI Music.

“That crazy bastard is still the same.”

“That’s because the Japs [a derogatory term for Japanese people] are unconditionally supporting him. The Japs are more obsessed with money than the Jews.”

“But isn’t the hype man Five also Japanese?”

“No. I heard he’s Korean. You can tell by the fact that PP’s manager is staying silent.”

“Yoshiichi? Why is Yoshiichi staying silent?”

“Usually, Yoshiichi stops PP when he’s acting like that, but he’s leaving him alone because he’s Korean. Yoshiichi is known for being a hater of Korea.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

The name of the tour that Sang-hyun and Plan Paper were participating in was ‘Curtain Call Tour 2008.’

The production of the Curtain Call Tour was a joint venture between Sony Music and EMI Music, creating a subtle tension.

The staff didn’t necessarily care about the rivalry between Sony and EMI, but the senior managers held a different perspective. After all, they naturally wanted their singer’s stage to be more polished and generate more buzz.

“But who was PP’s hype man originally? I don’t think he was Korean?”

“That guy brings three reserve hype men because of his crazy personality. He must be one of them.”

“Ah, during the 2007 tour last year, he cut off the opening rapper right away because he was too good? Wasn’t he a Black man from Compton?”

“That’s right. I don’t remember his name, but I heard that many labels contacted him after he was cut off by PP.”

< Verse 37. Next Stage > End

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