The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 269

***

Each rapper has a different approach to music.

Not only their attitude but also their method of writing lyrics, crafting rhymes, and forming flows are all different. Some even had different ideas about the placement of the hook and verse when listening to the same beat.

While Eminem prefers a songwriting method that prioritizes rhyme, Kendrick Lamar prefers to think about the message first and then find metaphors that fit the message. J. Cole focused more on creating a more polished sound.

Therefore, Sanghyun was modifying his own methods while learning about the styles of various rappers. He wasn’t blindly accepting everything, but appropriately filtering out the necessary and unnecessary parts.

The biggest difference Sanghyun felt after coming to the United States was the attitude of rappers towards live performances.

Korean musicians often aim for a live stage that is indistinguishable from the recording when performing live. The closer the live sound is to the CD quality, the better it is generally considered.

Sanghyun also shared this tendency.

In live sessions, instruments that enhance the live performance were sometimes added, but usually, the goal was to replicate the recording as closely as possible.

However, American musicians, especially rappers, tended to view ‘recording’ and ‘live performance’ as distinct entities. They believed that the audience at a live performance should experience something unique, something they couldn’t hear on the album.

Therefore, Sanghyun was able to learn a lot while preparing for the Grammy Awards celebration performance.

He learned from Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, but he learned even more from Eminem, a veteran among veterans.

“Hey, Five. The doubling is too much.”

“Is it too much? Should I lower my voice a little?”

“No, what I mean by ‘too much’ isn’t the volume, but the sense of space. If you create a sound like that, the sense of space becomes too large and bleeds into the next line.”

“Ah… then how about using a compressor?”

“Then the reverb dies too. Come here. I’ll show you.”

Sanghyun was surprised to learn that the feeling of rapping in a very confined space that Eminem occasionally showcased (especially when embodying his Slim Shady persona) wasn’t achieved through mixing alone.

Of course, the album would have proper mixing, but Eminem was able to create sufficient ambiance without any special equipment.

He was truly a musician worthy of the nickname Rap God.

‘It’s not an official nickname yet.’

Sanghyun was learning things that could only be learned through experience and was moving towards a more complete artistic form.

***

Eminem’s appearance on *The X Factor* generated significant buzz.

Eminem had already hinted at his return through radio appearances, but the actual stage debut of ‘Returned Eminem’ had yet to be seen.

*The X Factor* viewers anticipated Eminem showcasing a new song on the show. However, this expectation shifted to a mixture of disappointment and excitement.

-Stan.

-Lose Yourself.

This was because the songs Eminem would perform in collaboration with *The X Factor* contestants were mega-hits from his back catalog.

In reality, creating a new song was challenging given *The X Factor*’s format of requiring a stage performance every week.

Anyway, Langdon, a male solo vocalist and a strong contender to win, was chosen as Eminem’s partner for “Stan.”

And during the process of Langdon and Eminem preparing for the collaboration, the story about Sanghyun was revealed on the show.

-Langdon, you’re lucky, aren’t you? I feel like I’ve met a real Stan [an obsessive fan] these days, so I think I can sing this song very well.

-Real Stan?

-FiveSix is very persistent. I don’t need male groupies.

-Re, really? Is FiveSix Eminem’s groupie? Then does that mean he’s gay?

Eminem burst into laughter as Langdon, a naive country boy, blinked in confusion.

It wasn’t a major scene, but viewers could see that FiveSix and Eminem had become close.

-FiveSix has finally achieved his dream! He touched Eminem’s ass instead of 5 million dollars!

-I’m looking forward to Eminem and FiveSix’s Hip-Hot. Oh, sorry, it was Hip-Hop.

-The lyrics of “Lonely Road” are really meaningful. ‘Came From The Bottom. Now my position is Lonely Road.’

Because the words ‘Hip’ and ‘Bottom’ can also refer to buttocks, netizens continued to make witty comments.

In particular, a photo of Sanghyun singing “Came From The Bottom” with an image of Eminem’s butt from *8 Mile* superimposed was popular.

While the American public was amused by the bromance or gay jokes surrounding the two celebrities, the Korean public focused on Sanghyun and Eminem’s friendship.

-Korea’s best rap star and America’s best rap star. What impact will their meeting have?

-Will Lee Sanghyun and Eminem’s new song be released at the Grammy Awards?

The first person that the Korean public would think of when they think of the term ‘rap star’ would probably be Eminem.

They may not know Tupac, Jay-Z, or Nas, but they will know Eminem, and even if they don’t know Eminem, they are likely to know “Lose Yourself.”

“Wow, no way.”

“It was real… I thought it was a lie.”

The 888 crew members had believed everything Sanghyun had told them from the United States, except for the part about becoming close to Eminem. Eminem was simply too legendary an figure for them to fathom such a connection.

But now that Eminem had mentioned Sanghyun first, they couldn’t help but believe it.

While this unusual situation became a hot topic, Eminem and Langdon’s “Stan” performance was a success, and Hime and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” followed in the next round.

Hime, who was the only rapper to make it into the Top Ten, eventually failed to surpass the Top Six and was eliminated.

In fact, if the public’s perception of *The X Factor* rappers hadn’t been so skewed by Sanghyun’s presence, Hime would have likely advanced further.

Meanwhile, Japanese media compared Sanghyun, who was eliminated from boot camp, and Hime, who survived until the 4th week of Top 8, and declared Hime the victor.

Korean media, translating these Japanese reports, urged Sanghyun to deliver a stellar performance and win an award at the Grammy Awards.

Korea had no significant connection to the Grammy Awards until Hwang Byung-joon, CEO, won the award in 2012, which was still years away. In contrast, Japan had Kitaro, who won the in 2001.

Therefore, Japanese media published articles suggesting that unless Sanghyun won a major award, even winning a minor one would only result in a tie.

In response, Korean media released articles emphasizing that rap, a major genre, held more weight than new age, a minor genre.

The rap awards were presented during the televised broadcast, while the new age awards were given out before the broadcast began, further supporting this argument.

In reality, many Japanese people supported and admired Sanghyun, and many Koreans expressed respect for the Japanese new age scene.

It would be preferable if their own artists excelled, but there was no need to actively denigrate the other side.

However, narratives like ‘Korea-Japan rivalry’ were always favored by the media, as they were easy to sensationalize. Consequently, media outlets in both countries dedicated significant coverage to this topic daily.

Since Sanghyun’s appearance on *The X Factor*, there were more days when his name was mentioned in the Korean media than days when it wasn’t. It might have even surpassed the coverage he received when he was actively promoting in Korea.

While Sanghyun and Hime were both eliminated from *The X Factor*, the focus shifted to the Grammy Awards, and the winner of *The X Factor US* was eventually decided.

The two musicians who graced the stage at ‘CBS Television City’ in LA, California on January 16, 2009, were Langdon and Melody.

Langdon was a country boy from Chicago with no prior broadcasting experience, while Melody was a New York girl who had achieved high rankings in amateur nights and was affiliated with a label.

Langdon was known for making mistakes but delivering exceptional performances when it mattered most, while Melody consistently delivered high-quality performances.

Therefore, the two musicians’ journeys were promoted with the phrases ‘unprocessed rough diamond’ and ‘skillfully crafted jewel’.

And the final showdown arrived.

It was a final that garnered considerable attention, but the actual performances were somewhat underwhelming.

Langdon was criticized for the orchestra harmony, which was recruited on a grand scale, being distracting, and Melody was praised for her consistent quality, but her performance was deemed unremarkable.

Of course, neither musician made any significant errors or performed poorly.

It was a good and engaging stage, but it lacked the ‘specialness’ expected of a final.

-The winner is…

The winner of *The X Factor US* Season 1 was Langdon. A naive country boy from Chicago became the recipient of 5 million dollars.

Audition programs typically lose their appeal once the winner is announced and the show concludes.

But this time, it was different.

The conclusion of *The X Factor* signified the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, and the Grammy Awards were just a month away.

And the celebration performers at the Grammy Awards included musicians who were still associated with *The X Factor*.

As such, January, during which Sanghyun worked tirelessly, passed, and February 8th approached.

It was the day of the 51st Grammy Awards.

***

“It’s nice because it’s close.”

“Ugh, I’m nervous.”

Sanghyun, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole took their last deep breaths in the car.

The Grammy Awards started at 8 pm, so most participants flew in from all over the United States.

But the Golden New Era members didn’t have to.

This was because the venue for the 51st Grammy Awards was the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which was just over an hour’s drive away.

However, the three musicians, having already arrived at the Staples Center, remained in the car.

They were hesitant to face the photo zone after exiting the vehicle.

Sanghyun was less nervous, having experienced countless camera flashes in Korea, but Kendrick and J. Cole were extremely anxious.

When Kendrick finally decided to go, J. Cole told him to wait, and when J. Cole made up his mind, Kendrick told him to wait, resulting in a 30-minute delay.

“Ah, let’s just go.”

“Shut up and wait.”

Initially, Sanghyun laughed at the contrasting reactions of Kendrick and J. Cole, whom he had always perceived as cool and collected, but after 10 minutes, he grew bored.

-Dureureuk [sound of a door opening].

In the end, Sanghyun took matters into his own hands.

He opened the door of the Ben [likely a Mercedes-Benz] and stepped out first.

Instantly, a barrage of camera flashes erupted, and Kendrick and J. Cole awkwardly emerged from the car.

A moment later, the Golden New Era members stood in front of the photo zone in an awkward pose.

“What, you were pretending to be so comfortable with this.”

“When I think about it, it’s my first time at a photo zone too…”

Kendrick and J. Cole teased Sanghyun’s awkwardness. Even amidst the teasing, the cameras continued to flash.

Two men were observing the trio.

One was LA Reid, who had already passed through the photo zone, and the middle-aged gentleman standing next to Reid was Hadel Raines.

“That’s too bad.”

“Huh? What’s too bad?”

Reid looked puzzled at Hadel’s sudden remark.

“I thought it would be a perfect picture aesthetically if FiveSix and J. Cole had switched heights.”

It was Hadel’s joke, observing Kendrick (under 170cm), Sanghyun (under 180cm), and J. Cole (slightly over 190cm) standing side by side in height order.

“This friend, this isn’t funny anymore.”

“FiveSix likes this kind of gag. I heard it’s a big hit in Korea?”

“I didn’t see him that way, but that friend likes to exaggerate.”

“He doesn’t know yet because he hasn’t been to Korea yet.”

Hadel shrugged, and LA Reid spoke.

“But Hadel, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“What is it?”

“You remember asking me to eliminate FiveSix at a crucial moment, right?”

“Of course. I’m not old enough to have dementia yet.”

“Wasn’t Eminem’s appearance not confirmed at that time? You couldn’t have predicted Eminem’s appearance, so why did you ask me that?”

When FiveSix initially declined to appear, Reid assumed that Hadel was orchestrating the entire situation for promotion. FiveSix’s *X Factor* ‘departure’ seemed like a stroke of genius.

But upon closer reflection, the timing seemed odd.

Hadel then spoke.

“This answer might sound absurd, but I simply believed in FiveSix.”

“Specifically?”

“Even if he appeared on *The X Factor*, he wouldn’t be interested in the 5 million dollar prize.”

Hadel’s words continued to reach LA Reid’s ears.

“FiveSix is similar to a monk in some ways. He prioritizes perfect music over music that generates more money.”

“I’m a little confused.”

“Think of it simply. I just knew that FiveSix would choose musicality over money. The emergence of a specific symbol like Eminem was just luck.”

“Then did you know that FiveSix’s return would be discussed?”

“How could I know that? I just believed that FiveSix would succeed, and if he did, such a narrative would naturally emerge.”

LA Reid was becoming increasingly unsure about which parts of Hadel’s plan were pre-determined and which were spontaneous.

But Hadel seemed unwilling to elaborate further.

In the end, LA Reid changed the subject.

“So, Mr. Hadel Raines, with your foresight, what do you think are MTB’s chances of winning?”

“100%”

“Really?”

“That’s right. Even if they don’t win this time, they’ll win eventually. Definitely. Unless the Grammy Awards collapse.”

Meanwhile, the awkward photo session concluded, and the three Golden New Era members entered the Staples Center.

End

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