The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 272

< Verse 42. 2009 >

-Let me introduce! EMINEM!

The host MC announced that the next performer was Eminem, and the loudest cheer of the night erupted.

No matter how much people online called Eminem washed up, an M&M (chocolate), or said his career was over, Eminem was the man who devoured the pop music scene of the early to mid-2000s with his rap.

He was the most revolutionary, the most daring, and the highest-reaching rap musician.

-Slim Shady!

-Marshall Mathers!

That’s why people were eagerly waiting for Eminem.

They were waiting for the rapper who had risen to the highest position as a white man to show his face once again.

And that wait wasn’t long.

The performance by the bands that filled the stage started immediately.

A melancholic yet sophisticated electric guitar sound.

A heavy yet powerful drum loop.

-Kyaaaaaa!

-I LOVE YOU!!

The loudest cheer of the night was renewed in just a few seconds.

Because Eminem appeared from among the bands, and the intro to Lose Yourself began to play.

That’s how the stage began.

Originally, Lose Yourself wasn’t the OST [original soundtrack] for 8 Mile.

Curtis Hanson, the director of 8 Mile, thought that Eminem couldn’t make a better song than “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”.

Because of that, he was going to use “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” as the OST for 8 Mile.

However, Eminem thought that “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” was too personal of a song, so he started working on a new OST, writing lyrics in between filming.

He even recorded it in a mobile recording booth installed in a van, without any re-recording.

That was Lose Yourself, which topped the Billboard charts for 13 weeks and swept the Best OST awards at various film academies.

Like this, Lose Yourself was a song that concentrated Eminem’s talent.

There was no better choice of song to show off his still strong presence after a long silence.

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy

There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti

Sanghyun was backstage, so he could only hear the sound and couldn’t see Eminem’s performance.

But it wasn’t hard to imagine the stage.

Because he had watched Eminem’s live performances on YouTube more than a thousand times, without exaggerating.

That’s why ambition stirred.

He also had the desire to create a great stage with Eminem, but the urge to beat Eminem was even greater.

‘Why not?’

If he had said this a few years ago, he would have felt like he was crazy, but strangely, he now had a very strong urge that he could do it.

And Sanghyun was never someone who ignored impulses.

In the meantime, the performance of Lose Yourself continued.

Many people thought that 8 Mile was Eminem’s autobiographical film, and that Lose Yourself was also an autobiographical lyric, but that wasn’t actually the case.

Eminem’s life and the movie 8 Mile had the common denominator of ‘a white man dreaming of becoming a rapper among black people,’ and people misunderstood because Eminem rapped with tremendous immersion.

The real highlight of Lose Yourself was the third verse, which you listen to after knowing that this song is storytelling.

If the speaker in the first and second verses is the main character in the movie, ‘B. Rabbit,’ the third verse is because ‘Eminem,’ who is immersed in rap, can no longer stand it and jumps out as the speaker.

I was ignored. I was spat on, and booed on stage,

But I kept rapping and writing lyrics for the next key.

This isn’t a movie. There’s no Mekhi Phifer (character in 8 Mile), it’s my real life.

I can’t even buy diapers with this damn food stamp.

The third verse was a verse in which Eminem spat out his story of participating in a rap battle to earn money for his daughter Hailey’s diapers and formula when he was 22 years old.

That’s why Sanghyun wanted to hear Eminem’s third verse.

But there was no third verse.

Because the moment the second verse and hook ended, all the beats and rap suddenly stopped.

And Eminem’s mouth opened.

“There is no third verse. It’s my story, but the music industry has been doing well without me (Without Me).”

Without Me…… Without Me…….

The moment Eminem’s last words echoed, a playful man’s voice popped out from somewhere.

-Obie Trice, Real Name No Gimmicks…

-Kyaaaaaa!

-Without Me!!!

The album that marked the peak of Eminem’s music career.

An album that sold 1.32 million copies in its ‘first week’ and a total of 20 million copies.

An album that has never fallen out of the top 100 on the Billboard album chart for 13 years since its release.

The Eminem Show.

Right now, Without Me, the first single from The Eminem Show, was starting.

“Two trailer park girls go round the outside!”

-round the outside!

-round the outside!

At the same time, people started singing along.

***

Eminem originally had the nickname ‘Swallow CD’ because he acted like he swallowed CDs with his mouth during performances.

Eminem’s 2009 Grammy performance, which he prepared with determination, was amazing.

Lose Yourself and Without Me, which were so popular that they could be called unprecedented hits, stole the hearts of all the audience.

The audience watching the stage felt like they had returned to 2002, when Eminem’s songs were playing on every TV and radio.

But now it was 2009.

And Eminem, who had returned after 5 years, was by no means someone who would be satisfied with past success.

He was ready to ‘Crack A Bottle’ with a new song.

Eih~~~~~!

The moment Eminem’s Without Me ended and a woman’s thin, high-pitched note was suddenly heard, people could finally realize that a new song had appeared.

And they could also remember who Eminem’s name was written with on the Grammy Awards performance list.

-Eminem With 50Cent, FiveSix

When choosing the rapper who performs the best live, there were names that were often mentioned, Eminem and Jay-Z.

However, their styles were slightly different. If Eminem was a rapper who performed perfect lyric delivery, Jay-Z was a rapper who delivered a cooler live vibe than the original song.

That’s why people sometimes joked that if Eminem and Jay-Z were mixed, the best live rapper would come out.

However, there was a rapper who challenged that joke.

Even in this place today where those two rappers are.

It was FiveSix.

‘Who will do better?’

Critics would compare the performances of the rappers who were the highlights after today’s Grammys ended. And among them, the comparison between FiveSix and Eminem would be the most active.

They had in common that they were not black, but they were also owners of amazing live performances.

The two rappers, who would have been compared even if they hadn’t been on the same stage, were on the same stage, so people’s attention was bound to be poured out.

The musician who announced the start of the stage that was receiving all the attention was Eminem.

Eminem, standing between the screens where the words Crack A Bottle were moving around in a dizzying manner, spat out the chorus.

So crack a bottle, let your body waddle

Don’t act like a snobby model you just hit the lotto

Eminem’s light high tone rode the intense rhythm and spat out a catchy hook.

The public was hearing the song for the first time, but they could feel the exciting beat right away.

Also, they could understand what Eminem was trying to say.

Crack A Bottle.

Raise a glass.

Eminem was already raising a glass to celebrate his success.

As the chorus ended, Eminem’s rap continued.

I’m back with a elephant tusk, fix that grill

You just dust, must bust, shut the fuck up

Eminem’s unique rhyme that bent his pronunciation continued without a break, and the tangy flow led the rap.

People realized that Eminem had returned.

They realized that he had emptied his body full of drugs and filled it with rap again.

They even thought that rap was just springing up from inside his body without having to refill it.

His amazing talent hadn’t rusted at all despite the 5-year hiatus.

So crack a bottle, let your body waddle

Don’t act like a snobby model

From the moment the chorus with the intense rhythm came out again, people easily followed the phrase ‘Crack A Bottle’.

At that time, Eminem pointed to the left side of the stage and shouted.

“Ladies And Gentlemen! Fifty Cent!”

I drink one bottle and drink another

If you party with me, you don’t have to worry about money

In contrast to Eminem’s popping flow, the moment a slow flow, like a snake crawling, filled the stage, people cheered.

This was because 50 Cent, who is considered to have the most unique style among countless American rappers, had appeared.

In the past, 50 Cent had a diss battle [a rap battle where rappers insult each other] with Ja Rule, a current gangster and rapper, while working in the underground.

Then, he was shot by a gang member sent by Ja Rule, and a bullet pierced his tongue and face, and part of his tongue was cut off.

The accident was terrible, but what happened later was also terrible. A problem arose in his oral structure during the treatment process, and he was unable to pronounce accurately.

In short, it meant that his life as a rapper was over.

But 50 Cent didn’t give up.

Since he couldn’t make his pronunciation better, he developed a style that made his bad pronunciation a weapon.

And now, 50 Cent’s unique style was shining at the Grammy Awards.

It was a rap that was in no way inferior to Eminem.

50 Cent, who had been walking slowly from the left side of the stage, arrived at the very center of the stage at the moment his 16 bars ended.

The moment Eminem and 50 Cent’s hands were clasped and their shoulders collided, a huge cheer erupted.

And another chorus began.

-So Crack A Bottle! Let Your Body Waddle!

Performing a song that the public doesn’t know is a risky thing. The biggest risk was that it was difficult to receive attention and response.

However, once you start receiving attention and response, the risk can soon return as a reward.

How many verses is Crack A Bottle?

Will FiveSix appear in the next verse?

Or is it a song made in collaboration with 50 Cent, and FiveSix will appear in the next song?

People wanted FiveSix to appear.

They wanted to know if he was not inferior to the rappers at the peak of style, Eminem and 50 Cent.

Knowing the hearts of such people, Eminem, who finished the chorus, pointed to the right side of the stage and opened his mouth.

“And I take great pleasure in introducing.”

-Kyaaaaaa!

-Wow!

“FIVESIX-!”

As a signal to Eminem’s shout, Sanghyun jumped out from the right side of the stage.

***

Originally, Crack A Bottle was a song featuring 50 Cent and Dr. Dre.

So, after receiving Eminem’s offer, Sanghyun thought that it would be a song with four rappers.

However, even as the work progressed, there was no news of Dr. Dre joining.

At first, he was puzzled, but Sanghyun belatedly remembered something that had disappointed foreign hip-hop fans in Korea.

It was the Dr. Dre ghostwriting controversy [controversy about Dr. Dre using uncredited writers].

Originally, Crack A Bottle was leaked a few days before its release, and among the leaked files was a file in which Eminem guided Dr. Dre’s verse.

In other words, Eminem wrote the lyrics for Dr. Dre’s verse and made the rap.

Sanghyun guessed that Eminem’s writing Dr. Dre’s verse had disappeared due to his joining.

And this guess was quite burdensome.

This was because if Crack A Bottle failed to reach number 1 on Billboard, it would be no different from everyone blaming him.

So Sanghyun put his heart and soul into writing the lyrics and making the rap.

He even remade the entire track while learning various things from Eminem, even though he had already completed it once.

A few days after the track was completed, 50 Cent, who came to Detroit for the Grammy performance, listened to the completed track and said his first words.

‘FUCK! Who is this crazy bastard!’

***

The moment Sanghyun grabbed the microphone and opened his mouth, the kick drum, which was the introduction to the verse, was heard.

But after that, no sound was heard.

The snare sound was not heard, and the doubling sound of Eminem or 50 Cent was not heard.

Even the cheers of the audience were not heard.

All that was heard was his own heartbeat and the rap he was spitting out.

You know where I’m from?

East, south, or north or west of where you are listening to this song.

It depends on the direction you turn the globe.

I’m not East or West.

I’m above and beyond.

Not hearing the snare was a serious matter.

Because it meant that he couldn’t keep the beat.

However, Sanghyun didn’t think that anything was wrong at all. No, in fact, he didn’t have the time to think about it.

Because all his nerves were focused on the rap.

Of course, I’m Yellow, yes, my name is Caesar

Beyond Planet of the Apes, now Julius Caesar

I’m trying to become an emperor, and the senators will try to keep me in check

But this is Rome, follow my law

Didn’t I already say it? My law is ‘ill-legal’ [a play on words, combining ‘ill’ and ‘legal’]

He wasn’t out of breath at all.

He felt like he could do 16 bars without taking a breath.

When recording a rap, there were sometimes parts that felt like the pronunciation was very good. It wasn’t that the pronunciation was accurate, but that the words prepared for the flow were expressed very appropriately.

This feeling came very rarely.

That’s why it was difficult to recreate even if he tried.

However, Sanghyun was now feeling this way throughout the entire 16 bars.

Hostile existence, or competitive opponent

I jump over them and take on everyone if I want

Grammy or BET [Black Entertainment Television], Billboard or MTV [Music Television]

It’s just the beginning, but MTB is in an uproar

The more Sanghyun spat out his rap, the more strangely quiet the surroundings became.

This scene was similar to the performance of Hip Hop the Vibe ‘Get that money, Welcome to School’, where Sanghyun received a standing ovation.

But surprisingly, this was America.

And it was the Grammy Awards.

It was a place where rappers who were said to be the best were all present, and where rap was evaluated as popular culture, not a mania culture.

Nevertheless, Sanghyun was making people speechless with his rap.

Who will be the busiest person at the end of this stage?

Critics? American music magazines? Or Korean media?

None of them.

It was Hadel Raines.

Because the people in the recording industry were all thinking the same thing at this moment.

‘The single cut released with FiveSix after the Grammys is guaranteed to be a success.’

In that way, Sanghyun’s stage, which would decorate the title of the 2009 Grammy Awards with the phrase ‘The emergence of a new king who blocked the return of the king’, was filling the Grammy Awards.

***

< Verse 42. 2009 > End

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