The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 278

< Verse 43. Touch The Sky >

***

When Eminem’s success is mentioned, the issue of ‘white privilege’ often surfaces as a contributing factor.

Critics argue that Eminem’s rise was fueled by his novelty as a ‘white trash’ figure, his conventionally attractive appearance, and his narrative of overcoming discrimination within the Black community, all layered on top of his undeniable talent.

Eminem himself has acknowledged this to some extent.

In an MTV interview, he stated, ‘There’s no denying that my skin color helped me get bigger.’ Similarly, in his 2002 track ‘White America,’ he rapped, ‘If I was Black, I would have sold half [the albums] I sold.’

Consequently, similar observations began to circulate regarding Sanghyun, who, in a parallel situation to Eminem, was rapidly gaining prominence in the American popular music landscape.

The argument that Sanghyun’s Asian background played a role in his success, making it perhaps more attainable than it would have been otherwise, began to gain traction.

Of course, there was some truth to it.

Despite not being American, Sanghyun had cultivated a remarkably broad fanbase across the United States.

Hardcore rap aficionados were captivated by Sanghyun’s music itself. For them, Sanghyun’s ethnicity was irrelevant. He had consistently proven his merit.

In contrast, the general public, with a more casual interest in rap, developed a favorable impression of Sanghyun through his appearances on ‘The X-Factor.’ This was further solidified by subsequent performances, such as his Grammy Awards stage presence and live single releases.

These two demographics comprised the majority of the potential fanbase for a rapper. He had successfully appealed to both dedicated rap enthusiasts and casual listeners.

However, Sanghyun also managed to tap into a demographic that had largely eluded other rappers.

This was the Asian American community.

While individual preferences varied, Asians generally weren’t avid consumers of rap music. Older adults, in particular, tended to express a stronger dislike for rap.

Sanghyun was a rare exception, a rapper who could persuade this demographic to open their wallets.

Sanghyun’s increasing success also contributed to diminishing prejudices against Asians, and they felt a sense of pride in seeing an Asian artist achieve significant success in American society.

The unwavering support of Asian Americans was a key factor in Sanghyun’s album debuting at number 5 on the Billboard 200.

Several media outlets began to highlight this point.

They suggested that while was a great album, its sales figures and Billboard ranking were artificially inflated.

Moreover:

-Asians exhibit a blind, collective mentality. They don’t differentiate between quality music and subpar music. They simply purchase albums by rappers who share their ethnicity. Billboard is complicit in this trend.

-First a white album, now a yellow album has dominated the hip-hop scene. It’s unsettling that the sanctuary of Black artists has been infiltrated by commercial interests. While the increased popularity of rap is a factor, am I the only one who finds this surge in popularity suspicious?

-Why does FiveSix represent LA? I’ve been rapping in LA for over seven years under the name Bell Force. He’s only been here for two years. It’s absurd that he’s become a rapper representing LA simply because he shouted out LA on ‘The X-Factor.’

Capitalizing on this climate, several rappers made inflammatory statements.

Sanghyun understood that increased fame meant a higher likelihood of becoming a target.

He was also aware that media outlets often sought to find fault with celebrities, and that underground rappers frequently attacked established artists to gain exposure.

However, he still felt stung by the criticism.

Neither Eminem nor Sanghyun denied that their ethnicity had played a role in their mainstream success. More accurately, it wasn’t necessarily about benefiting, but rather about having a fanbase that could identify with them.

However, it was undeniable that in the underground scene, their ethnicity had been a source of significant hardship. Very seriously.

Therefore, Sanghyun felt disheartened because the comments from the media and other rappers seemed to invalidate the immense effort he had invested in the LA underground scene.

‘Do they think I’m an easy target?’

It was true that Americans often perceived Asians as being weak and easily exploited.

But Sanghyun was far from an easy target.

From Hwang Ju-cheol, the editor-in-chief of Show Business, to Oh Gyeong Media and Cha In-hyeon, anyone who knew Sanghyun would attest that he was not someone to be trifled with.

“What are you doing? Staring at the internet?”

Hadel Raines entered Sanghyun’s studio.

“Oh, CEO Ha.”

“Back in my day, there were no internet comments, which was a blessing. I only had to worry about what Billboard or Rolling Stone had to say.”

Hadel frowned and continued.

“Don’t pay attention to that stuff. Ignore it, regardless of whether it’s accurate or not.”

“Even if it’s accurate?”

“Even if it’s accurate, it can’t alter the artistic world you’ve created. Art is subjective and multifaceted. It resonates differently with each individual, so there’s no piece of art in the world that everyone will appreciate. Why are you even asking when you already know that?”

“I suppose you’re right. Anyway, what’s up?”

“Are you planning on attending this?”

Hadel Raines handed over a piece of paper.

Sanghyun glanced at the paper and smiled.

“I’m grateful that my art is rap at times like this.”

“So you’re going?”

“Yes. Even if there’s no art in this world that everyone likes, I should at least make it clear that my art is valid.”

In Sanghyun’s hand was an invitation and nomination list for the BET HIPHOP Awards, scheduled for mid-October.

***

In the United States, the birthplace of hip-hop, there was an awards ceremony dedicated solely to hip-hop music: the BET HIPHOP Awards.

Originally, the BET Awards recognized the achievements of African Americans and other minorities in music.

However, as hip-hop gained immense popularity within African American music, the BET Hip Hop Awards was established as a separate event in 2006.

Now, several years later, the BET HIPHOP Awards had surpassed the BET Awards in popularity.

Just as Korean hip-hop artists invariably participate in interviews when selected as ‘Musician of the Month’ by HiphopLE, American hip-hop artists typically make it a point to attend the BET Hip Hop Awards, even if they skip the Grammy Awards.

Because it is the most prestigious awards ceremony in the hip-hop world.

And that was the case again this year.

Sanghyun, upon arriving at the Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, the venue for the BET Hip Hop Awards, had the opportunity to meet numerous hip-hop artists.

“Wow, FiveSix. I’ve been wanting to meet you.”

Joe Budden, sporting an impressive beard, greeted Sanghyun as soon as he spotted him. Sanghyun, the only Asian among the throng of musicians, was easily recognizable.

Starting with Joe Budden, Sanghyun greeted many people who had not attended the Grammy Awards.

Among them were Drake, who was nominated for ‘Rookie Of The Year’ alongside Sanghyun, and Kanye West, whom he had been unable to greet at the Grammy Awards after-party.

“How have you been?”

“You’ve been killing it lately? I enjoyed your album.”

And there was also KRS-One, with whom he had been in frequent contact but hadn’t seen in person for a while.

“Five, are you on the performance list today?”

“I’m not performing, but I’ve already filmed the cypher [an informal gathering of rappers freestyling].”

“Really? What was the theme?”

“H&R.”

The BET Hip Hop Awards was renowned for its impressive lineup of performances that felt more like a concert than an awards ceremony.

The awards ceremony hall resembled a hip-hop club, and the audience members arrived with the mindset of club-goers. No one wore suits, as they would at the Grammy Awards.

Rappers joked that they would hire strippers if the event weren’t being broadcast on television.

Among these performances, the ‘BET CYPHER’ was particularly popular.

A cypher is similar to a jam session in jazz, where artists freely rap over a single beat. Cyphers often involve a significant amount of improvisation, but pre-written verses are also common.

The BET Cypher was essentially a cypher featuring participants of the BET Hip Hop Awards.

The reason for its popularity was that it brought together rappers who don’t typically collaborate, allowing them to compete on the same beat.

This year, the cypher featuring Mos Def, Black Thought, and Eminem generated considerable buzz upon its announcement. These three rappers had never worked together before.

Another highly anticipated cypher was the one featuring the H&R team, which included Sanghyun.

“Aren’t you promoting your label a bit too overtly?”

“Don’t say things like that, people might misunderstand. H&R stands for ‘Hardcore Rap’.”

“You’re funny. Where are the others? I want to say hello to the H&R INC crew.”

“They’re probably scattered somewhere, goofing around. Or maybe they’re trying to pick up girls. They’ll be here soon, since it’s about to start.”

As Sanghyun predicted, about 30 minutes later, his friends, including Kendrick and J. Cole, returned and greeted KRS-One.

In the meantime, the audience began to fill the venue, and preparations for the broadcast were finalized.

And so, the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards commenced.

***

The BET Hip Hop Awards, which kicked off with Wale and Gucci Mane’s performance of ‘Pretty Girl,’ was a spectacle.

Having already filmed their cypher and not being scheduled to perform, Sanghyun and his friends thoroughly enjoyed the show without any pressure.

After a few performances, the winners were announced.

Sanghyun took to the stage a total of two times.

Once when he won Rookie Of The Year, and again when he won Best Hiphop Collaboration with his Golden New Era collaborators.

“Is this only counting MTB [Mixtape Banger]?”

“Of course. The awards ceremony is in October, and our album was released two weeks ago.”

“Then I can attend next year too? I definitely want to perform next year.”

As J. Cole spoke, the first BET Cypher video was released.

It featured Nicki Minaj, Joe Budden, Crown Royal, and Buckshot.

The audience reacted enthusiastically to the cypher videos, displayed on the big screen. They screamed and applauded at every clever lyric.

‘Today is the day a legend is made.’

Sanghyun was already familiar with the video that would always be referenced when discussing the ‘BET CYPHER’: the third cypher video featuring Eminem.

Until 2009, three cyphers were featured at each awards ceremony, but in 2010 there would be five, and in 2011 there would be seven, reflecting its growing popularity.

Nevertheless, the video featuring Eminem, Mos Def, and Black Thought is consistently regarded as the best cypher.

While Sanghyun was contemplating this, a thunderous applause erupted.

He initially thought the cypher had ended, but it turned out that the cypher had concluded and another winner had been announced.

At that moment, Kendrick nudged Sanghyun.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“It’s you.”

“Me?”

Sanghyun had won Lyricist Of The Year for ‘No Color,’ making him a two-time winner. Including the Best Hip Hop Collaboration he won as part of a group, he was a three-time winner.

Unlike the Grammys, the BET Hip Hop Awards only presents awards in 15 categories, so winning three awards was a remarkable achievement.

“When I gave my Rookie Of The Year acceptance speech, I was so flustered that I forgot to say the most important thing. To everyone listening to this speech… please buy it.”

The audience erupted in laughter and applause at Sanghyun’s acceptance speech. Sanghyun added a few more words amidst the applause and concluded his speech.

Upon returning to his seat, he was congratulated by numerous rappers, including the H&R INC members.

“As expected, a musician’s life mirrors the album title. At this rate, your popularity will soon reach the sky.”

“You’re not telling me to die, are you?”

“Why not?”

Sanghyun burst out laughing at Jay-Z’s joke, whom he had met at the Grammy Awards. It seemed that all the rappers he knew, with the exception of Eminem and 50 Cent, who were unable to attend, were congratulating him.

Following that, several more performances and awards were presented.

Finally, the H&R INC team’s cypher video was released.

< Verse 43. Touch The Sky > End

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