The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 298

Amy Winehouse’s life was marked by her attempts to cope with a difficult family environment and complex relationships through substance abuse.

This led to a severe narcotics addiction early in her career. Later, she quit drugs but developed a severe alcohol addiction. Ultimately, her career ended with her death.

She died at the age of 27, joining the “27 Club” [a group of influential musicians who died at that age].

Ironically, Amy Winehouse’s breakthrough song was “Rehab,” where she famously sang, based on her own experiences, “They tried to make me go to rehab but I said ‘no, no, no’.”

“Rehab” became a massive hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Pop Chart based solely on radio airplay and internet downloads, even before the album’s official release in the United States.

They tried to make me go to rehab

(They tried to make me go to rehab)

But I said ‘no, no, no’.

(But I said no, no, no.)

Even those unfamiliar with the song would likely recognize the “No, No, No” refrain.

Because it was such a famous song.

So, as “Rehab” began to play with Sanghyun’s entrance, the audience at Wembley Stadium held its breath.

Kendrick delivered a perfect tribute to Amy Winehouse with “You Know I’m No Good,” and J. Cole followed with “Love is a Losing Game.”

Their raps were flawless, and the lyrics were not shallow praise but contained genuine sincerity and mourning.

The audience was deeply moved and heartbroken.

The synergy between Amy Winehouse’s music and the rappers’ tributes was powerful, even through recorded sound.

It was easy to imagine the ecstatic reaction if Amy Winehouse herself had been on that stage instead of having passed away.

And now it was FiveSix’s turn.

A rapper who had achieved a million record sales.

A genius who had overcome the challenges of being Asian through sheer skill.

The hottest rap star in the world.

All eyes were on the stage, eager to see what the rapper with such impressive accolades would deliver.

However, in contrast to the grandeur of his reputation, the performance began quietly.

FiveSix simply stood in the center of the stage and sang along to Amy Winehouse’s song.

It wasn’t an exceptional vocal performance.

He followed the melody plainly and simply, without any embellishments, making it difficult to assess his singing ability.

However, there was something captivating in that simplicity.

Winehouse’s “Rehab” flowing through the speakers and FiveSix’s singing created a strange harmony that began to enthrall the audience.

The crowd exclaimed, “As expected of FiveSix,” but the reaction of music industry executives in the VIP seats went beyond simple admiration.

“Huh, this is crazy.”

Noel Gallagher was drawn into FiveSix’s performance, his mouth agape without even realizing it.

He recognized the source of the unbelievable pull that FiveSix was demonstrating: sincerity.

It was the delivery of genuine emotion.

The idea of “putting your heart into the song” was often considered obvious, cliché, and even cheesy.

Many musicians argued that sincerity was an illusion and that technical skill was all that mattered. And indeed, some major singers who held this view achieved great success.

But Noel Gallagher had never seen a singer who dominated an era, not just had a hit, who ridiculed the word sincerity.

On the contrary, it was incredibly difficult to achieve.

“At first, you ignore it, then you mistakenly think you understand it, and eventually, you can’t grasp how to convey emotions in a song at all.”

Words left by countless legends.

Was the Eagles’ “Hotel California” a masterpiece because it was sung perfectly?

Did drummer Don Henley sing better than the best vocal technicians of the time?

What about the Beatles?

Their “Yesterday” is a very easy song to listen to now. Technically, it’s so simple that it’s hard to find even a part to practice.

However, the greatness of “Yesterday” is undeniable. Numerous skilled singers have covered it, but none have surpassed the original.

This was the sincerity that transcended mere technical ability.

And FiveSix was demonstrating it.

“I was wrong.”

Noel Gallagher was known for his cynical nature and harsh words.

He had initially thought that FiveSix’s incredible delivery was just beginner’s luck.

Many artists experience a meteoric rise after their debut without truly understanding their craft, only to see their skills decline as they continue to develop.

But this was different.

FiveSix was the real deal.

“How can he do that? At that age? And as a rapper?”

Yes I’ve been black,

(Yes, I’ve been black,)

but when I come back

(but when I come back)

You will know, know, know.

(You will know, know, know.)

I ain’t got the time

(I don’t have the time)

It wasn’t just harmonious chords; the song’s sound continued to mesh perfectly.

Sanghyun, meanwhile, reflected on his own story.

He had always liked Amy Winehouse.

That’s why he admired Kim Yu-hwa of Stars Records, who was called the “Amy Winehouse of Korea,” and was wary of her during their battle on Hip Hop the Vibe.

But now he felt something more than just admiration.

Because the lyrics of “Rehab” seemed to reflect his own ‘regression’ [referring to his past self].

Like the lyrics of “Rehab,” Sanghyun’s past was bleak.

But he had returned, and now he was sharing his new life with the world.

Many people who had met Sanghyun were impressed by his ability to deliver lyrics and were moved by the raw emotion he conveyed.

The message of “No Color” was that we are all similar regardless of skin color.

Just as blacks in slums might feel they need a gun to sleep, everyone in Korea has their own metaphorical “empty gun” for survival.

Sanghyun was clearly telling his own story, which resonated with listeners.

And now, the situation was reversed.

He was singing Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab,” but the ‘rehab’ he didn’t want to go to was his past.

It was the life he had lived, indifferent and cold-blooded, driven only by money.

At that moment, the beat began to intensify.

The audience anticipated that Amy Winehouse’s voice would soon fade, and FiveSix’s rap would explode over the remaining beat.

Just as Kendrick and J. Cole had done before.

But that wasn’t what happened.

The beat grew louder, and Amy Winehouse’s voice became relatively quieter, but the song itself didn’t disappear.

The song, instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with “Rehab,” continued to play.

And Sanghyun’s rap began on top of it.

She doesn’t like rehab, and I don’t like rehab either

Being addicted to something, that’s everyone’s reality

Imagine, if life is twice

What value would we leave behind?

Unlike Kendrick or J. Cole, Sanghyun’s rap wasn’t focused on Amy Winehouse’s death.

Instead, by projecting his own life onto hers, he asserted that although Amy Winehouse had died, the value she created lived on.

So, rather than mourning her death, he was paying respect to the life she had lived.

Life is only once, yes, life is only once

But death is not the end of life

If you left something, if you sang a song,

If you wrote, the value still roams the world

Sanghyun typically preferred using simple and effective metaphors to convey his message directly.

But this “Rehab” was different.

The lyrics weren’t overly complex, but they weren’t simplistic either.

Because this song wasn’t just for the public; it was dedicated to Amy Winehouse.

So, raw emotions were woven into the lyrics, along with the feelings Sanghyun had experienced since his ‘regression’.

There are no secrets after death.

So this stage is not a funeral now

Giving more value to life

So many people want to listen to your song,

It’s playing behind my rap now.

So this new method is made with you.

New value. New way.

So you’re still alive.

As Sanghyun rapped, Amy Winehouse’s song continued to play.

Sanghyun was rapping over her voice.

In fact, rapping over a person’s voice as a beat wasn’t entirely new.

Lil Wayne’s huge hit, “A-Milli,” features rapping over a looped vocal sample of “A-Milli, A-Milli, A.”

But there had never been a case quite like this, where someone rapped over the entire ‘song’ itself.

While there might be underground attempts, none had reached the mainstream.

Previously, songs that incorporated rapping over vocals always used looped vocals with a constant sound. In other words, the voice was treated like any other musical instrument, not as a special element.

But now, Sanghyun was clearly rapping over Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab.”

And the rap surprisingly matched the song perfectly, creating a completely new piece of music.

“How can he do that?”

Numerous producers and musicians at the performance were experiencing a series of surprises.

What was happening before their eyes was a true ‘feat’ [an impressive accomplishment].

A song has its own melody, range, pronunciation, and lyrical meaning.

Rap, on the other hand, is music that creates a groove by conveying meaning through flow and rhyme, without melody.

The two genres satisfy listeners in completely different ways.

So, trying to create a good sound by rapping over a completed song was like trying to bake bread that rises by combining bread and cheese.

Or like combining rocks and water to create flowing rocks.

Even if done clumsily, the combination would be less than the sum of its parts, perhaps 0.1 instead of 1 + 1 = 2.

If the background song is good, listeners’ attention will be drawn to it.

Conversely, if the background song is not good, there’s no reason to play it.

But somehow, FiveSix had pulled it off.

He had even created more than 2 by adding 1 to 1. 10 or even 100.

He was proving that new value can still be created even after death, by layering his voice over Amy Winehouse’s to create something new.

“Amazing.”

Hadel Raines thought the song was amazing, no matter how many times he heard it.

He knew Sanghyun was naturally talented, and he thought he had a good grasp of the extent of that talent.

But he was wrong.

Sanghyun’s “Rehab” was a work that required talent, intuition, and a deep understanding of harmony.

It was an attempt that belonged more in the realm of modern art than rap.

And he had done it all in just one day.

“If Jay-Z created The Blueprint in two weeks, Sanghyun created Rehab in one day.”

Amid the public’s admiration and the industry officials’ shock, Sanghyun’s rap continued without pause.

His rap stopped the moment the chorus of the original song returned.

“Can you sing with me so I can reach the sky?”

At Sanghyun’s request, New Wembley Stadium was filled with the voices of the crowd for the first time.

-They tried to make me go to rehab

-But I said, No, No, No

***

The UK performance of the Golden New Era Tour, which began with a perfect tribute to Amy Winehouse, ended after captivating 90,000 people.

Attendees understood why H&R INC and Golden New Era were constantly soaring.

They understood why FiveSix had sold ten million albums but was still described as, “If you haven’t experienced his live performance, you haven’t truly heard his song.”

And it wasn’t just the public who felt this way.

The stars in the audience below the stage felt the same way.

“Noel Gallagher, what do you think of today’s performance?”

Noel Gallagher, leaving the venue through the staff passage, answered the reporter’s question.

“Crazy bastards.”

Noel Gallagher’s answer was euphemized as “Crazy Rapstar” and made headlines the next day.

***

< Verse 46. Rapstar > End

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