The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 97

Recording studios for producing albums are incredibly expensive to rent. That’s why underground musicians rehearse thoroughly, coordinate with the director, and then proceed with the actual recording. This minimizes recording time. This process is often called a recording rehearsal.

As Sanghyun began rapping in the booth, the practice room fell silent. Kim Woongak, Choi Taeil, and Hayeon all focused intently on Sanghyun’s rap.

“Good.”

“I know, right? It’s much better than the guide track. Am I going to be completely overshadowed by this?”

Choi Taeil, the vocalist of Indie Kid, groaned playfully, but he was serious. There was something captivating about Lee Sanghyun.

The song Sanghyun was featuring on, ‘When Today Passes,’ was based on Choi Taeil’s personal experiences.

Choi Taeil had been dating his girlfriend since high school. Their feelings remained strong through their teens and twenties. However, as they entered their thirties, things began to fall apart. Issues like finances, job security, and marriage surfaced, cloaked in the guise of ‘reality.’

Choi Taeil still loved her, but her feelings gradually faded, and eventually, she left. Their breakup was difficult. After a decade together, their bond was more than just love; it was a deep-seated attachment.

‘When Today Passes’ explores the theme of letting go of a lover whose heart has drifted away, but whom one can’t bear to break up with due to lingering affection or pity.

Sanghyun’s role was to fill 16 bars in the second verse.

‘It’s already been four years.’

A man crafting the words he’ll say to his lover tomorrow in a darkened room. That was the essence of Sanghyun’s lyrics.

When Choi Taeil first suggested the rap feature, he had some reservations. Despite Sanghyun’s rapping and musical talent, lyrical depth was another matter.

‘Would an 18-year-old high school student truly grasp the feeling of letting go of a lover due to the pressures of reality, even if he still cares for her?’

However, Choi Taeil was astonished by the guide track Sanghyun sent. It captured his feelings perfectly, as if he had written the lyrics himself.

In fact, it surpassed what he could have written.

‘A genius exists.’

Choi Taeil watched Sanghyun, engrossed in the guide track, with a strange mix of emotions. He was envious of Sanghyun’s talent and, even more so, of the age at which it had blossomed. Choi Taeil was 33 when he finally felt confident in his own musical abilities.

Listening to Sanghyun’s rap, Choi Taeil quietly reflected on his departed girlfriend for the first time in a long time.

***

Sorry, I was too hasty

The time has come to stop

Around February, when I was nineteen and still feeling the cold

I fell for you, and that feeling is still real

I wanted to trap you in my frame,

But I was quite wrong.

It was good, thinking of you

Now I give up, the conclusion of you and me that I hardly made

Of course, I say, there’s nothing wrong with you

Not at all, but 1 times

0 and 100 times 0 are the same 0

No matter how much my feelings are, I am 0 in you

It’s a disease, writing lyrics too,

For a while, I only wrote love stories because of you

And I’m back to square one

But who will cure the heart disease full inside?

***

Hayeon was captivated by Sanghyun’s voice, which resonated through the monitoring speakers. Sanghyun’s voice possessed a quality that stirred emotions.

Many women are drawn to a deep, resonant voice, and Hayeon was no exception. She particularly admired Sanghyun’s solid yet sharp vocal tone.

‘Does Sanghyun have no intention of going to college?’

She had never voiced it, but Hayeon often wished they could attend arts college together, sharing classes, assignments, and study sessions.

‘It won’t work because of Sangmi, right? She said she has no intention of leaving Gwangju until Sangmi graduates.’

Sangmi liked all the crew members, but she was especially fond of Hayeon, partly because they lived nearby, but also because they understood each other so well.

Hayeon believed it was because they had both experienced similar pain, having both lost their mothers. It was a fact she hadn’t been able to share with the crew, despite her intentions.

‘If I appear on TV a lot, the people who love me will be able to see me more.’

That’s what she had declared at the cafe where the 888 crew first gathered.

Hayeon’s current father was not her biological father. Her biological father, a broadcasting station correspondent, had died in an accident, and her mother had raised her alone. Later, her mother remarried.

Her father treated her like his own daughter. However, problems arose after her mother’s passing, stemming more from the elders in the family than from her father himself.

Her father, still young at forty, had remained unmarried because of her, a child to whom he had no blood relation. Furthermore, his marriage would mean his wife would have no relation to Hayeon.

Therefore, Hayeon couldn’t possibly disobey her father’s wishes. He had sacrificed so much for her, making it impossible to refuse his request: ‘You should go to college, right?’

Hayeon also harbored a desire for fame and recognition. She wanted to prove to the elders in the family, who treated her like an unwanted burden, that she was her father’s treasure.

These circumstances significantly influenced her dream of becoming a celebrity.

“Ah…….”

Hayeon couldn’t take her eyes off Sanghyun, who was engrossed in recording.

As soon as Sanghyun’s recording rehearsal concluded, Hayeon’s began. With their solid vocalization and stable rap tones, the recording rehearsal took less than two hours.

“Wow, I wish other rappers were as smooth as you guys. It would be so much easier then.”

“What about the Stazz Records hyungs [older brothers/male friends]? I think they’re as good as us.”

“Our crew members are good. I’m talking about all the different rappers I meet when I do directing part-time, not them.”

Wooyunwoo, Sanghyun, and Hayeon chatted as they moved to the main recording room. Their conversation revolved around Hommie Vol.2, scheduled for the end of October. The 888 crew was too busy to participate in Vol.2 but had committed to Vol.3 at the end of the year.

“I heard you guys are releasing a mixtape soon?”

“The first mixtape will be released the day after tomorrow. The second mixtape will be released about two weeks later.”

“What’s on each one?”

“The first is mainly a collection of songs we did at Club Hommie. It also includes songs we performed before that, bundling a few new tracks with already released ones.”

“Then the second one is entirely new tracks?”

“Yes. There are a lot of tracks that will surprise you.”

“Do you have a solo track too?”

“Yes. There’s a killer one called ‘Crouching Writer.’ I’m going to shake up the Korean hip-hop scene with this song.”

Sanghyun said jokingly, but it was hard to dismiss it as a complete joke.

“What is it? What kind of concept is it?”

“I’m not going to tell you.”

The impact of 100 bars of rap can only be experienced firsthand. After ‘Crouching Writer’ was completed, the 888 crew members called Sanghyun crazy.

“Oppa [older brother/term of endearment for older male friends], it makes me really angry when I hear it.”

“Angry? Why?”

Wooyunwoo looked puzzled at Hayeon’s words.

“It just makes me want to rewrite the lyrics I’ve already written. We were supposed to release the first mixtape a long time ago, and we were supposed to release the second mixtape too, but the crew members took some time because they rewrote the lyrics after listening to ‘Crouching Writer.'”

“Ah, what is it! I’m so curious.”

Sanghyun refused to reveal anything, and Wooyunwoo, consumed by curiosity, decided to wait the two weeks until he could hear it.

After finishing the recording rehearsal, they traveled to the recording studio in Kim Woongak’s car. The recording studio was top-notch, equipped with two sound engineers.

“The condenser microphone here is very sensitive. If you’re going to fart, go to the bathroom. No matter how quietly you fart, the ‘pssh’ sound gets picked up.”

“Oppa!”

“I’m a producer who cares about your intestinal health. Amazing, right? There’s really no producer like this. If 888 is thinking of recruiting me, I’ll consider it.”

With Wooyunwoo’s jokes, the full-scale recording began. Being his first time in a professional studio, Sanghyun was initially a little disoriented.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], can you turn up the beat a little more?”

“Why? Is the beat too low?”

“No, the beat is appropriate, but the snare is barely audible.”

“I did that on purpose. I wanted to make the guitar sound as realistic as possible, so the drum sounds are at the level of ghost notes [very subtle, almost inaudible notes].”

“But I think I need to hear it when I’m recording.”

Wooyunwoo nodded and increased the snare volume. Sanghyun was surprised.

“Oh, what? Hyung, can you adjust the snare volume separately?”

“Is it just the snare?”

“Wow, what? What is this? A new world?”

As Sanghyun exclaimed, the two engineers who had been listening quietly smiled. Indie Kid was well-known among Korean musicians, but they had suddenly brought in a random high school rapper.

However, it only took 45 seconds for Sanghyun to deliver 16 bars flawlessly, transforming their smiles into expressions of surprise.

In the end, Sanghyun finished recording in under 30 minutes. Stacking the doubling and background sounds took longer, but the actual recording time for the verse was only about 10 minutes.

“Good job.”

Sanghyun emerged from the recording booth, wishing he could do more, given the excellent sound quality. Professor Kim Wooncheol’s lab also had great equipment, but this was superior.

“Hyung, how much would it cost to set up all the equipment like here?”

“If it’s this level, it’s much cheaper to rent than to set up the equipment.”

He directed his question to Wooyunwoo, but the answer came from an unexpected source: a man in a suit who had been sitting on the sofa.

“Equipment is constantly evolving, right? Even after just one year, you’ll think the sound is outdated, and it’s burdensome to keep upgrading personal recording equipment. Renting a studio is ultimately more cost-effective.”

Sanghyun awkwardly smiled and nodded as the man, whom he had assumed was a staff member, addressed him.

“Ah, I see.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Lee Taeseok, and I’m the casting director at Rush Entertainment.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. My name is Lee Sanghyun.”

Sanghyun politely accepted Lee Taeseok’s business card and placed it in his wallet. But that was all.

‘What?’

Lee Taeseok was momentarily taken aback. Rush Entertainment wasn’t a massive company, but it represented singers popular with young people. It had a solid reputation and had recently signed a contract with Indie Kid.

Normally, if the casting director of such a company approached someone, they would initiate a conversation, but Sanghyun remained silent.

‘Is he implying he’s receiving numerous offers and wants to appear nonchalant? Or is he trying to assess me?’

There’s a way to handle these types. The best approach is to remain silent. They’ll eventually drop their pretense and start talking.

Lee Taeseok leaned back on the sofa, observing Lee Sanghyun. Shin Hayeon, the attractive rapper, entered the recording room. After a moment of hesitation, Lee Sanghyun joined her, offering advice.

Finally, when Shin Hayeon began recording earnestly, he started chatting with Wooyunwoo.

‘Is he feigning disinterest?’

He’s quite skilled at navigating social situations. That’s how he managed to create such a stage and music. But he’ll soon drop the act and approach me.

Lee Taeseok waited patiently. Eventually, Lee Sanghyun sat on the sofa. Lee Taeseok assumed that Lee Sanghyun’s charade was wearing thin and prepared to steer the conversation.

As expected, Lee Sanghyun spoke.

“She’s good, right?”

“Yes? Ah, she’s good.”

“Right? That’s Shin Hayeon, a rapper in our crew. She’s really talented.”

That was it.

‘No, is this guy for real?’

End

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