The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 98

Verse 15. Flow

Lee Tae-seok was dumbfounded.

But he waited patiently. He waited until Shin Ha-yeon’s recording was finished and even oversaw the guide mixing. Patience is a virtue.

Finally, Lee Sang-hyun addressed him.

“Director.”

“Yes?”

*I shouldn’t look too eager.*

*Play it cool. Play it cool.*

“Goodbye.”

“No, wait, just a moment!”

Defeated, Lee Tae-seok had to rush and stop Lee Sang-hyun from leaving the recording studio.

Already feeling the sting of rejection, Lee Tae-seok hurriedly touted Rush Entertainment’s strengths: its singers, its promotion system, and its contract with Indie Kid.

Lee Sang-hyun listened intently, then said,

“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”

“What? It’s not like I’m asking you to buy something…”

“You’re asking me to trade those benefits for my music, right? So, I’m not interested.”

Lee Sang-hyun bowed politely and left the recording studio. Lee Tae-seok understood. He wasn’t just passively declining; he was respectfully refusing the offer.

“Ah, what should I do?”

Lee Tae-seok scratched his head, looking troubled. The engineers, who had a good idea of what had transpired, glanced at him and commented.

“Were you trying to be slick?”

“He doesn’t seem interested at all.”

“From where I’m standing, it doesn’t seem like he’s just playing hard to get.”

In reality, Rush Entertainment’s aggressive pursuit of Lee Sang-hyun was at the behest of Ohkyung Entertainment.

A so-called bidding war strategy.

A tactic that casting directors often use, known as ‘being cocky.’

It was a preliminary move before signing a contract with a new musician.

If Sang-hyun had shown interest in Rush Entertainment, Lee Tae-seok planned to discuss all the specific contract terms, including the signing bonus and duration, immediately. He also intended to provide a sample of the standard contract for him to review at home.

However, Rush Entertainment had no genuine intention of signing a contract with Lee Sang-hyun or the 888 Crew. Ohkyung ENT was the real target.

The purpose of this contact was to plant the idea in the musician’s mind that ‘a mid-tier company like Rush Entertainment is offering 100 [presumably a monetary unit].’

Later, if Ohkyung Entertainment approached and offered 80, the musician would naturally think, ‘Since a major agency is better, this must be a reasonable price.’

Conversely, Rush Entertainment could offer 100, and Ohkyung Entertainment could offer 150. This would create the impression that ‘Ohkyung Entertainment values me more,’ allowing them to gain favorable terms or duration, even if they paid a higher signing bonus.

However, Lee Tae-seok, a nine-year veteran of the casting game, knew better. He would try his best because he had been asked, but that guy wouldn’t budge even if they offered 1000 as a signing bonus.

Lee Tae-seok found that strange.

‘He seems completely dedicated to his music, but what will he do without a company backing him?’

It had been over a decade since ‘individual musicality’ became a secondary concern in the Korean entertainment industry, which originated in the 1930s.

Frankly, no singer since 1997 had proven themselves solely through musical talent. They all rose with the support of capital. This trend solidified in the 2000s and continues to strengthen.

‘Even if Beethoven or Mozart appeared today, it wouldn’t matter.’

Lee Tae-seok believed that Lee Sang-hyun would eventually be absorbed into the system, despite his current resistance.

***

On Monday, October 17th, the 888 Crew mixtape was released. Although several tracks by the 888 Crew had been available online, many hip-hop fans were eager for this first official tape.

The crew members debated the mixtape’s name and decided to call it Bootleg 0.5.

Bootleg originally referred to illegal recordings sold for profit. For example, a producer compiling their favorite Beatles tracks into an album and selling it would be a Beatles bootleg album. It’s similar to the Korean terms “bbaekpan” or “pirated edition,” common in Korea in the 1960s and 70s when obtaining overseas records was difficult.

Over time, the meaning of bootleg broadened to include non-commercial albums, such as collections of unreleased tracks or live recordings.

Hip-hop culture differed from other genres in its acceptance of bootlegs. Hip-hop grew with the mixtape culture (rapping over instrumentals of famous artists), and mixtapes themselves were technically illegal, falling under the bootleg category.

However, mixtapes evolved. They became seen as ‘promotional albums for amateurs,’ and mixtapes of entirely original, legally sold tracks began to emerge.

Around that time, the concepts of bootleg and mixtape blurred in hip-hop, eventually leading to the term “Official Bootleg.” In Korean, this translates to the contradictory phrase ‘official illegal recording.’

The 888 Crew named their mixtape “Bootleg” because it combined songs like “Fuck Tha Show Biz,” which used someone else’s beat, and “Eight, Eight, Eight,” a completely original track.

This ‘888 Crew Bootleg 0.5’ consisted of 11 tracks.

-888 Crew Bootleg 0.5-

1. Gotta Move – Lee Sang-hyun, Shin Jun-hyung

2. Coffee Machine – Kim Hwan, Park In-hyuk, Oh Min-ji

3. Strolling – Park In-hyuk

4. Gwangju UP – Lee Sang-hyun

5. Fuck Tha Show Biz – Lee Sang-hyun

6. Knocking – Shin Jun-hyung, Oh Min-ji, Shin Ha-yeon

7. So Tight – Lee Sang-hyun, Shin Jun-hyung, Shin Ha-yeon

8. Background – Park In-hyuk, Kim Hwan, Shin Jun-hyung

9. Run This Town – Lee Sang-hyun Feat. L&S

10. About Love – Lee Sang-hyun, Shin Jun-hyung Feat. L&S

11. Eight, Eight, Eight – 888 Crew

From the 888 Crew’s perspective, all 11 tracks had been released before, but that wasn’t the case for hip-hop fans.

Songs like “Gotta Move,” “About Love,” and “Run This Town” were only known to those who attended L&S’s “Soft Straight Line” performances. They also performed “Run This Town” at the Jeonju World DJ Festival, but they had forgotten the lyrics.

Park In-hyuk’s solo song, “Uh-Slang,” had only been released during the Gwangju UP music video shoot at the Gwangju Old City Hall intersection. “Uh-Slang” was deliberately included for hip-hop fans who appreciated Park In-hyuk’s unique rap style.

Therefore, contrary to the 888 Crew’s low expectations, hip-hop fans responded enthusiastically.

In particular, “Gotta Move” received an explosive reaction.

-I think the best track on this 888 Crew bootleg is Gotta Move.

-Well, that’s probably because we’ve already heard the other songs.

-No, regardless, Gotta Move is the best.

-I like Fuck Tha Show Biz and Run This Town the best. They also represent the two songs that ushered in the golden era of American hip-hop.

-No, regardless, Gotta Move is the best.

-Wouldn’t Eight, Eight, Eight receive the highest score for its unique introduction of the unfamiliar trap genre?

-No, regardless, Gotta Move is the best.

-I also think Gotta Move is the best.

-Regardless of your opinion, Gotta Move is the best.

-Shouldn’t you go to the hospital at this point?

-The doctor prescribed that Gotta Move is the best.

“Gotta Move” was inspired by Big Sean’s rap style and greatly influenced band musicians. Its blend of melody and rap was praised by hip-hop fans and offered a fresh perspective to rap musicians, creating a noticeable trend.

Hip-hop LE [a Korean hip-hop online community] had two track boards: an official board and an amateur board.

The official track board featured only official tracks, and only Hip-hop LE staff could post. Musicians would send their music to Hip-hop LE, saying, ‘I released this song,’ and the staff would upload it.

The amateur board was for aspiring rappers to upload their songs. Occasionally, professional rappers would upload “lightning songs” (songs created quickly with only guide recordings), but most posts were amateur recordings.

Within a day of the 888 bootleg’s release, songs imitating “Gotta Move” began appearing on the amateur board.

The creators of these imitations reacted in various ways. Some claimed they had planned the song originally, while others admitted to being inspired by the 888 Crew bootleg.

Some of these songs received positive reviews, but most were criticized as copycats.

As time passed, imitations of “Eight, Eight, Eight’s” trap music and “Run This Town’s” rap metal also appeared. This wasn’t limited to amateurs; many professional rappers were also deeply influenced by the 888 Crew’s music.

In this way, artists who grew up modeling 888’s music emerged sooner than expected, and as Sang-hyun predicted, the flow of Korean hip-hop began to accelerate.

***

Although the 888 Crew was juggling many projects, they prioritized music and promises.

To continue growing musically.

To keep the promises they had already made.

Sang-hyun’s decision to feature on Indie Kid’s album in Seoul, despite his busy schedule, reflected this commitment.

Currently, the 888 Crew had four confirmed performances.

First, Homi Vol.3, scheduled for the end of December.

Homi Vol.2, without the 888 Crew, had decent revenue, but the follow-up response wasn’t as strong. This wasn’t solely due to the 888 Crew’s absence; the lack of novelty was a significant factor.

However, Bae Ga, the event planner, felt compelled to recruit the 888 Crew, who had been a hit at Vol.1.

Therefore, the 888 Crew agreed to participate in Homi Vol.3 as a lineup, this time with fair compensation.

The second performance was the Chungjang Festival, Gwangju’s largest festival, at the end of October.

They had been scouted for this event immediately after “Fuck Tha Show Biz” was released. They were recently contacted again and fully accepted.

The third was the Unsan High School Festival, also at the end of October. Sang-hyun had made a promise to his homeroom teacher and recognized the value of performing at the Unsan High School Festival, which drew high school students from all over Gwangju.

The last was AIMMF (Asia Independent Movie & Music Festival), originally scheduled for the end of the year but postponed to the beginning of next year. As a festival created by the Ohkyung Group to rival LOC’s World DJ Festival, the fee offered was substantial.

Sang-hyun had previously discussed with Jun-hyung about limiting performance invitations to focus on the 888 Crew’s solo performance, originally scheduled for October but postponed to November.

However, they received an unexpected invitation. Sang-hyun wasn’t sure if it was a poisoned chalice or a great opportunity.

It was ‘Hip Hop the Vibe 2’, produced by KM.NET, a collaboration between KM and Mnet [Korean music television channels].

Verse 15. Flow End

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