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Korean hip hop history book12/3/2023 ![]() ![]() Her solo album T3 – Yoon Mi Rae reveals the discrimination she faces on account of her mixed-race heritage in Korea. Her music is characterized not just by a stunning vocal timbre, but by deeply honest, candid and uninhibited songwriting. Today, Mi-rae is one of the most celebrated female rappers in the country, and is also one of the most sought-after vocalists for Korean drama soundtracks. In 2006, she joined her then-boyfriend Tiger JK’s label Jungle Entertainment, and in 2013, joined the hip-hop trio MFBTY (My Fans Are Better Than Yours). She went on to form a hip hop and R&B duo Tashannie, released one album and finally debuted as a solo artist in 2001 under the stage name T. She was scouted when singing outside an audition room (she had accompanied a friend to the latter’s audition) and joined the hip-hop group Uptown at the age of 16 – which disbanded in 2000. But Mi-rae, also known as Tasha or simply T, is another foundational figure in the genre.īorn to a Korean mother and an African-American father, Mi-rae lived in South Korea with her family as her father served in the U.S. Quite literally, they form the First Couple of Korean Hip Hop (they’re married). If Tiger JK is the King, then Yoon Mi-rae is the Queen of this domain. There is, without a doubt, no better artist to start your journey into the raw and real world of Korean hip hop. To this day, Tiger JK is cited as a major influence by almost every Korean rapper of any significance (including BTS’ RM). Naturally, in 2011, the Los Angeles Times called himi, “ perhaps the most popular Korean rapper in America, Asia and the world.” Among his many other creative adventures, Tiger JK founded the Movement Crew, a hip-hop community that led to the birth of some of Korea’s greatest hip-hop icons – Dynamic Duo, Leessang, and Epik High. But his influence goes beyond his own music and it’s commercial success. Today, he is hailed as the man who took “controversial”, authentic hip hop into the mainstream. Eventually, his music broke through to the Korean youth, who found an alternative to the heavily manicured, scripted glimmer of K-pop. He returned to the US, but kept coming back to his country. They banned my music, and they banned me.” I had no dancers, no stage clothes, no bling. His first album failed, largely because the songs were banned, redlines, marked ‘explicit content’ and got no radio play.Īccording to Tiger JK “ Every single or track got banned, had a redline, marked ‘explicit content,’ but I wasn’t cussing or nothing,”…. It was considered uncouth, disruptive and rebellious in a typically conservative Asian society. On his return to Korea, Tiger JK started rapping in a scene and time (1990s) when hip hop generally had a bad rap (pun intended) in Korea. This was the time when LA gangsta rap crews like N.W.A were storming the scene with anti-establishment rage, and here Tiger JK found the music that was to propel him to the status of icon in his homeland. Jung-kwon moved to Miami for about a decade when he was 12. Tiger JK AKA Seo Jung-kwon was born in Seoul to a DJ dad who was also the first Billboard correspondent in Korea (and this was the 1970s). ![]() You don’t speak of Korean hip hop without bowing to the Godfather. If you’re new to the genre, I recommend taking it one artist at a time. In this article, you’ll find five Korean hip-hop artists that will reveal more about the genre, it’s place in Korean culture and of course, provide an unending stream of excellent music.īe warned, this is a long article. As celebrated rappers in their own right, these guys are part of a fascinating genre, one which deserves tremendous recognition and respect. Anyone who has paid attention to BTS’ RM, J-Hope and Suga knows how powerful rap transforms a song – to say nothing of their solo work. As the genre gained prominence, popularity and fame, hip-hop also came to be one of the primary tastemakers of what is “cool”.Īll of this stands perfectly true of Korean hip-hop. We’re talking about South Korean Hip Hop.Įver since its emergence in the 1970s, Hip-Hop has been a fiery avenue of protest, a snarling utterance of rage and one of the most reliable expressions of zeitgeist. Much has been written and said of K-pop, so we decided to explore another genre which is all set to exert global influence. Now that BTS has taken over the world, and K-pop is no longer a niche genre for those outside Asia, we can start delving seriously into the music of this beautiful country. ![]()
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