RAP STAR

Chapter 28 [verse 3, 888 crew]

Sanghyun smiled openly, and Junhyung had unexpectedly become friendly with Yongjoon, discussing the symbiosis of bass and rap.

"Alright, let's practice!"

After a while of chaos, practice resumed.

This time, Miju on the keyboard and Yongjoon on the bass took a step back. The stage was adorned by the guitar, drums, and the two rappers.

Sanghyun placed a djembe (an African drum used in celebrations and rituals) between his legs while sitting on a chair with a microphone on a stand.

"A djembe, huh? Does Sanghyun know how to play it?"

"Judging by the way he carried it, probably not," Yongjoon replied to Miju's question.

"Where's your vocalist? Went to Daegu and still hasn't come back?"

"He said he'll be a few more days. Says he's got some business to take care of. Anyway, Inhyun's been busy lately."

"Got himself a girlfriend?"

"Then he's getting kicked out of the band!"

As Miju and Yongjoon discussed L&S's vocalist, Cheon Inhyun, the stage setup was completed. Bang Minsik signaled that it was about to start.

Miju paid more attention to Junhyung than to Sanghyun. While Sanghyun's stage presence was already witnessed at Sejong Music Hall, Junhyung's musical trustworthiness was still at zero.

Miju had high expectations for this performance. A crossover performance in the musical desert of Gwangju!

Therefore, Junhyung's role, responsible for one of the axes of crossover, was equally crucial.

"Were you nervous?"

Junhyung seemed quite tense.

"Junhyung, are you ready?"

"Uh, okay."

"What's with that weak 'okay'? Are you ready?"

"Okay!"

Though he seemed tense, Sanghyun trusted Junhyung.

Without the cheat code of "20 years of experience" obtained through a return to the past,Sanghyun would have a lot to learn from Junhyung.

"Let's go. One, two, three..."

Starting with the sound of Sanghyun's djembe, a gentle acoustic guitar set the tone. Then, drums, quieter, drier, and more delicate than usual, began to lead the rhythm.

Upon hearing the intro, Miju suddenly thought of the legendary Eagles song "Hotel California."

"The loneliness, as if facing a sandstorm in the desert."

Indeed, this beat was inspired by Standard's use of the chord progression from "Hotel California" to create a song.

Sanghyun, Min-sik, and In-soo were performing Standard's song live. They boldly excluded the keyboard and bass from the original beat, adding the djembe to enhance the dry and melancholic feeling.

Djembe, guitar, drums.

Min-sik's humming broke the silence, serving as the start of the song. His humming was quite lengthy, resembling a harmonica solo.

Miju and Yongjoon, watching, were amazed by the completely different feeling from typical L&S music.

Engagement born from unfamiliarity.

"Oh..."

Min-sik's humming was not so much about singing well as it was about its simplicity, which strangely drew in the audience.

Miju hoped the humming would continue, but suddenly, Junhyung's rap interjected.

The timing was unexpected, cutting in halfway through a measure with an off-beat rap.

Miju could see the audience, who had been immersed in the humming, instantly captivated by the rap.

"Planting seeds in soaked soil
Giving them light, then if they don't die, they sprout
It's all the same
Putting in effort to achieve something
Today, falling asleep, but waking up again tomorrow morning"

Junhyung's voice contrasted with Sanghyun's. Sanghyun's vocal range extended from high to mid, allowing for clear emotional delivery, while Junhyung's voice was deep, with a low, resonant tone. However, Junhyung's voice was deep without being heavy; it had depth but wasn't burdensome. Additionally, there were times when Junhyung's voice rose to the mid-range, adding power to his clear delivery of the lyrics.

The rap with a pleasing low tone continued:

"I stretch and don't linger in bed,
I don't grumble behind someone's back out of jealousy."

Yongjoon admired the boldness of their message in such a melancholic beat, urging movement.

How should one express it?

Yes, it felt like battling against the beat.

Vocalists usually aim for a perfect harmony of "beat," "vocals," and "message," sympathizing with the audience by singing sad songs sadly with sad lyrics. This had become an established rule of popular music's evolution.

However, Sanghyun and Junhyung, who planned their first song "Movin' It," had different thoughts. Without even quoting Quincy Jones's "Rap is the most revolutionary form of expression in modern Black music," they thoroughly ignored the existing order.

Such music inspired Miju and Yongjoon profoundly.

The birth of happiness. Now, a determined attitude,
The routine orbit of daily life doesn't change,
Junhyung's verses urged "action" through the melancholic beat, attempting to conquer it, wrestle with it, and press it down, making the lyrics resonate with the audience.

Yongjoon felt envious as he listened to the song.
"What if they sang love to Deep Purple's legendary song 'Highway Star' during the instrumental?" It would have been undoubtedly strange.
Similarly, if they sang peace to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," it would have been the same.
However, Junhyung and Sanghyun deliberately prepared for such a dissonance between the beat and the vocals.

"Intentional? Was it really intentional?" Yongjoon pondered but shook his head. Let's think about the complexities later. For now, just enjoy it.

"Woah!"

With Yongjoon's shout, Junhyung's verses raced towards the end:

"As more untrustworthy people emerge,
Mom and Dad asked me again,
Even if I go in a rough direction, do I want to regret it?
The answer is 'No.' Even through trials and setbacks, I won't falter."

As Junhyung's verses ended, the djembe, drums, guitar, and Min-sik's humming all stopped abruptly, leaving a moment of silence.

Miju laughed. How ambitious they were to prepare several devices to capture the audience's attention!

Breaking the silence, the drums and djembe dropped out, leaving only the resplendent sound of the acoustic guitar, followed by Sanghyun's voice:

"movin' it. move it.
움직여야지.
movin' it. move it.
움직여야지."

An easy, melodic hook. A catchy melody that everyone could hum after hearing it just once.

<verse 3, 888 crew>