RAP STAR

Chapter 33 [verse 4. Cross Over]

"Cross Over" is a term that may not be familiar to Show Business readers. It refers to music where two or more genres are mixed. Originally coined in the late 1960s and solidified as a term in the mid-1970s, it initially referred to classical musicians singing or playing pop music. The term gained prominence in the 1980s to describe the crossing of different genres.

This editor happened upon this performance while on vacation in Gwangju, where they have family. It was purely because of the poster design featuring 'L&S8' that caught their attention. The poster seamlessly blended symbols of the bands L&S and 888 Crew, instantly sparking anticipation for a Cross Over experience. And to top it off, the collaboration between a band and rap music!

Upon arriving at the venue named 'Soft Line,' the ticketing staff greeted the editor with a cheerful smile. As they descended the stairs towards the venue, the sound of the music already lifted their spirits. They wondered, 'Why is the audience so large?' Even in Hongdae, a famous district for band performances, it's challenging to fill a venue with over 50 people unless it's a well-known band occasionally appearing on music programs. However, inside this venue, there were easily over 100 attendees packed tightly.

He knew that the indie scene in Gwangju was relatively small, so the level of audience turnout felt surprisingly impressive to him. Could this team be the most popular in Gwangju? The possibility of such a thing was astonishing.

Hwang, the editor, captured the bewildered audience from the angle where the stage was visible. Then, he approached a guy leaning against the entrance who seemed to be in a good mood and asked about the issue.

In response, the guy mentioned that the bass wasn't making any sound. He said it seemed fine during rehearsal, but suddenly there was a problem. Hwang's expression turned disappointed.

When Hwang asked about the bassist of L&S, the guy simply described them as a team made up of kids who just play music. He added that they weren't a hip-hop team but rather kids who play music with rap.

What was wrong with these kids? Hwang decided to express his gratitude and move away. It seemed like because of these kinds of guys, music activities became even more challenging.

The audience began to lose patience. The murmurs turned into chitchat, and the noise resembled that of a bustling market.

At that moment, the vocal and bassist, who seemed flustered, and the pretty keyboardist girl descended from the stage, followed by two young men who looked like students, probably high schoolers.

"Oh, are they those friends who rap under that weird name 888?" Huang, the editor, was somewhat taken aback.

While he didn't ignore the genre of hip-hop, Huang felt that Korean hip-hop still had a long way to go compared to its birthplace, the United States. In his opinion, the overall average of the Korean hip-hop scene was lacking. With an inadequate musical infrastructure in Gwangju, and now high schoolers taking the stage, it was a combination that didn't pique much interest for him.

Despite Huang's disappointment, the show resumed. The performance began with a brief introduction by the crew. Then, unexpectedly, the dry sound of drums and acoustic guitar marked the start of the music, accompanied by the djembe.

Two percussionists and a string instrument player. In between, a calm humming pierced through. "Oh...!" Huang marveled at the unexpected sound, nodding in approval.

The djembe player, who looked like a high school student, seemed to have only basic skills, but his sense of rhythm was excellent. The drums restrained their power, aiming for a dry sound, creating a melancholic atmosphere.

"It would be interesting if the song continued with just humming," Huang thought, but abruptly, Junhyung's rap began.

Golden Finger's Lee Kyungmin never liked L&S from the start. He criticized them at drinking parties, saying they pretended to be nice, their vocal level was low, and their music was stuck in the 80s. But the biggest reason was his dislike for Yongjoon, L&S's bassist, who played better than him.

Since then, their relationship soured, even to the point where they no longer helped each other with their performances at Sejong Musical Instruments.

When he saw the laughable poster for their concert at Sejong Musical Instruments, he thought it was a gathering of losers. Band and hip-hop crossover? Who did they think they were, Linkin Park?

"Hey, you're not actually going to that concert, are you?"

"Well... I'm going to check it out."

"Why?"

"I don't know, just to see how bad they are and laugh at them."

Although he felt annoyed when the drummer from the same team expressed interest in attending the concert, he let it slide. After all, who would come, maybe ten people?

Most bands in Gwangju struggled to attract more than 30 people to their free concerts, with usually only around 15 genuine audience members, excluding friends.

The idiots who set the laughable entrance fee of 1888 won were fools.

But as days passed, Lee Kyungmin couldn't help but be impressed when he heard that most musicians around were planning to attend L&S's concert. Unbeknownst to him, L&S had built a positive image through their members' kindness and good nature.

Moreover, there was considerable interest among musicians in the rapper from Sejong Musical Instruments, who had formed a team.

Lastly, the concert concept of band and hip-hop crossover piqued his interest.

"These damn fools. Worthless losers with no money!"

Ultimately, Lee Kyungmin decided to go to the concert venue himself to see firsthand the failed performance of L&S and those idiots rapping. As if he were extending an olive branch to the losers.

However, when he actually arrived at the concert venue, his mood became even more foul. There were many audience members. Too many!

Even if he underestimated, there were at least a hundred people. Lee Kyungmin had never seen such a concert in Gwangju before.

But soon, as he surveyed the audience composition, he chuckled to himself. There were quite a few audience members who looked like middle or high school students.

"It seems like they brought their friends and juniors to their first concert. These clueless kids don't even realize they're being taken advantage of."

L&S's leader made a pretentious comment about being surprised by the large crowd, and soon the concert began. However, it was interrupted shortly afterward.

Because the bass sound wasn't coming through.

Feeling slightly pleased by the unexpected turn of events, Lee Kyungmin even gave a courteous response when an unfamiliar man asked him various questions annoyingly.

"What? Is the concert canceled?"

"I don't know. Can't they turn up the air conditioning?"

"Ugh, it's hot."

When the audience's patience ran out and the venue became noisy, the shameless Sanghyun and a newcomer took to the stage.

"Drums, djembe, and an acoustic guitar?"

As Lee Kyungmin chuckled and smirked, the surrounding audience looked at him. And then, the performance began.

<verse 4. Cross Over>