RAP STAR

Chapter 38 [verse 4. Cross Over]

The 'Band L&S8 Crew' performance ended successfully, and those who wanted to join the performers and crew for an after-party moved to a nearby barbecue buffet. Renting out the entire second floor, they divided the seating between adults and minors, and as they started grilling meat, any initial awkwardness among strangers disappeared.

The focal point of the after-party venue was the members of L&S who were the main performers of the day, along with Sanghyun and Junhyeong from the 888 Crew. However, they had to step away from the after-party venue for a moment. Surprisingly, Show Business Magazine's Editor Hwang, a familiar figure to musicians, requested an interview.

"Personal interviews are done for now, so is it okay if we talk a bit more about the performance? I just want to clarify that this part will be summarized and condensed for publication."

"Yes, please go ahead."

"First, was there a crossover theme from the beginning when planning the performance?"

"Oh, no, there wasn't. After seeing Sanghyun's performance for the first time, I developed an interest in the rap metal genre and proceeded with the invitation. Initially, I just planned to ask for a few songs as featured guests."

The members of L&S nodded at Minsik's response.

"But why did the 888 Crew's role become significant?"

"Firstly, Junhyeong joined the performance lineup. The picture that one rapper and a band can show is different in quantity and quality from what two rappers and a band can show. If the birth of the 888 Crew had happened just a month earlier, and if other members of 888 could have participated in the performance, wouldn't a collaboration that takes up half of the running time have been realized?"

"Two rappers..."

Hwang nodded as he typed furiously on his laptop. At the same time, his recording device twinkled as it recorded Bang Minsik's voice.

"You mentioned Junhyeong joining first, right? Were there other reasons?"

"Oh, it's nothing special, but Sanghyun and Junhyeong didn't expect to have so many songs together. When I asked them to let me hear a couple of songs they were planning to do together, songs just kept pouring out endlessly."

"Oh, really?" Editor Hwang nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Junhyeong this time. "How many songs do you have?"

Sanghyun and Junhyeong exchanged puzzled looks. Answering was quite ambiguous.

"It's a bit difficult to say how many songs we have because our way of working on songs is different from that of a band... If you consider the songs we performed today as official songs of the 888 Crew, then..."

"Hmm? So, are the other songs unfinished?"

"It's not like that... Well, we start including a song in our usable song list from the moment we think of a theme, sketch lyrics, and choose a beat. But we can't let them be heard somewhere else because those are emotions that only our team members can share."

Hwang furrowed his brow at Sanghyun's vague answer. He couldn't quite grasp what these guys were saying.

"Sanghyun, let me ask differently. How many songs were immediately available for performance the moment you decided to perform with the L&S band?"

"Just one."

"One?"

"Yes. We only had one song, 'Run this town,' which is a cover of Run-D.M.C.'s 'Walk this way' in a similar format."

Not only Editor Hwang but also the members of the L&S band wore bewildered expressions at the unexpected answer.

"So, what about the songs you brought to the rehearsal room every day for us to listen to?"

"Oh, those were songs we made the day before. Or we brought MP3 beats and made them with Junhyeong at school."

"What?"

Everyone except Junhyeong looked puzzled at Sanghyun's response. Sanghyun understood the difference in perspective between different genres.

In rap, if given only a beat, it's uncertain how long it will take to complete a song. It could be finished in just 10 minutes, or it could take a year with constant revisions. However, the difference in production methods cannot be the standard for judging the superiority between genres.

As an example, Jay-Z's legendary album "The Blueprint," released in 2001, was completed in just two weeks. Furthermore, the lyrics were finished in just two days. While some might argue that it was hastily made, "The Blueprint" topped all Billboard charts, its singles entered the top 10, and it received praise from critics, solidifying its status as a masterpiece.

However, some of these album tracks, or some verses, were recorded as 'freestyle,' meaning they were improvised without pre-written lyrics. Therefore, Sanghyun thought the production period in rap was meaningless. Of course, there were songs like "Let's Move" that took nearly a month of hard work and perseverance.

"Are you saying you're on Jay-Z's level?"

Editor Hwang asked with a smile at Sanghyun's explanation. Sanghyun chuckled and waved his hand.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Editor. And songs like 'Let's Move' took a long time to complete."

"I see. So, Sanghyun, how long have you been making music?"

"Well, that's hard to say."

While Sanghyun was the one who had decided at some point, "I should start making music," he felt embarrassed about his short music career and wanted to hide it. However, when Junhyeong answered that it hadn't been even three months, Editor Hwang nodded in slight surprise.

The conversation continued with various topics. They discussed the future of hip-hop and band music, talked about Meju, the guest keyboardist, and even delved into stories about admired musicians. Thus, the interview time stretched from one hour to over two.

"Well, then, I'll ask one question each to the leaders of both teams. First, what's the immediate goal for the band L&S?"

"Um, our immediate goal is to win an award at the Jeonju World Wide Indie Music Festival in August."

"Hmm. Are you participating in the band competition?"

"Yes."

Editor Hwang nodded at Min-sik's answer.

"Now, what about the 888 Crew?"

"Um... well..."

Junhyeong hesitated, shooting a pleading look at Sanghyun, but Sanghyun pretended not to notice.

"888 Crew will make sure that everyone who thinks of the word 'hip-hop' in Gwangju thinks of us."

"Is that your immediate goal? That's impressive!"

"Oh... Immediate goal..."

Junhyeong scratched his head, and everyone laughed. Editor Hwang also chuckled and closed his laptop.

"Well, the interview ends here. Probably today's interview will be featured in the July issue of Show Business Magazine, in the music interview section. The release date is August 1st. But before that, there are some parts we'd like to get your permission for."

"Permission?"

"While I'd love to publish the entire interview in the magazine, it's not feasible due to space constraints. The conversation might be condensed and edited in places, although I'll try to maintain the original nuance as much as possible. Sometimes, there are musicians who aren't happy about it."

"Oh, that's fine."

"And would it be okay to include the poster photos from today's performance and some additional photos I took during the show in the magazine? With comments?"

"Of course. Please make sure we look good in them."

Editor Hwang chuckled at Drummer Hwang's jest. They shook hands with smiles and parted ways, with L&S and Sanghyun and Junhyeong returning to the barbecue buffet.

"Now, let's drink!"

"Cheers!"

With the interview concluded, they enjoyed their time together, free from any further obligations.

<verse 4. Cross Over>