RAP STAR

Chapter 62 [verse 11. Homie Vol. 1]

What are the differences between hip-hop concerts and concerts of other genres? Sanghyun couldn't answer this question because he had never been to a concert other than hip-hop. Sanghyun had hardly any time for cultural activities. Well, to be precise, there was a brief period. It was when he graduated and got a job at a large corporation. It was just for a short while. Even though it was a big corporation where he worked for a little over a year before quitting due to unbearable circumstances, he still had some free time back then. There were plenty of overtime hours, but he rested every weekend without fail. With no worries about money and plenty of spare time, he had seen many concerts, including those of rappers like Junhyung. However, after starting his own business, the concept of weekdays and weekends disappeared. It seemed like the word "leisure time" had been removed from the dictionary. His fiancée, who particularly admired singers, had booked concert tickets with him more than five times, but they never managed to attend even once. That's how busy they were. Therefore, Sanghyun's hobby became collecting DVDs of live performances. However, there were hardly any DVDs of Korean rappers' performances available; most were of idols. Thanks to that, Sanghyun turned his attention to foreign concerts and was able to experience numerous performances indirectly through DVDs. Among them, the concert he considered the best was the Up in Smoke Tour.

- The Up in Smoke Tour Live 2000

It was an American tour where rap superstars from the West Coast such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Warren G, Nate Dogg, and Ice Cube all appeared. Sanghyun had watched many concert DVDs until 2025, but he was convinced that there would never be a hip-hop concert to surpass the Up in Smoke Tour from 2000. Sanghyun had no idea how much money the concert made, how many people attended, or how many DVDs were sold. It was just the best concert. It was engraved in his mind as the best concert. Especially, the scene where Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Devin sang "Fuck You" shocked him culturally.

"I just wanna Fuuuuck-You.
(Just wanna sleep with you.)"

When Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Devin sang the chorus, many women in the audience took off their clothes and danced. They didn't care about the cameras recording the live performance. Of course, Sanghyun didn't envy their sexual freedom. He envied the atmosphere where people could be completely crazy about hip-hop music.

"Are there people in Korea who feel extreme excitement for hip-hop music?" Sanghyun thought that in 2005, there weren't any. They might emerge with a little more time. However, at that moment, Sanghyun's fixed idea was being shattered at Club Hommie in Sinchon.

In Korean society, there is prejudice against non-mainstream cultures. People who enjoy non-mainstream culture are treated as "losers" who couldn't join the mainstream. Therefore, those who enjoy non-mainstream culture tend to form a sense of solidarity among themselves. Of course, this tendency creates another form of discrimination, and when non-mainstream culture becomes mainstream, it becomes a threat to fan culture. Anyway, hip-hop music in 2005 was completely non-mainstream. And the reaction of hip-hop fans, inversely proportional to mainstream popularity, was hotter than imagined.

"Wooah!" 888 members were bewildered by the cheers that echoed into the waiting room. The atmosphere was as enthusiastic as that of a concert by a famous singer. They felt a disconnection between the hip-hop they had experienced and the hip-hop being enjoyed now. "So, music should be done in Seoul," Sanghyun thought. Junhyung was amazed by everything from the concert hall to the waiting room and the audience's reactions.

However, amidst this admiration, a sense of competition arose.

"We will make everyone who thinks of the word 'hip-hop' in Gwangju think of 888 Crew."

Like interviews in the show business industry in the past, 888 Crew had now become the representative team of Gwangju. So, they shouldn't be intimidated at all.