RAP STAR

Chapter 66 [verse 11. Hommie Vol. 1]

"Hello! I'm Sangmi, over 16 years old. I'm the troublemaker little sister, and I handle the management of the Cyworld club and cartoonist duties for 888 Crew. We're planning to serialize a webtoon called '888 X 888' based on a true story on Daum and Naver soon, so please give it a read when you have time! Today, I'll reveal the true identities of these people who have been flaunting all sorts of arrogance!"

Surprisingly, there was a loud cheer in response to Sang-mi's bold proclamation. It was quite considerate for such a young girl.

The ecstatic Sang-mi waved her hand brightly. Although Sang-mi had officially joined the crew only about two weeks ago, she had been so close with them from before that she was practically one of the early members. And there was one more person like that in the 888 Crew.

"I should talk about Miju noona, too." But the timing didn't come. Jun-hyung's Hollywood-style rhetoric (?) had neatly wrapped up the conversation.

"While the group song is made by the six of us, we always think of many people singing along with us when we sing. Shout-out to Sang-mi, Min-ho hyung, Miju noona, and even the band L&S!"

When Park In-hyuk made his signature 'K, Hollywood' sound, the members of the 888 Crew chuckled. It was something In-hyuk said all the time, but it was always funny.

"Give us the beat!" At Jun-hyung's command, the beat of 'Eight, Eight, Eight' began to flow.

Now, it was a familiar sound to the members of the 888 Crew.
But for the audience and rappers, a somewhat unfamiliar genre, trap music, began to play.

Trap music.
Trap, a genre created by Southern rappers, used a contrasting 'hard but chopped 808 drums' against the diverse drum sources of Western hip-hop.
The reason trap music began to dominate the world after 2010 was simple.
It was because trap was the first 'proper hip-hop club tune' that had been missing until then.
Before trap music, the rap played at clubs lacked the taste of proper hip-hop. It was said to lack the flavor that drives hip-hop fans crazy.

Because traditional hip-hop music lacked the excitement needed for club settings in various aspects.

A drum source that repeats every 4 or 8 bars in periodic loops.

The powerful rap layered on top of it.

This unique hip-hop sound was insufficient to turn up clubbers who weren't hip-hop fans.

As a result, club DJs played "club-friendly" hip-hop music instead. They played more stimulating and rhythmic songs like electronic hip-hop or crunk. Alternatively, they remixed traditional hip-hop with flashy sounds.

However, these songs were paradoxically rejected by hip-hop fans.

It was because they weren't authentic hip-hop music that preserved the essence of hip-hop coolness.

Thus, trap music gained popularity amidst the disparity between club tunes and hip-hop music. Since 2005, evolved trap music became a southern hip-hop genre that embodied the advantages of club tunes and hip-hop music simultaneously.

Another attractive element was the catchy and easy-to-follow hook.

"All trap music that succeeded had a very simple yet captivating hook." There were no exceptions.

For example, as seen in Korea with Illinit's "Yeonleulgori" or Rae Sremmurd's "No Flex Zone," such songs swept the nation.

And in "Eight, Eight, Eight," Sanghyun incorporated a hook that exuded the essence of trap music. Some people undoubtedly liked it, while others might not have. However, one thing was for sure: after hearing the song several times, one would unconsciously start humming the hook.